Chief Operations Officer

Job Description

Chief Operating Officer
Confidential Search
Location: Dublin, Ohio (Columbus metro) - on-site executive role
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Department: Executive Leadership / Senior Leadership Team
Travel: Approximately 30%, primarily domestic; occasional international
Scope: Purchasing, Supply Chain, Customer Care, Warehousing, Distribution, Logistics, Engineering, Manufacturing, Assembly/Kitting, Contract Manufacturing
Classification: Full-time, exempt, executive

The Opportunity
Our client, a national leader in emergency medical and healthcare products, is seeking a Chief Operating Officer to own the company's end-to-end operating model and product engine: from product concept and engineering through sourcing, manufacturing, distribution, and customer support. Reporting directly to the CEO and serving on the Senior Leadership Team, the COO is the executive who turns enterprise strategy into measurable operational results - sustainable growth, margin expansion, regulatory compliance, and an exceptional customer experience for the first responders and healthcare professionals our client serves nationwide.
This is a build-and-scale mandate, not a caretaker role. The right leader will strengthen and expand our client's manufacturing, distribution, and operational infrastructure; bring new technology and automation into the business; integrate acquisitions; and develop the next generation of operating leaders - all while holding the line on quality, safety, and compliance in a regulated medical environment.

What You Will Own
Enterprise Operations
Lead all core operating functions - Purchasing, Supply Chain, Customer Care, Warehousing, Distribution, Logistics, Engineering, Manufacturing, Assembly/Kitting, and Contract Manufacturing Management - with full accountability for performance, quality, cost, service levels, compliance, and scalability.
Define and execute the company's operational, engineering, and manufacturing strategies in alignment with corporate objectives, growth plans, and shareholder expectations.
Design, optimize, and expand our client's distribution, manufacturing, and operational footprint to support current and future business requirements.
Establish and monitor the KPI framework for customer satisfaction, quality, productivity, on-time delivery, inventory, safety, service levels, and profitability; report performance and risk regularly to the CEO and Board of Directors.
Serve as the executive escalation point for critical operational, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and customer experience issues.

Product, Engineering, and Manufacturing
Provide executive leadership over the full product lifecycle - product development, design engineering, lifecycle management, and manufacturing readiness.
Ensure engineering maintains rigorous, audit-ready product development practices: design controls, risk management, technical documentation, verification and validation, and design transfer, consistent with applicable medical device regulatory and quality standards.
Oversee manufacturing operations end to end, including production planning, assembly and kitting, process optimization, automation, capacity planning, and continuous improvement.
Bring new technologies into the business to drive innovation, strengthen competitive differentiation, and increase customer value.
Partners and Supply Base
Build and govern high-performing relationships with suppliers, contract manufacturers, logistics providers, and other strategic partners to ensure quality, reliability, scalability, and cost effectiveness.
Provide executive oversight of third-party manufacturers, including partner selection, performance management, quality oversight, contractual compliance, and ongoing operational governance.

Growth, M&A, and Leadership
Partner with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team to set enterprise priorities, evaluate business performance, and execute key strategic initiatives.
Lead operational due diligence, integration planning, organizational alignment, and value realization for mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic growth initiatives.
Drive operational excellence through performance measurement, standardization, technology enablement, and Lean business practices.
Build, develop, and retain a high-performing operations leadership team; own succession planning and leadership development across the operating organization.
Champion a culture of safety, quality, accountability, innovation, and customer focus, and advance our client's Mission, Vision, Values, and Guiding Principles.
Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, Finance, IT, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Human Resources, Legal, and Compliance to ensure enterprise-wide alignment.

What Success Looks Like
Within the first 12-24 months, the COO will be measured on outcomes such as:
A unified, scalable operating model across purchasing, supply chain, distribution, and manufacturing with clear ownership and a single set of performance metrics.
Measurable improvement in margin, productivity, on-time delivery, inventory performance, and customer satisfaction.
Product development and manufacturing processes that are consistently audit-ready and compliant with applicable medical device requirements.
Successful operational integration of acquisitions with realized synergies.
A deep, credible leadership bench with succession plans in place for every key operating role.

Required Qualifications
Candidates must meet all of the following to be considered:
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business Administration, or a related field.
15+ years of progressive leadership experience in medical device or healthcare products, including executive-level (VP or above) accountability for operations, manufacturing, supply chain, and customer-facing functions.
Proven success leading complex, multi-site operations in a regulated medical device, healthcare, or life sciences environment.
Direct experience leading product development organizations and bringing regulated products from concept through commercialization and lifecycle management.
Working command of medical device development and quality requirements: design controls, risk management, quality systems, and regulatory expectations.
Significant hands-on experience running manufacturing, assembly, and kitting operations, including production planning, operational scaling, and contract manufacturing relationships.
Demonstrated results driving operational excellence, continuous improvement, productivity gains, margin expansion, and organizational scalability using Lean, Six Sigma, or comparable methodologies.
Strong financial acumen with ownership of budgets, capital investments, operational metrics, and profitability targets.
Track record of leading large-scale organizational change and executing strategic initiatives, including M&A due diligence and integration.

Preferred Qualifications
MBA, Master's degree in Engineering, or other relevant advanced degree.
Experience in a distribution-led business serving EMS, first responder, or acute-care customers.
Experience scaling operations in a private-equity-backed or high-growth environment.
Experience leading automation, technology enablement, or digital transformation initiatives across warehouse, manufacturing, or supply chain operations.

Leadership Profile
Executive presence and Board-level communication skills; able to represent the company credibly with customers, suppliers, partners, investors, and regulators.
Builder of high-performing teams and developer of leaders, with a bias for accountability and clear ownership.
Analytical, decisive, and strategic, with the operational discipline to balance innovation, quality, compliance, customer satisfaction, and financial performance simultaneously.
Entrepreneurial and hands-on: comfortable on the warehouse and production floor as well as in the boardroom.
Unquestioned integrity and ethical leadership.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements
This is an on-site executive role based in Dublin, Ohio, with regular presence in warehouse, manufacturing, and distribution facilities. The role requires approximately 30% travel (primarily domestic, occasional international); the ability to move throughout office and operational environments for extended periods and comply with all facility safety requirements; standard use of a computer and communication tools; occasional lifting of up to 20 pounds; and the ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive business information. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Benefits Snapshot
This role offers the chance to join a team that genuinely enjoys the work they do, contributing to a mission that helps protect and save lives. The company is steady, essential, and continuing to grow, with a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, and sustainability. Its culture is built around its people and the things they care about, featuring perks like bring-your-dog-to-work days, travel discounts, gym membership discounts, and happy hours. The benefits package is comprehensive, including flexible PTO, a full range of health and wellness coverage, 401(k) matching, tuition assistance, adoption support, and pet insurance.

About Our Client
Our client's mission is to be the best partner for those who save and improve patients' lives. The company serves first responders and healthcare professionals nationwide, and excellence in delivering on that mission depends on a diverse, empowered team that brings its full, authentic self to work each day.

Our client is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We offer a competitive salary, commensurate with experience, along with a comprehensive benefits package, including a 401(k) Plan. EEO/M/F/Veterans/Disabled. We strive to create a workplace that reflects the communities we serve, and we are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity.

Job Requirements

Operations, COO, Chief Operations Officer


Additional Information

dfwHR is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship. The client cannot sponsor any visas.

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Meet Your Recruiter

Lindsey Davidson