Chief Operating Officer

Director of Operations / Chief Operating Officer (Growth Path)

Location: Preferred: Southeast U.S. | Open to Remote (U.S.) with periodic travel to corporate headquarters

Industry: Franchise | Health & Wellness | Membership-Based Business Model

Franchisor operations, or experience at the franchisee level with multi-location oversight, is a must-have. Candidates without this experience will not be considered.

Build the Operating Engine Behind a High-Growth Franchise Platform

Our client is an emerging franchise organization entering a significant growth phase.

This is a newly created leadership opportunity designed to help build the infrastructure, systems, and team required to support accelerated expansion.

The business already has strong clinical leadership and compliance support in place. The focus of this role is different.

This leader will own business operations, franchise operations, onboarding, process design, team development, and operational scalability.

We are intentionally open to someone stepping into their first executive-level operations role. An exceptional Director or VP-level operator who wants the opportunity to grow into a COO seat is encouraged to apply.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys building more than maintaining.

Position Overview

This leader will help transform a high-growth business into a scalable operating platform.

You will partner closely with executive leadership to create repeatable systems, strengthen franchise support, improve onboarding, and build the internal infrastructure necessary for continued expansion.

Over time, accounting and finance functions may also become part of this leadership scope.

Key Responsibilities

Franchise Operations & Expansion

• Build and scale operational infrastructure to support continued growth
• Develop onboarding programs and support systems for new franchise partners
• Create SOPs, playbooks, and repeatable processes across the organization
• Improve speed to launch and early-stage franchise success
• Identify operational bottlenecks and proactively solve for scale

Membership & Revenue Operations

• Partner with leadership to improve recurring revenue performance
• Develop operational metrics and reporting frameworks
• Create systems that improve member growth, retention, and long-term unit performance

Team Development & Organizational Design

• Build and scale operational support functions
• Recruit, coach, and develop team members and future leaders
• Establish accountability structures and operating cadence
• Design teams and processes that support growth

Process Improvement & Execution

• Finalize and optimize key workflows
• Implement scalable systems and operational standards
• Improve visibility into KPIs and business performance
• Build an organization that can delegate and execute consistently

Executive Leadership

• Act as a strategic operating partner to executive leadership
• Balance entrepreneurial speed with operational discipline
• Help shape long-term growth and organizational planning

Ideal Background

We care more about what you've built than the title you've held.

Strong consideration for candidates coming from:

• Franchisor Operations required
• Membership or subscription businesses
• Health & wellness platforms
• Recurring revenue environments

Experience that stands out:

• Built teams during periods of rapid growth
• Created SOPs and scalable onboarding programs
• Supported expansion across multiple locations
• Improved franchise or multi-unit operator performance
• Comfortable building structure in fast-moving environments

Traits That Tend to Win Here

• Builder mindset
• Delegates effectively
• High ownership
• Comfortable with ambiguity
• Strong operator and people leader
• Data-oriented
• Moves quickly