Chief Operating Officer

SmartRecruiters, Inc.; Hamilton; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

SmartRecruiters, Inc. seeks an experienced Chief Operating Officer to own day-to-day operations, working with the CEO on strategy and external relationships. You will lead department heads, enhance processes, and drive technology adoption to support growth across New Zealand and Australia.

You will oversee people, finance, compliance, risk and performance, ensuring scalable systems and robust governance. This hands-on role requires a pragmatic leader who can translate strategy into action.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading a complex operation and a team of leaders.
• Strong commercial judgement and business acumen.
• Experience leading significant ERP or CRM implementation/change.
• Track record of building leadership capability and accountability.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while keeping sight of the bigger picture.
• A pragmatic, hands-on approach and the confidence to get into the detail when required.
• The curiosity to ask questions, challenge assumptions and look for better ways of doing things.
• Experience in leading functions such as transport, logistics, technology, or professional services.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day operation and take ownership alongside the CEO.
• Lead Heads of Department and build a stronger leadership team with clear accountability.
• Improve systems, processes and reporting, including new technology implementation.
• Provide visibility around performance and use data to inform decisions.
• Oversee people, finance, compliance, H&S, risk and operational performance.
• Support growth across New Zealand and Australia with scalable infrastructure.
• Enable the CEO to focus on strategy and external relationships.

Skills

Leadership experience

Commercial judgement

ERP/CRM implementations

Leadership development

Problem solving

Prioritization

Hands-on leadership

Curiosity to challenge assumptions

Resilience under pressure

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

We’re working with a successful, established Hamilton-based New Zealand business that is entering an exciting phase of growth across New Zealand and Australia.

We’re looking for an experienced Chief Operating Officer to take genuine ownership of the day-to-day internal operation, allowing the CEO to focus more heavily on strategy, growth and external relationships.

This is a broad, hands-on leadership role with responsibility across operations, people, technology, systems, performance and risk. You’ll lead the management team, strengthen accountability, improve business processes and ensure the organisation has the capability and infrastructure to support its next stage of growth.

Job Description

What you'll be doing
This is a role where you’ll be at the centre of the business. Working closely with the CEO, you’ll take ownership of the day-to-day operation and make sure the moving parts of the organisation are working together effectively.

You’ll lead the Heads of Department, building a stronger leadership team with clear accountability, good communication and the confidence to make decisions. You’ll be the person who gets into the detail when needed, spots issues early and makes sure things get followed through.

A big part of your role will be making the business work smarter. You’ll lead improvements to systems, processes and reporting, including the implementation and adoption of new technology. You’ll bring greater visibility around performance and help the business use its data to make better decisions.

You’ll also have a broad view of the business, with oversight across people, finance, compliance, H&S, risk and operational performance. As the business continues to grow across New Zealand and Australia, you’ll help ensure the leadership capability, systems and infrastructure keep pace.

Most importantly, you’ll give the CEO the confidence to step out of the day-to-day and focus on strategy, growth and the future of the business.

It’s a role for someone who likes to get things done, enjoys variety and wants to have a genuine impact.

Qualifications

About you

You’ll be an experienced operational leader who enjoys getting under the hood of a business, understanding how things work and making them better.

You’ll bring:

• Proven experience leading a complex operation and a team of leaders
• Strong commercial judgement and business acumen
• Experience leading significant systems, ERP or CRM implementation/change
• A track record of building leadership capability and accountability
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills
• The ability to manage multiple priorities while keeping sight of the bigger picture
• A pragmatic, hands‑on approach and the confidence to get into the detail when required
• The curiosity to ask questions, challenge assumptions and look for better ways of doing things
• Resilience and the ability to remain calm when things get busy or don't go to plan

We’re looking for strong operational leaders from transport, logistics, hospitality, technology, professional services, retail, manufacturing and other customer‑focused businesses.

Additional Information

Why this role?

This is an opportunity to join a growing business where you can genuinely make your mark.

You’ll have the opportunity to build the operating rhythm, leadership capability and systems that will allow the business to scale, while giving the CEO greater freedom to focus on strategy and growth.

If you’re looking for a COO role where you can take ownership and have a genuine impact, we’d like to hear from you.