Chief Operating Officer

SF Search Partners; Greater London; On-site; GBP 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

SF Search Partners is appointing a Chief Operating Officer to join the board of a fast-growing engineering and consultancy business headquartered in London. This hands-on operator role demands pace, commercial acumen and delivery discipline across a multi-project portfolio.

The COO will scale the business, drive mobilisation and delivery excellence for a diverse client base including Local Authorities, Social Housing providers and NHS Trusts, with potential PE involvement shaping the operating

Qualifications

• Proven experience scaling project-led, design & build or engineering businesses.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent projects in fast-paced environments.
• Hands-on leadership style with pace, urgency, and decisiveness.
• Deep understanding of margin management, delivery risk, and operational efficiency.
• Experience from commercial fit-out, offices, or similar D&B environments highly regarded.
• Ideally experienced in, or highly credible for, PE-backed growth journeys.

Responsibilities

• Scale the business across project-led engagements and clients.
• Drive delivery excellence, mobilisation, and client satisfaction.
• Maintain tight margin management and mitigate delivery risk.
• Lead with pace and decisiveness while shaping the future operating model.

Skills

Project scaling

Delivery discipline

Commercial leadership

Multi-project management

Job description

London | On-site | Engineering & Consultancy

SF Search Partners are supporting the appointment of a Chief Operating Officer to join the board of a fast-growing engineering and consultancy business headquartered in London.

This is a critical hire for an experienced, hands-on operator who thrives in pace-driven, project-led environments and brings strong commercial and delivery discipline.

The Opportunity

• Board-level COO role with a mandate to scale the business
• Strong focus on customer service, mobilisation, and delivery excellence
• Operating across a diverse customer base including Local Authorities, Social Housing providers, and NHS Trusts

The Business

• Engineering and consultancy model successfully applied into the Public Sector space
• Design and build capability with strong margins relative to the sector
• Growth mindset embedded across the leadership team - speed, efficiency, and execution matter
• Likely private equity involvement, or well-suited to a PE-backed operating model

The Person

This role will suit a confident, commercially astute operator with:

• Proven experience scaling project-led, design & build or engineering businesses
• Strong exposure to multiple concurrent projects in fast-paced environments
• A hands-on leadership style with pace, urgency, and decisiveness
• Deep understanding of margin management, delivery risk, and operational efficiency
• Experience from commercial fit-out, offices, or similar D&B environments highly regarded
• Respect for existing culture, paired with the confidence to drive change
• Ideally experienced in, or highly credible for, PE-backed growth journeys

This is a rare opportunity to step into a true growth COO role.