Chief Operations Officer

Approach People Recruitment; Toscana; On-site; EUR 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Approach People Recruitment seeks a Chief Operations Officer (COO) to lead and optimize its Italian operations in Toscana, driving efficiency, innovation, and execution excellence. The role focuses on scalability, process quality, and alignment with the global strategy.

The ideal candidate has 10+ years in operations, strong leadership, and a proven track record in multinational or high-growth settings, with fluency in Italian and advanced English.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in operations, with 5+ in leadership roles.
• Experience in multinational or high-growth environments.
• Deep knowledge of supply chain, logistics, and production processes.
• Proven experience in digital transformation projects.
• Fluent in Italian and advanced English; other European languages a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design and oversee Italy operations strategy.
• Optimize production, logistics and supply chain processes.
• Implement continuous improvement, energy efficiency, and sustainability initiatives.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams with training, motivation and talent development.
• Ensure compliance with local and international safety, quality and environmental regulations.
• Collaborate with Finance, Sales and General Management to define growth plans.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder mgmt

Digital transformation

Lean management

Six Sigma

MBA (valued)

Multinational experience

Supply chain

Production

Italian/English fluency

Education

Bachelor's or Master’s in Industrial Engineering or Business Administration

MBA (valued)

Job description

About the Role

We are seeking a Chief Operations Officer (COO) to lead and optimize our company’s operations in Italy, ensuring efficiency, innovation, and excellence in execution.
This role will be critical in driving business scalability, process quality, and alignment with the company’s global strategy.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and oversee the company’s operational strategy in Italy.

• Optimize production, logistics, and supply chain processes.

• Implement continuous improvement, energy efficiency, and sustainability initiatives.

• Lead multidisciplinary teams, ensuring training, motivation, and talent development.

• Ensure compliance with local and international regulations in safety, quality, and environment.

• Collaborate with Finance, Sales, and General Management to define growth plans.

• Monitor operational KPIs and report results to the Executive Committee.

• Manage relationships with suppliers and strategic partners in the region.

Requirements

Education

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field.

• Training in Lean Management, Six Sigma, or an MBA is highly valued.

Experience & Skills

• 10+ years of experience in operations, with at least 5 in leadership positions.

• Strong background in multinational or high-growth environments.

• Deep knowledge of supply chain, logistics, and production processes.

• Proven experience in digital transformation projects.

• Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

• Fluent in Italian and advanced English (other European languages are a plus).

Personal Profile

• Inspirational leader with a strategic mindset and results orientation.

• Adaptability in complex, multicultural environments.

• Proactive, innovative, and forward-thinking.

Why Join Us?

This role offers the opportunity to shape and lead the company’s operations in Italy, playing a key role in international expansion and driving transformation toward a more efficient, innovative, and sustainable model.