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Interim Chief Operations Officer
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Interim Chief Operating Officer
6-month interim assignment · London HQ, hybrid · Day rate
Confidential search — client name withheld at this stage
The business
Our client is a fast-growing, founder-led FMCG brand, built on a strong in-house manufacturing base and now scaling its commercial ambitions across the UK and Europe. The business is well capitalised, profitable, and preparing for its next phase of growth.
Operational leadership is currently shared across the CEO and a newly-appointed CFO, while a permanent COO search continues in parallel. We're looking for an experienced interim operator to take the reins across the operational function for around six months — bringing immediate structure, pace and senior cover while that process plays out.
The role
Reporting to the CEO and engaging regularly with the board, you'll take full ownership of the operational function, including:
- Executive leadership — a senior operational voice at board level; mentoring and steadying the wider operations leadership team through a period of change
- Manufacturing — oversight of in-house production, driving lean efficiency, cost control and safety standards
- Logistics & supply chain — management of multi-site warehousing and third-party logistics partners, with a focus on service levels, cost and network optimisation across the UK and Europe
- Technical & quality — ensuring product specifications, compliance and supplier quality standards are maintained across a growing footprint
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This is a genuine "in the round" interim brief — the business needs someone comfortable running the whole function, not just holding the line on one area, with a real chance of shaping how the permanent role is eventually defined.
About you
- Extensive senior operations/supply chain leadership experience, ideally gained in FMCG or another manufacturing-led consumer goods environment
- A track record of operating at a comparable stage of growth — scale-up or pre-exit businesses, not just large corporates — and the judgement to know the difference
- Confident holding your own at board level, with strong data and analytics skills to back it up
- Calm, hands-on and pragmatic under pressure; genuinely energised by ambiguity and a fast-moving environment
- Immediately available or able to start at short notice
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The assignment
- Duration: approximately 6 months, with scope to extend depending on how the parallel permanent search resolves
- Basis: day rate, likely outside IR35 — to be confirmed following an IR35 assessment
- Location: London HQ, hybrid working, with occasional travel to a manufacturing site in the UK
- Start: as soon as possible for the right candidate
This search is being run on a confidential basis. The client's identity will be shared with shortlisted candidates as the process progresses.
To apply or discuss this role in confidence, please get in touch with a copy of your CV.
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