Chief operating officers · the career path
How to become a COO
The short answer · updated
Most COOs rise through operations: operations manager, then head of operations or operations director, then COO, often by way of general management. No single qualification is required; an MBA, Lean Six Sigma, PRINCE2 or PMP can help. Boards look for a record of running the whole operation, leading change, and delivering the chief executive’s strategy.
The routes in: operations roles to COO
The usual ladder runs from operations manager to head of operations or operations director, then COO. The Skills England operations manager standard describes the first rung: leading teams with both operational and project responsibilities, working within budgets, using data to find efficiencies, and applying business continuity and the law that governs the operation. Its typical job titles include general manager and regional manager.
Many operations careers start in a specialist function. The National Careers Service says a production manager can move into planning and operations, supply chain and procurement, or business development and general management. Logistics, customer operations, technology delivery and service operations are similar starting points.
Other COOs come from finance, consulting or a commercial role, or are promoted from chief of staff or general manager to run the business day to day while the chief executive leads outward. What they share is a record of running more than one function at once.
Qualifications and training
There is no required qualification for a COO. Boards hire on track record. Training helps in two ways: breadth across the business, and methods for running and improving operations.
For management and leadership development more broadly, the Chartered Management Institute is the Royal Chartered body for the profession and offers qualifications and Chartered pathways.
- MBA. An MBA covers finance, strategy, people and marketing, the functions a COO coordinates. Look for a programme accredited by the Association of MBAs.
- Lean Six Sigma. Process improvement methods for reducing waste and variation. The Chartered Quality Institute runs Lean Six Sigma training alongside its certified quality courses.
- PRINCE2. A project, programme and portfolio management method, certified through PeopleCert. Useful where the COO runs change through a portfolio of projects.
- PMP. The Project Management Institute’s PMP is for experienced project leaders and is not tied to one methodology.
The experience employers look for
Boards look for someone who has run a large part of the operation and changed it: scaled a team, opened a site or a market, delivered a system or supply-chain change, or brought costs and service under control. Say what changed because of your work, with the evidence.
Breadth matters as much as depth. A COO often oversees operations, people, technology, supply chain and customer service, and works closely with the finance director on budgets and targets. Take on a function outside your own before you apply, and learn to read the accounts. Read what a COO does for the full remit.
The seat also carries director-level duties. The HSE’s Leading health and safety at work is written for every director and board member, and in an FCA-regulated firm Chief Operations is a senior management function the regulator must approve.
Fractional, interim and part-time COO work as a route in
Many growing companies need a COO before they can afford one full time. An experienced operations director can take that seat for part of the week, and it brings the whole-business remit a full-time COO role asks for.
See fractional COO roles for part-week work, interim COO roles for full-time cover through a transition or turnaround, and part-time COO roles for a fixed number of days. An interim operations director role is often the step before.
If you work through your own company, the off-payroll working rules (IR35) may apply. Status is decided by how each engagement runs, and a medium or large client makes the determination. Our IR35 guide sets out the tests.
What a COO earns
COO pay depends on the size and stage of the business, its sector, how many functions report to the role, and whether it carries a board seat or regulatory approval.
Our fractional COO salary page sets out pay and day rates, each figure with its source. For the cost to a business of a part-week COO, see fractional COO cost.
Where to find COO roles
Our fractional jobs board lists live senior roles across functions, and the fractional COO jobs page lists COO roles. Many first COO seats are filled by promotion from operations director or general manager.
We recruit fractional, interim, part-time, temporary and permanent executives. For permanent COO searches, see our COO headhunter page.
If finance is your background, see how to become a CFO and how to become a finance director for the finance route to the top table.
Questions people ask
What qualifications do you need to become a COO?
None is required. An MBA gives business breadth, and operations methods such as Lean Six Sigma, PRINCE2 or PMP help. Boards hire mainly on a record of running and improving operations.
What job comes before COO?
Usually operations director, head of operations or general manager. Some COOs are promoted from finance director, chief of staff or a senior commercial role. See interim operations director roles.
Is an MBA worth it for a COO?
It can help, because it covers the functions a COO coordinates: finance, strategy, people and marketing. It does not replace a record of running operations. Look for a programme accredited by the Association of MBAs.
Can a CFO or finance director become a COO?
Yes. Finance leaders see the whole business through the numbers, and some move into COO roles. They usually need to show they have run people and processes, not just reported on them. See how to become a CFO for the finance route.
What is the difference between a COO and an operations director?
An operations director usually runs operations. A COO usually runs the business day to day across several functions, and often sits on the executive committee or the board. Read what a COO does.
How do you get your first COO role?
Run more than one function, lead a visible change, and build board exposure. A fractional or interim COO role in a growing business is one of the faster ways in. See fractional COO roles.
