Chief Operating Officer

Foreground Consultancy; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Foreground Consultancy in Saudi Arabia is seeking a Chief Operating Officer to oversee group-wide operations and translate strategic objectives into actionable plans across business units.

The COO will drive performance management, KPI frameworks, and standardised processes to boost efficiency, accountability and growth, reporting to the Group CEO and Board. Experience in diversified groups within the GCC and hands-on leadership are essential.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience as COO or senior operations leader in diversified groups.
• Hands-on leadership with ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• Experience in Saudi Arabia or GCC preferred.
• Background in KPI-driven organisations.

Responsibilities

• Oversee group-wide operations and translate strategy into executable plans.
• Drive performance metrics, KPIs and process standardisation for efficiency.
• Lead transformation, cost optimisation, and operational readiness for growth.
• Collaborate with subsidiary CEOs and leaders; report to Group CEO and Board.

Skills

Readiness

Business Units

Operational Excellence

Operations

Accountability

Retail

Performance Management

Change Management

Business

Leadership

Management

Job description

Job Description:

Our client is a diversified Saudi-based group with operating companies across retail, services, and industrial sectors. The organisation is moving into a more structured operating model with a strong focus on execution, governance, and operational excellence.

The Role

The Chief Operating Officer will be responsible for overseeing group-wide operations and translating strategic objectives into executable plans across all business units. This role will drive performance management frameworks, operational KPIs, and process standardisation to improve efficiency and accountability. The COO will work closely with subsidiary CEOs and functional leaders to address operational bottlenecks and scale best practices. A key mandate will be supporting transformation initiatives, cost optimisation, and operational readiness for growth. The role will act as the execution arm of the groups leadership and report directly to the Group CEO and Board.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience as a COO or senior operations leader within diversified groups or complex operating environments. Strong exposure to multi-business operations, change management, and performance transformation is essential. Experience in Saudi Arabia or the GCC is highly preferred. The candidate must demonstrate hands-on leadership, decisiveness, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders. A background in structured, KPI-driven organisations will be critical to success.

Required Skills:

• Readiness
• Business Units
• Operational Excellence
• Operations
• Accountability
• Retail
• Performance Management
• Change Management
• Business
• Leadership
• Management