Chief Operating Officer

Job Category : Leadership and Management Roles Requisition Number : CHIEF001226 Full-Time On-site Locations Racine, WI 53406, USA Description While we are a bakery and food company at our core, O&H operates a diverse, multichannel business serving customers through retail, ecommerce/mail order, and wholesale. We view operational excellence, continuous improvement, and customer experience as key differentiators in sustaining our reputation as a top-tier provider of scratch‑made, high‑quality Danish bakery products. We are seeking a hands‑on, values‑driven leader who thrives in a fast‑growing, family‑owned environment—someone who can build and develop teams, strengthen collaboration across functions, and deliver outstanding results. As part of a 76‑year legacy built on craftsmanship and care, this role offers the opportunity to help lead O&H into its next era of growth, innovation, and operational excellence. The COO is the operational and cultural leader responsible for driving the company’s results from a people, process, and financial perspective. This role ensures O&H delivers on its strategic vision by harmonizing the leadership team, running the day‑to‑day business, and instilling a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. The COO oversees all operational, retail, financial, customer, and growth functions, leading a team of seven direct reports (Director of Human Resources, Financial Controller, Director of Retail Stores, Director of Baking Operations, Director of IT, Director of Fulfillment Operations, and VP Sales & Marketing). Key Accountabilities Run the day‑to‑day business: Drive execution across all departments and ensure operational excellence in every channel. Drive accountability: Establish clear metrics, responsibilities, and performance management across the leadership team. Harmonize the leadership team: Build trust, alignment, and collaboration between leaders and departments. Prioritize and execute the vision: Translate the company’s strategic goals into short‑ and medium‑term objectives with measurable outcomes. Deliver P&L results: Manage budgets, forecasts, and cost control to achieve profitable growth. Responsibilities Lead, coach, and develop the senior leadership team; ensure “Right People, Right Seats” alignment. Promote O&H’s family values and mission while professionalizing systems and processes for scale. Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and team collaboration. Support succession planning and leadership development at all levels. Serve as a bridge between ownership’s vision and the leadership team’s execution. Translate strategic priorities into annual and quarterly objectives. Serve as a trusted advisor to ownership, balancing legacy culture with forward‑thinking execution. Strengthen current strategic company partnerships and create new business relationships with suppliers, service providers and customers. Collaborate with HR to develop strong talent pipelines and organizational development. Operational Excellence: Oversee bakery production, warehousing, and fulfillment operations to ensure quality, safety, and efficiency. Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure accountability and progress. Ensure operational readiness and scalability across all channels: wholesale, e‑commerce, catalog, and retail. Implement systems and processes that support scale, compliance, and innovation. Manage operational budgets and work closely with the Controller on financial planning and cost control. Support store‑level execution and operational consistency through scalable systems for staffing, training, merchandising, and service. Commercial & Customer Operations: Ensure seamless, high‑quality customer experience across retail, ecommerce, catalog, and wholesale channels. Partner with IT, Finance and Sales & Marketing to integrate systems and automation that improve efficiency, scalability, and visibility across the customer journey. Leverage data, analytics, and reporting to inform operational and commercial decision‑making. Champion cross‑departmental communication and collaboration to ensure alignment between operations, sales, marketing, and fulfillment. Ensure operational readiness to support new product launches, market expansion, and promotional campaigns. Collaborate with the VP of Sales & Marketing to align supply and demand planning, ensuring coordination between marketing initiatives, sales forecasts, and production capacity — while driving pricing discipline and margin growth across all channels. Maintain a close partnership with leadership to honor O&H’s heritage while advancing innovation and continuous improvement. Qualifications Education Required: Bachelors or better in Business Administration or related field. Preferred: Masters or better in Business Administration or related field. Experience Required: Proven ability to lead cross‑functional teams across production, finance, retail, ecommerce, and HR. Required: Strong financial and operational acumen with experience in ERP and data systems. 15 years: Demonstrated success as President, COO, or other relevant C‑suite position of office in a $50M–$250M enterprise. Equal Opportunity Employer This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor. #J-18808-Ljbffr