Roles we hunt
Chief Operating Officer (COO) Recruitment
The COO (Chief Operating Officer) is the executive most likely to decide where AI and automation change how the work gets done, and to make that change stick. No two COO roles look alike. In one business the COO runs supply chain, in another sales operations and customer service. What they share is running the business day to day so the CEO can focus on direction.
How AI is changing the COO role
Customer service, scheduling, reporting and back-office processing can now be partly handled by software. That leaves the COO with the hard calls: what to automate, what to leave with people, how to redeploy staff whose work changes, and how to keep service steady while all that happens. If a Chief AI Officer sits alongside, agree who owns what before the hire.
What does AI fluency look like in a COO?
Whichever version of the role you have, strong candidates can:
- Show operating improvements they led, with before and after numbers.
- Walk through a process they changed with AI, what it cost, and how the team took it.
- Name an automation they pulled back on, and why.
- Partner the CEO, including disagreeing in private.
Someone who has only run steady-state operations is a risk if your business is changing fast.
How do you hire a COO confidentially?
COO hires are often confidential, especially when someone is already in the seat, which rules out a public ad. That’s common for established digital businesses replacing a COO and for overseas companies appointing someone to run their Australian operation.
A headhunt also suits a narrow track record, say someone who has scaled a business through a funding round. Those people are usually employed. We don’t use keyword screening, because good operators rarely describe their AI work the way a filter expects. See how a Headhuntly search works, how to hire a COO, or the salary guide for C-suite pay.
What does a COO earn?
Over the last five years Headhuntly has placed 11 roles in its C-suite and general management group (COO, CFO, CSO, CCO, General Manager, Director). Base salary ran from $130K to $350K, with a median of $195K.
Based on Headhuntly placements over the last five years. Small sample, base salary only, not a market survey. The full table is in the salary guide.
How does Headhuntly run a COO search?
Like every Headhuntly executive search, it’s exclusive: one client, one role, complete focus. Before we approach anyone, we define three profiles, your company, the role and the person. If the brief isn’t settled yet, we help you set the KPIs and a 30, 60, 90 day framework first.
Then we go after people who aren’t looking. Based on the Gold Coast, hunting Australia-wide. Overseas too, when the right person is there. A typical search takes 3 to 6 weeks.
We charge 15% of the placed candidate's base salary plus super, plus an engagement fee, the placement fee on signed employment contract, the engagement fee upfront, which we walk you through on the first call. If the placement doesn’t work out during probation, we start the hunt again. The detail is on how it works.
Related roles
Questions, answered
When does a business need a COO?
Usually when the CEO is spending most of the week on operations instead of strategy and capital. A COO takes the running of the business so the CEO can lead it.
How long does it take to hire a COO?
Typically 3 to 6 weeks. It moves faster when the CEO and the incoming COO's split of responsibilities is agreed before we start.
What does Headhuntly charge to find a COO?
15% of the base salary plus super, paid on signed employment contract, plus an engagement fee upfront, which we walk you through on the first call. If the placement doesn't work out during probation, we run the search again.
Hiring a COO?
Tell us about the role. We’ll tell you straight whether it needs a headhunt, and what the search would look like.