Chief Operating Officer Resume examples & templates
Copyable Chief Operating Officer Resume examples
Ever wonder what it takes to be the operational backbone of an organization? As a Chief Operating Officer (COO), you're the bridge between visionary strategy and practical execution—where big ideas transform into measurable results. In today's business landscape, COOs have evolved from traditional "second-in-commands" to strategic partners who drive innovation while maintaining operational excellence. This shift is happening fast; a recent McKinsey study found that 78% of high-performing companies have expanded their COO's responsibilities to include digital transformation initiatives, up from just 34% five years ago.
The role demands both breadth and depth—you'll need to master everything from supply chain management to talent development while staying closely aligned with financial objectives. And timing couldn't be better for ambitious operations leaders. As companies navigate increasingly complex global challenges (think sustainability mandates, remote workforce management, and supply chain vulnerabilities), the demand for exceptional COOs continues to grow. The future belongs to operational leaders who can balance efficiency with agility, turning potential disruptions into competitive advantages.
Junior Chief Operating Officer Resume Example
Marcus Chen
Portland, OR | (503) 555-8729 | mchen@emaildomain.com | linkedin.com/in/marcuschen
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Recent MBA graduate with 18 months of operational leadership experience across startup and corporate environments. Proven track record of improving process efficiency and coordinating cross-functional teams. Seeking a COO role where my analytical mindset and operational expertise can drive organizational growth while I continue developing executive leadership capabilities.
EXPERIENCE
Associate Chief Operating Officer – TechPath Solutions, Portland, OR
January 2023 – Present
- Partner directly with COO to oversee daily operations of a 37-person tech services company, gaining hands-on executive mentorship
- Led complete overhaul of customer onboarding process, reducing time-to-value by 43% and improving client satisfaction scores from 3.7 to 4.6/5
- Manage $1.2M operational budget with quarterly reforecasting to align with changing business priorities
- Coordinate between product, engineering, and customer success teams to ensure alignment on strategic initiatives
- Implemented new project management system that increased team capacity by 22% without additional headcount
Operations Manager – Cascade Financial Group, Portland, OR
June 2022 – December 2022
- Streamlined internal approval workflows, cutting processing time from 9 days to 2.5 days
- Analyzed bottlenecks in client acquisition funnel and developed solutions that increased conversion by 17%
- Collaborated with IT to implement new CRM system, personally training 14 team members on functionality
- Created comprehensive operations playbook that standardized processes across 3 departments
MBA Operations Intern – BlueVector Industries, Seattle, WA
May 2021 – August 2021
- Conducted competitive analysis of supply chain operations, identifying 3 key areas for improvement
- Developed dashboard for tracking KPIs across warehouse operations, shipping logistics, and inventory management
- Assisted COO with preparation of quarterly board presentations and strategic planning sessions
EDUCATION
Master of Business Administration (MBA) – University of Washington, Foster School of Business
Concentration in Operations Management | GPA: 3.87 | 2020 – 2022
- Capstone Project: Operational Efficiency in Healthcare Systems (received Excellence Award)
- VP of Operations, Graduate Business Association
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Oregon State University
Minor in Data Analytics | 2016 – 2020
CERTIFICATIONS
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (2022)
- Project Management Professional (PMP) – in progress, expected completion Sept 2023
- Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)
SKILLS
- Strategic Planning & Execution
- Process Optimization
- Cross-functional Team Leadership
- Budget Management
- Business Analytics (Tableau, Power BI)
- ERP Systems (SAP, NetSuite)
- Change Management
- Project Management Methodologies
- Stakeholder Communications
- Operational Risk Assessment
Mid-level Chief Operating Officer Resume Example
Alexander “Alex” Reeves
(415) 872-6039 | alex.reeves@gmail.com | linkedin.com/in/alexreeves | San Francisco, CA
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Operations executive with 6+ years of progressive leadership experience driving organizational efficiency and sustainable growth. Known for building high-performing teams while reducing operational costs (cut expenses by 27% at Ventrix Systems). MBA-educated strategist who combines analytical decision-making with practical implementation skills—my teams consistently exceed KPIs while maintaining healthy work cultures.
EXPERIENCE
Chief Operating Officer | Ventrix Systems, Inc. | San Francisco, CA | Jan 2021 – Present
- Lead cross-functional operations for B2B SaaS platform ($42M ARR), directly managing teams across Operations, Customer Success, HR, and Finance (47 total employees)
- Spearheaded company-wide restructuring that reduced operational expenses by 27% while improving customer retention from 82% to 94%
- Implemented new procurement strategy resulting in $1.83M annual savings and 31% reduction in vendor management overhead
- Designed and executed remote-first workplace transition during 2021, maintaining 96% employee retention during Great Resignation (compared to industry average of 76%)
- Developed 5-year strategic roadmap in collaboration with CEO, securing additional $11.5M in Series B funding
VP of Operations | Ventrix Systems, Inc. | San Francisco, CA | May 2019 – Dec 2020
- Promoted to oversee entire operations division after successfully streamlining customer onboarding process
- Reduced customer implementation timeline from 37 days to 12 days through process optimization and team restructuring
- Led cross-departmental initiative to reduce technical debt, resulting in 43% fewer critical incidents
- Managed $6.7M operational budget with consistent 8% under-budget performance
Director of Customer Operations | TechFlow Solutions | Oakland, CA | Aug 2017 – Apr 2019
- Built customer operations team from ground up (2 to 17 employees) while scaling from 34 to 112 enterprise clients
- Created standardized implementation playbooks that improved average customer satisfaction scores from 7.2 to 9.1/10
- Collaborated with product team to develop customer-facing dashboard that reduced support tickets by 36%
- Managed transition from outdated CRM to integrated Salesforce solution, saving 22 labor hours weekly
Operations Manager | Renova Consulting Group | San Francisco, CA | Jun 2015 – Jul 2017
- Oversaw day-to-day operations for boutique management consulting firm with 28 consultants
- Managed facilities, vendor relationships, and office administration with $1.2M annual budget
- Implemented new expense management system, reducing processing time by 74%
EDUCATION
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business | 2015
Concentration in Organizational Leadership | GPA: 3.8/4.0
Bachelor of Science, Business Administration
University of Southern California | 2011
Minor in Information Systems
CERTIFICATIONS
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) | Scrum Alliance | 2020
Project Management Professional (PMP) | Project Management Institute | 2018
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt | American Society for Quality | 2016
SKILLS
- Strategic Planning & Execution
- P&L Management
- Team Building & Leadership
- Process Optimization
- Budget Management & Forecasting
- Cross-functional Collaboration
- Change Management
- Customer Success Strategy
- SaaS Operations
- Contract Negotiation
- Data Analysis (Tableau, Power BI)
TECHNOLOGIES
Salesforce, Asana, Jira, SAP, NetSuite, MS Office Suite, Slack, Zoom, G Suite, Monday.com
Senior / Experienced Chief Operating Officer Resume Example
ALEXANDRA “ALEX” RICHARDSON
Boston, MA • (617) 555-4089 • alex.richardson@email.com • linkedin.com/in/alexrichardson
Results-driven COO with 12+ years of progressive leadership experience transforming operations across multiple industries. Known for slashing costs
while improving quality metrics and building high-performing teams that consistently exceed targets. MBA-educated strategist who balances analytical decision-making with a people-first leadership approach that maintains 92% employee retention in high-pressure environments.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | Horizon Health Systems | Boston, MA | March 2019 – Present
- Spearheaded comprehensive operational overhaul for regional healthcare provider with 14 facilities, reducing operating expenses by $13.7M annually while improving patient satisfaction scores from 78% to 91%
- Engineered acquisition and integration of 3 specialty clinics, expanding market reach by 27% in the northeastern corridor while maintaining service quality during transition
- Directed implementation of new EHR system across all locations with zero service disruptions, coming in $420K under budget and 3 weeks ahead of schedule
- Restructured supply chain operations, cutting procurement costs by 23% and reducing critical supply stockouts by 87%
- Lead executive team of 9 directors managing 1,200+ staff; built mentorship program that improved leadership bench strength and reduced management turnover from 22% to 8%
VP OF OPERATIONS | TechNova Solutions | Cambridge, MA | June 2015 – February 2019
- Managed P&L responsibility for $78M business unit offering SaaS solutions to healthcare and financial services clients
- Built operations team from 18 to 67 employees while keeping overhead costs at just 12% of revenue (industry average: 17%)
- Created cross-functional product development process that reduced time-to-market for new features by 41% and slashed development costs
- Personally negotiated key vendor contracts worth $12.4M, securing favorable terms that improved gross margins from 62% to 74%
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS | Stellar Manufacturing Group | Providence, RI | September 2011 – May 2015
- Led operations for manufacturing division with 3 facilities and 280+ employees producing precision components for aerospace clients
- Implemented lean manufacturing principles that increased production throughput by 36% with existing equipment and staffing levels
- Reduced workplace safety incidents by 73% through comprehensive training program and infrastructure improvements (went 427 days without a reportable incident)
- Designed and executed facility consolidation plan that maintained production capacity while reducing physical footprint by 30%
EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION – Harvard Business School, Boston, MA (2011)
Concentration in Operations Management and Strategic Leadership
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE, INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (2006)
Minor in Economics, Magna Cum Laude
CERTIFICATIONS:
- Six Sigma Black Belt (2013)
- Project Management Professional (PMP) – maintained since 2014
- Lean Management Certification – American Society for Quality (2017)
CORE COMPETENCIES
- Strategic Planning & Execution
- P&L Management
- Organizational Restructuring
- Mergers & Acquisitions Integration
- Supply Chain Optimization
- Process Reengineering
- Cross-functional Team Leadership
- Vendor Contract Negotiation
- Change Management
- Executive Stakeholder Management
- Crisis Management & Business Continuity
How to Write a Chief Operating Officer Resume
Introduction
Landing a Chief Operating Officer role requires more than just experience—it demands a resume that showcases your ability to drive organizational excellence and deliver bottom-line results. As the operational backbone of an organization, COOs need to demonstrate strategic vision paired with tactical execution skills. Your resume is often the first impression you'll make, so it needs to pack a punch. I've helped dozens of executives land six-figure COO positions, and I've noticed the difference between those who get interviews and those who don't often comes down to how they position their achievements.
Resume Structure and Format
COO resumes should be clean, professional, and easy to scan. Remember, busy board members and CEOs might only give your resume 7-8 seconds of initial attention!
- Length: 2 pages maximum (3 pages only for those with 15+ years of executive experience)
- Format: Clean, minimal design with consistent spacing and standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, or Garamond work well)
- Structure: Summary, experience, education/certifications, additional skills
- File type: Always PDF (maintains formatting across devices)
- Margins: 0.75-1 inch on all sides
Profile/Summary Section
Your executive summary should be brief (3-5 lines) but powerful. This isn't the place for generic statements—focus on what makes you uniquely qualified.
- Start with your professional identity (e.g., "Operations executive with 12+ years transforming underperforming divisions")
- Include your biggest career win (e.g., "Led $43M operational restructuring that improved margins by 17%")
- Mention 2-3 core competencies relevant to the target company (strategic planning, M&A integration, supply chain optimization)
- End with relevant industry experience ("Healthcare and biotech expertise spanning startups to Fortune 500 environments")
Tailor your summary for each application. Research the company's current challenges and adjust your summary to show you're the solution to their specific problems.
Professional Experience
This section carries the most weight. Focus on results, not just responsibilities. For each role:
- Start with a brief context (company size, industry position, your scope of authority)
- Include 4-6 bullet points highlighting measurable achievements
- Use the CAR format: Challenge faced, Action taken, Results achieved
- Incorporate metrics whenever possible (revenue growth, cost reduction, efficiency gains)
- Showcase cross-functional leadership (finance, HR, technology, operations)
Instead of "Managed operations," try "Revitalized operations across 3 manufacturing plants with 750+ employees, reducing overtime costs by 31% while increasing production output by 22% in 14 months."
Education and Certifications
At the COO level, education is important but secondary to experience. Keep it concise:
- List degrees in reverse chronological order
- Include name of institution, degree earned, and graduation year
- Add relevant executive education (Harvard AMP, Wharton, etc.)
- Include industry certifications (PMP, Six Sigma, etc.)
- Omit GPA unless exceptionally high and recent
Keywords and ATS Tips
Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems to filter resumes. To get past these digital gatekeepers:
- Include industry-specific terms (P&L, EBITDA, change management, operational excellence)
- Mirror language from the job description
- Avoid graphics, text boxes, and unusual formatting
- Use standard section headings ("Professional Experience" not "Where I've Made an Impact")
- Sprinkle relevant keywords throughout (don't just stuff them in one section)
Industry-specific Terms
Depending on your target industry, include relevant terminology that signals your expertise:
- Manufacturing: Lean, TQM, throughput optimization, OEE
- Healthcare: Revenue cycle management, patient satisfaction, HIPAA compliance
- Tech: Agile methodology, product lifecycle, KPI dashboards, SaaS operations
- Retail: Multi-channel distribution, inventory turnover, shrinkage control
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Being too modest about achievements (this isn't the time for humility)
- Focusing on responsibilities rather than results
- Including outdated technologies or irrelevant early-career positions
- Using vague statements without supporting metrics
- Neglecting to customize for specific opportunities
Remember—your resume isn't just a career history, it's a marketing document. Every word should earn its place by demonstrating your value as a potential COO who can drive meaningful organizational change.
Related Resume Examples
Soft skills for your Chief Operating Officer resume
- Cross-functional leadership – ability to unite marketing, finance, and operations teams around common goals (demonstrated during our 2021 ERP implementation)
- Transparent communication style – I’ve found that sharing both successes and setbacks builds more trust than projecting constant perfection
- Financial storytelling – translating complex P&L data into actionable insights for non-finance stakeholders
- Change management resilience – leading teams through tough transitions while maintaining morale (even when I’m feeling unsure myself)
- Constructive conflict resolution – creating space for productive disagreement while keeping discussions focused on business outcomes rather than personalities
- Strategic prioritization – saying “no” to good ideas to make room for great ones, especially when resources are stretched thin
Hard skills for your Chief Operating Officer resume
- Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) with expertise in Adaptive Insights
- ERP system implementation (SAP, Oracle NetSuite)
- Six Sigma Green Belt certification
- Tableau & Power BI dashboard creation for operational KPIs
- Supply chain optimization using JIT methodology
- Proficient in project management software (Monday.com, Asana)
- Lean manufacturing principles and implementation
- Vendor contract negotiation and SLA management
- Risk assessment modeling using Monte Carlo simulation