About our clientOur client is an established international retail group with a strong presence across Europe. Combining a broad customer offering with an extensive store network, the company operates in a dynamic and competitive market environment, with a clear focus on customer value, operational excellence and profitable growth.
As the business continues to evolve and further develop its operations, it is seeking a chief operating officer (COO) to work closely with the CEO and play a central role in the company's leadership team. The COO will oversee key operational and corporate functions, driving efficiency, strengthening organisational capabilities and building scalable structures to support the company's continued development. Combining strategic perspective with strong operational and financial expertise, the successful candidate will take a hands-on approach to improving performance, fostering accountability and ensuring that the business remains agile, cost-conscious and customer-focused. The location is based in a Bavarian city.
What the job involves
- Act as a strategic partner to the CEO, translating the company's strategy into clear operational priorities and ensuring their effective implementation
- Lead and develop key functions across finance, supply chain, logistics, marketing, HR, IT and legal, ensuring effective collaboration and clear accountability
- Drive operational excellence by developing scalable structures and processes that support international growth and manage seasonal fluctuations effectively
- Optimise the end-to-end supply chain, including inventory management, warehouse productivity, procurement and distribution, while ensuring product availability and cost efficiency
- Strengthen financial steering and performance management, ensuring transparent and timely reporting in line with the requirements of the listed parent company
- Further develop management reporting, KPIs, planning and budgeting processes to support agile, data-driven decision-making and effective business performance monitoring
- Lead operational transformation initiatives, challenging existing structures and processes and introducing more efficient, modern and technology-enabled ways of working
- Drive cost and resource optimisation across CAPEX and OPEX, while supporting working capital objectives and the company's profitability targets
- Establish a strong performance culture, promoting accountability, continuous improvement and the effective use of operational and financial data across the organisation
- Lead, coach and develop the management team, strengthening leadership capabilities and building a strong pipeline of future leaders across a complex and decentralised organisation
- Manage relationships with key stakeholders, including shareholders, auditors and tax advisors, ensuring transparent communication and reliable reporting
Who we are looking for
- Extensive leadership experience as a COO, CFO/COO, head of operations or in a comparable senior executive role within a complex, decentralised organisation
- Proven experience in a consumer-facing or B2C business, ideally within non-food retail, discount retail, fashion or a multi-site retail environment
- A strong track record of leading operational transformation, process optimisation, organisational restructuring or the digitalisation of business processes
- Strong understanding of end-to-end supply chains, logistics and procurement, ideally within a fast-moving and seasonal retail environment
- Solid financial expertise, including financial planning, performance management, KPI-based steering and cost optimisation
- Demonstrated ability to scale operations and lead organisations through periods of significant growth and increasing complexity
- Experience managing multiple functions and aligning operational execution with broader commercial and financial objectives
- Experience in a listed or capital-markets-oriented environment, as well as with international leadership would be advantageous
- Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all levels, from operational teams to senior management and shareholders
- A hands-on, pragmatic and results-oriented approach, combined with the ability to balance operational detail with strategic priorities
- Strong analytical skills and the ability to translate operational and financial data into clear decisions and actionable improvements
- Resilience, energy and a high degree of personal drive, with the ability to lead effectively in a dynamic and demanding environment.
- Fluency in both German and English