Chief Operating Officer - Higher Education Operations Leader

Hatch Asia; Kuala Lumpur; Hybrid; MYR 350,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

Hatch Asia is engaging for a Chief Operating Officer role at a prominent Southeast Asian higher education institution. Reporting directly to the Vice Chancellor, this position carries end-to-end accountability for translating group strategy into execution across student experience, campus development, and enabling functions.

It requires outstanding leadership, operational rigor, and the ability to align diverse teams under a shared vision.

Qualifications

• Proven senior executive experience leading complex, multi-function operations at enterprise scale.
• Track record translating strategy into measurable execution outcomes.
• Experience in asset- and service-intensive environments.
• Digital and systems fluency with ability to embed technology into operations.
• Commercial acumen and sound judgement in balancing trade-offs, risk, and investment.
• Enterprise mindset with gravitas to influence senior stakeholders and drive cultural change.

Responsibilities

• Translate institutional strategy into execution across student experience, campus development and enabling functions.
• Anchor operational coherence, decision velocity, and delivery discipline across the enterprise.
• Lead governance, risk management and operational resilience at senior leadership level.
• Drive cross-functional accountability and orchestration across campuses.
• Oversee estates, facilities, and long-term campus master planning aligned to ESG priorities.

Skills

Senior executive leadership

Strategic execution

Digital and systems fluency

Governance and risk management

Stakeholder influencing

Enterprise-wide transformation

Tools

ERP systems

Data analytics tools

Governance frameworks

Job description

Hatch Asia is engaging for a Chief Operating Officer role at a prominent Southeast Asian higher education institution. Reporting directly to the Vice Chancellor, this position carries end-to-end accountability for translating group strategy into execution across student experience, campus development, and enabling functions.

It requires outstanding leadership, operational rigor, and the ability to align diverse teams under a shared vision.