About the Role

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is responsible for owning and leading the day-to-day operations of Talent to Team. This role serves as the integrator of the business, translating strategy into execution, aligning leaders across functions, and ensuring disciplined follow-through on priorities, initiatives, and commitments. In close partnership with the CEO, the COO also plays a key role in shaping company strategy and direction by bringing operational insight, data, and organizational readiness into strategic decisions.

As Talent to Team continues to scale, the COO is accountable for building the operating structure, cadence, and accountability required to support growth while maintaining the quality, rigor, and sustainability of our work. This role enables the CEO to step out of operational management and focus on vision, growth, and external relationships.

The COO will report to the CEO and directly manage the company’s leadership team, including the Head of Client Success, Head of People, Manager of Recruiting Services, Manager of HR Services (future hire), and Administrative staff, and ensures the organization operates with clarity, alignment, and consistent execution.

What You’ll Do

Shape Strategy and Drive Execution

• Partner with the CEO to shape company strategy, priorities, and direction, pressure-testing ideas and grounding decisions in operational reality and data
• Translate strategic goals into clear operating priorities, initiatives, timelines, and ownership
• Set and demonstrate clear expectations for how leaders develop strategy, make decisions, and drive work through to completion
• Ensure company decisions move from agreement to execution to completion, with visible follow-through
• Surface tradeoffs, risks, and dependencies early to support effective decision-making and focus

Lead and Align the Leadership Team

• Manage and develop functional leaders across Client Success, HR Services, Recruiting Services, and Internal People Operations
• Set clear expectations for leadership ownership, decision-making, and execution
• Ensure leaders operate at the appropriate altitude, balancing strategic thinking with effective delivery
• Address misalignment, execution gaps, or accountability issues directly and early
• Build a leadership team that operates as a cohesive, well-aligned unit

Build and Run the Company’s Operating System

• Establish and maintain a clear operating cadence, including leadership meetings, business reviews, and planning cycles
• Define how cross-functional work is planned, sequenced, tracked, and closed
• Ensure commitments made in leadership forums result in completed work, not just decisions
• Lead organizational change efforts, ensuring new ways of working are clearly communicated, adopted, and integrated

Own Business Performance and Capacity Economics

• Own visibility into utilization, capacity, margins, and overall business performance
• Ensure the operating model supports consistent, high-quality client delivery across service lines
• Partner with Client Success and Services leaders to identify delivery risks, capacity constraints, and scalability challenges
• Develop and utilize operational insights and financial data to inform staffing, pricing, and growth decisions
• Partner with Sales to maintain visibility into the sales funnel and client pipeline in order to anticipate operational and capacity demands

Build and Maintain the Infrastructure that Enables Execution

• Design and oversee the core tools, systems, and workflows needed to run the business, including data and planning tools, operating models, documentation, and supporting technology systems
• Own both the analytical and operational work required to design, run, and improve the business
• Translate ambiguous or complex problems into structured analyses, processes, and systems
• Balance strategic thinking with detailed execution to move work from concept to completion

What We’re Looking For

• A passion and care for startups and a belief that strong people practices are foundational to building successful organizations
• Established ability to serve as a strategic partner to a CEO, translating company direction into clear priorities, actionable plans, and disciplined execution
• Strong data, financial, and operational acumen, including the ability to build and interpret the tools required to run the business
• Proven experience managing senior leaders and holding leadership teams accountable for delivery
• Demonstrated ability to move seamlessly between strategy and execution
• Comfort operating in a growing, founder-led organization where structure and systems are still evolving
• Experience operating in consulting, fractional, or multi-client professional services environments
• Senior HR / People leadership experience (VP of People, Head of People, Chief People Officer, or equivalent) is a strong plus

How Success Is Measured

0 - 90 Days

• Build trust and credibility with the CEO and leadership team
• Develop a clear understanding of current operations, priorities, and execution gaps
• Establish operating cadence and clarify leadership roles, expectations, and decision-making
• CEO time in operational meetings reduced by at least 25%

3 - 6 Months

• Improved cross-functional alignment and execution consistency
• Clear visibility into utilization, capacity, and business performance
• Leadership team operating with clearer ownership, accountability, and follow-through
• ≥80% of leadership commitments completed on time

6 - 12 Months

• CEO fully stepped out of day-to-day operations
• Predictable execution of company priorities and initiatives
• Sustainable business growth supported by disciplined operations and healthy team dynamics
• Enable MRR growth to $400k+ while maintaining or improving margins

Compensation and Work Structure

• This is a non-exempt, hourly position with a pay rate of $140 per hour.
• This role includes a target range of 25% to 50% client-facing, billable work, depending on client demand and business needs. As a non-exempt position, this role is eligible for overtime in accordance with applicable law.

Talent to Team is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.