COO (Chief Operating Officer)
Holds the company's execution together: operations, processes, cross-functional coordination and turning strategy into results.
Why this hire matters.
The COO is the most variable exec-committee seat — and that's precisely why it often fails: hired without a clear mandate, they become director of 'everything the CEO doesn't like doing.' Framed well, they're the complement that frees the CEO: taking execution (operations, processes, cross-team coordination, sometimes support functions) while the founder carries vision, product and market. Their value is measured in the predictability they install: targets met, operations scaling without breaking, margins protected through growth. Before hiring, define the exact scope and the split with the CEO — then look for the founder's complement, not their clone. The best reference check: interview the teams they ran, not the executives they sat beside.
Key missions.
- Translate strategy into execution plans and targets
- Lead operations and the functions in their scope
- Install processes and steering (OKRs, reviews, KPIs)
- Coordinate functions with each other (anti-silo)
- Protect quality and margins through growth
- Drive major cross-functional programs (internationalization, M&A)
- Form a trusted pair with the CEO
Skills.
Technical skills
- Operational excellence and process design
- Data-driven steering
- P&L management
- Organization structuring
Expected qualities
- Complementarity with the CEO
- Quiet leadership
- Total reliability
- Arbitration
Common stack
Salaries 2025-2026
| Level | Experience | Annual gross base |
|---|---|---|
| Head of Ops / First-time COO | 10-15 yrs | 85–105 k€ |
| Scale-up COO (post-raise) | 15+ yrs | 105–150 k€ |
Paris market ranges, 2025-2026.
Sources : Journal du Net 2026 (médiane ~105k) · elinoi 2026 · Michael Page Executive 2026
Grilles parisiennes maintenues en full-remote
Hiring this profile.
Typical background
Head of Operations, BizOps or GM who has scaled organizations; sometimes an ex-founder or ex-consultant turned proven operator.
When to hire
When cross-functional execution exceeds the CEO's bandwidth and no VP has the scope — Series B/C. Write the mandate before the first candidate meeting.
Career path
COO → CEO, COO of a larger company, or board/Operating Partner.