Chief Operations Officer

About the Role:

The Chief Operations Officer (COO) reports directly to the board of directors and is responsible for overseeing daily operational functions to ensure efficiency, reliability, and sustainable growth, with a strong emphasis on information technology (IT) strategy and technology-enabled service delivery. This role aligns operational priorities and technology investments with the company’s long-term objectives, driving performance improvements across all departments. The COO leads operational modernization in partnership with IT leadership, leveraging enterprise systems, data analytics, automation, and the integration of information technology and operational technology (OT). Collaborating closely with the executive team, the COO ensures that operational plans and technology initiatives support service continuity, regulatory compliance, and safety standards. Ultimately, the COO delivers operational excellence, strengthens digital capabilities, and supports new growth initiatives.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field.
• Minimum of 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in an Executive or Senior leadership role in operations within the utilities, telecommunications, or residential services industries.
• Demonstrated experience leading technology-enabled operational improvements and partnering with IT teams on enterprise system implementation, integration, or modernization, including governance, adoption, and measurable business outcomes.
• Working knowledge of IT governance, cybersecurity risk management, data governance, disaster recovery, and business continuity in an operational environment.
• Proven track record of strategic planning and execution in a complex operational environment.
• Strong financial acumen with experience in budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to lead large teams and manage cross-departmental initiatives.
• Executive-level experience leading product management strategy, including product development, portfolio or lifecycle management, and alignment of product offerings with organizational objectives and customer needs.
• Executive-level experience leading customer service or customer experience functions, with demonstrated success developing service strategies, improving the customer experience, and driving operational excellence.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) or a related advanced degree combined with employment experience
• Experience leading digital transformation in utilities, including enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer information systems (CIS), geographic information systems (GIS), enterprise asset management (EAM), or workforce management platforms; familiarity with IT/OT integration, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI).
• Familiarity with regulatory frameworks and compliance standards specific to the utilities and or residential services sector
• Experience in developing and launching new business growth initiatives.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement comprehensive operational strategies that support the company’s vision and growth targets, including a technology modernization roadmap developed in partnership with IT leadership.
• Lead cross-functional operations and IT initiatives to modernize enterprise systems, integrate business processes, and deploy automation, with clear accountability for implementation, training, adoption, and service delivery outcomes.
• Oversee financial planning and analysis to monitor operational budgets, control costs, and maximize profitability; evaluate technology investments, total cost of ownership, vendor performance, and realization of projected benefits.
• Drive data-driven decision-making using business intelligence dashboards, operational metrics, and analytics; partner with IT and business owners to strengthen data quality, governance, and reporting across enterprise and operational systems.
• Foster talent development through coaching, mentoring, and succession planning to build a high-performing workforce.
• Collaborate with the executive leadership team to develop and launch new growth initiatives and business opportunities.
• Ensure compliance with applicable safety, environmental, and operational requirements; partner with IT and security leadership on cybersecurity governance, IT/OT risk management, incident preparedness, and testing of disaster recovery and business continuity plans.
• Communicate operational goals, progress, and challenges effectively to stakeholders through presentations and reports.
• Delegate responsibilities appropriately to empower teams and maintain operational agility.

Skills:

Executive and Operational Leadership: Combine strategic planning, financial acumen, communication, delegation, coaching, and cross-functional decision-making to support reliable service and sustainable growth.

Information Technology Strategy and Governance: Align technology roadmaps, investment priorities, and governance with operational goals and utility service requirements.

Enterprise Systems and Integration: Understand how ERP, CIS, GIS, EAM, and workforce management platforms support operations; translate business needs into system requirements and oversee implementation and integration.

IT/OT collaboration: Partner with technical specialists to assess interoperability, reliability, and security considerations across enterprise technology and operational systems.

Data analytics and business intelligence: Interpret dashboards and operational data, establish meaningful performance measures, and promote data quality and accountable data ownership.

Cybersecurity and operational resilience: Apply executive-level understanding of technology risk, incident escalation, disaster recovery, and business continuity without replacing specialist technical oversight.

Technology program and vendor management: Evaluate business cases, budgets, implementation risks, service-level commitments, and vendor outcomes.

Digital change leadership: Lead process redesign, automation, stakeholder communication, training, and adoption to deliver measurable operational improvements.