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Hire an Interim COO for full-time temporary operations leadership. Expert COOs for leadership gaps, operational turnarounds, restructuring, and transformation projects.
An Interim COO is an experienced Chief Operating Officer who joins your company on a full-time, temporary basis—typically for 3-12 months. They provide immediate operational leadership during critical periods: COO vacancies, operational turnarounds, rapid scale-up, restructuring, or crisis management.
Unlike consultants who advise from the sidelines, an interim COO becomes your operational leader. They join the executive team, take full ownership of operations, drive transformation programmes, and deliver measurable results—all within a defined timeframe.
"An interim COO delivers the operational leadership and transformation your business needs—without the 12-month recruitment cycle."
Interim COOs are deployed during periods of change, crisis, or opportunity. Whether you are covering a sudden departure, executing a turnaround, integrating an acquisition, or preparing for rapid growth, an interim COO brings the experience to lead through complexity.
They have done it before—multiple times. They diagnose problems quickly, build high-performing teams, implement robust processes, and deliver the operational transformation your business requires. When the engagement ends, you have a stronger, more scalable operation.
Core responsibilities your interim COO will own
Diagnose operational failures, implement corrective actions, and stabilise underperforming operations. Drive immediate improvements in productivity, quality, and efficiency.
Lead large-scale operational transformation programmes. Restructure operations, implement new systems, and drive organisational change.
Take control during operational crises—supply chain failures, quality issues, customer service breakdowns. Stabilise operations and prevent recurrence.
Lead post-merger operational integration. Harmonise processes, consolidate systems, realise synergies, and integrate teams across merged entities.
Build the operational infrastructure for rapid growth. Implement scalable processes, systems, and structures that support 2-5x revenue expansion.
Identify and eliminate operational inefficiencies. Renegotiate supplier contracts, optimise processes, and deliver measurable cost savings.
Fill COO vacancies while you recruit permanently. Maintain operational continuity, drive key initiatives, and keep the business moving forward.
Fill critical COO vacancies within 2-3 weeks instead of 6-12 months. Maintain operational continuity and momentum while you search for a permanent hire or during periods of transformation.
Interim COOs have led through operational crises, turnarounds, and transformations multiple times. They diagnose problems quickly and implement proven solutions under pressure.
Drive major operational change programmes—restructuring, M&A integration, system implementations, efficiency drives. Interim COOs deliver measurable results within defined timeframes.
Engage for exactly as long as you need. Whether it's a 3-month turnaround or 12-month transformation, you get senior leadership without permanent employment obligations.
Interim COOs have worked across multiple sectors and business models. They bring best practices, benchmarking data, and proven methodologies from diverse operational challenges.
Interim COOs are deployed during critical operational moments. Here are the most common scenarios requiring full-time temporary operational leadership:
Your COO has left suddenly or during a planned transition. You need immediate operational leadership while recruiting a permanent replacement to maintain continuity.
Immediate deploymentOperations are failing—missed deadlines, quality issues, cost overruns, customer complaints. You need an experienced leader to diagnose problems and implement fixes fast.
Within 2 weeksYou're scaling 2-5x and need to build operational infrastructure quickly. An interim COO implements processes, systems, and structures that support aggressive growth.
Pre-growth phaseYou've acquired a business and need to integrate operations. An interim COO leads the integration, harmonises processes, and realises synergies within 6-12 months.
At deal closeYou're restructuring operations—closing sites, consolidating functions, implementing redundancies. An interim COO provides objective leadership through difficult change.
Before announcementMajor supply chain disruption, quality failures, or logistics breakdowns. An interim COO takes control, stabilises operations, and prevents recurrence.
ImmediateFull-time temporary COO leadership pricing
Choose the right operational leadership model
| Feature | Interim COO | Fractional COO | Full-Time COO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commitment | Full-time (temporary) | 1-3 days/week | Full-time (permanent) |
| Duration | 3-12 months | Ongoing (6+ months typical) | Permanent |
| Cost | £8,000-£12,000/week | £3,000-£6,000/week | £150,000-£250,000/year + benefits |
| Focus | Gap-fill or transformation | Strategic + operational | All responsibilities |
| Flexibility | Fixed term contract | Scale up/down as needed | Limited flexibility |
| Best For | Leadership gaps, major transitions | Growing companies, specific expertise needs | Large orgs with full-time need |
From first conversation to start date in 2-3 weeks
Tell us about your needs, timeline, and what you're looking for in an interim executive for your 3-12 month assignment.
We curate a shortlist of pre-vetted interim executives available for full-time temporary assignments.
Interview your top candidates. We handle scheduling and ensure they can start within your timeframe.
Your interim executive begins full-time within days. We support onboarding and contract management throughout.
Tell us about your needs, timeline, and what you're looking for in an interim executive for your 3-12 month assignment.
We curate a shortlist of pre-vetted interim executives available for full-time temporary assignments.
Interview your top candidates. We handle scheduling and ensure they can start within your timeframe.
Your interim executive begins full-time within days. We support onboarding and contract management throughout.
Tell us about your operational challenge and we'll match you with experienced interim COOs who have led similar transformations, turnarounds, or transitions.