Operating and finance leadership
Hiring your first COO or head of ops
Last reviewed October 29, 2026.
You need a head of ops when you're the one answering the 3PL about a stuck PO, chasing a late freight bill and missing the reorder, all in the same week. If you do not need someone there every day, a fractional COO is the closer fit.
That is the operations job, and right now it lands on you. The lists below cover who can take it off your plate.
The lists for this job
Partners are listed first. I may earn a referral fee from them, and I only take on partners I'd recommend anyway.
1
A head of ops
They are a full-time member of the team.
2
A fractional COO
They are with you for part of the week.
3
An advisor
You talk with them before you create the job.
Why it fits
A head of ops takes the daily operations off your desk, and they are there every day the company is open.
A fractional COO runs operations a few days a week, not five, and you stay the CEO on the other days.
An advisor gives you a point of view on whether to hire, and they do not run the week.
Watch out for
If you give them the title and no list of decisions, you have hired a project manager.
A few days a week cannot cover a crisis and a rebuild at the same time.
A good conversation can leave the same emails in your inbox on Friday.
Price
Pay depends on the city and any equity.
You pay a retainer for the days you agree, and the amount depends on those days and the work.
An advisor costs you very little, and you keep the notes and the decisions.
Skip it if
Skip the full-time hire if the work still fits in a few days a week.
Skip a fractional COO if you need someone there every day.
Skip an advisor if the warehouse needs an answer from someone this week.
Next
1
A head of ops
They are a full-time member of the team.
- Why it fits
- A head of ops takes the daily operations off your desk, and they are there every day the company is open.
- Watch out for
- If you give them the title and no list of decisions, you have hired a project manager.
- Price
- Pay depends on the city and any equity.
- Skip it if
- Skip the full-time hire if the work still fits in a few days a week.
2
A fractional COO
They are with you for part of the week.
- Why it fits
- A fractional COO runs operations a few days a week, not five, and you stay the CEO on the other days.
- Watch out for
- A few days a week cannot cover a crisis and a rebuild at the same time.
- Price
- You pay a retainer for the days you agree, and the amount depends on those days and the work.
- Skip it if
- Skip a fractional COO if you need someone there every day.
3
An advisor
You talk with them before you create the job.
- Why it fits
- An advisor gives you a point of view on whether to hire, and they do not run the week.
- Watch out for
- A good conversation can leave the same emails in your inbox on Friday.
- Price
- An advisor costs you very little, and you keep the notes and the decisions.
- Skip it if
- Skip an advisor if the warehouse needs an answer from someone this week.
WHAT MATTERS
- Those emails are still coming to you, and nobody you hired is answering them.
- You can tell a normal week of this work from a one-off crisis.
- You know which days you would still be the one in charge.
Before you sign
- Write down which decisions they make, and which stay with you.
- Say how many days a week they are there.
- Ask what changes if the work grows past those days.
NONE OF THESE
If you can't name the work this person would take, I'd hold off on the title.
Questions
Is a head of ops the same job as a COO?
Not always. A head of ops usually runs the warehouse, the freight, and the reorder. A COO often sits closer to the whole company. Ask which meetings would be theirs.
When is a few days a week enough?
Look at a normal week and see whether the work stops when you stop. If it does not, a few days is not enough.
What should you hand them in week one?
Hand them the inbox only you can clear, and the list of decisions you want off your desk.
If the real problem is that nobody owns this
Sometimes you do not need another vendor. You need a person who will run the work. I do strategic assessments and operating assessments. I take interim and fractional CEO or COO roles, including a restructuring when that is the job, and I help you decide what to do first. I also do general startup advisory.
How interim leadership works. Or a Founder Hour, $500, if you want one conversation before you hire anyone.