Chief Operating Officer

Chief Operating Officer

Glendale and Valencia CA

On-site, 5 days per week

This is a Los Angeles are based position. No remote or relocation candidates will be considered.

The Opportunity

Our client is a rapidly growing, LA based toy company. They are seeking an experienced, hands-on Chief Operating Officer to partner closely with the CEO and help lead the company through its next stage of growth.

The COO will serve as a senior operating partner to the CEO, helping drive execution across the organization, strengthen the company's infrastructure and leadership team, and build the processes and financial discipline necessary to support continued growth.

A key initial priority will be providing leadership and oversight to the company's finance and accounting functions, ensuring the CEO has timely, accurate financial information and establishing the financial controls, reporting, planning and accountability needed to effectively manage a growing organization.

Beyond finance, the COO will have broad exposure to the entire business. At the direction of the CEO, areas of leadership responsibility may also include production, supply chain and logistics, marketing, design, and other operating functions.

This is an opportunity for an accomplished operating executive to become a true partner to an entrepreneurial CEO and play a significant role in shaping the future of a growing toy company.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a key strategic and operating partner to the CEO, helping translate company objectives into clear priorities and execution.
• Provide leadership across day-to-day operations and create greater accountability, coordination and visibility throughout the organization.
• Take an immediate leadership role in strengthening finance and accounting, including budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, cash flow, working capital, profitability, controls and financial planning.
• Assess the current finance/accounting structure, talent, processes and outside resources and recommend the organization needed to support the company's future.
• Establish and monitor meaningful financial and operational KPIs to improve management visibility and decision-making.
• Drive operating discipline throughout the business while maintaining the entrepreneurial culture, speed and flexibility of a founder-led company.
• Evaluate organizational structure, leadership capabilities, systems and processes and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Recruit, develop and lead key executives and functional leaders as the organization grows.
• Identify opportunities to improve profitability, efficiency, margins and overall business performance.
• Partner with the CEO on strategic planning, annual operating plans, resource allocation and growth initiatives.
• Develop scalable processes and infrastructure capable of supporting continued growth.
• At the direction of the CEO, leadership responsibilities may also include marketing, logistics, production, supply chain, design and other functional areas of the organization.
• Assume increasing responsibility for the day-to-day management of the company, allowing the CEO to devote greater attention to strategic growth, customers, products and other high-value priorities.

Candidate Profile

• Approximately 15+ years of progressive leadership experience, ideally within the toy industry or a closely related physical consumer-products business.
• Currently or recently operating at the VP, SVP or comparable executive level, with broad responsibility across an organization.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and improve operations within an entrepreneurial, privately held or founder-led company.
• Strong financial acumen and substantial experience working with finance and accounting teams. Candidates should be highly comfortable with P&L management, budgeting, forecasting, cash flow, working capital, inventory, margins and financial reporting.
• Experience managing multiple functions and developing senior leaders.
• Experience in a physical-product business involving overseas manufacturing, inventory, supply chain and major retail customers is strongly preferred.
• Ability to move comfortably between strategic leadership and hands-on problem solving.
• Proven ability to establish processes and accountability without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
• Strong business judgment, communication skills and executive presence.
• Comfortable working closely with an entrepreneurial founder/CEO and capable of becoming a trusted business partner.
• Bachelor's degree required; MBA, CPA or other relevant advanced credentials are a plus.
• Must be able to work on-site five days per week in Glendale or Valencia California.

Compensation

Base salary: $250,000–$275,000, depending upon experience, plus a performance-based bonus tied to company and individual KPIs.