Strategic COO — Global Steel & Logistics Leader

Cesna-Recruitment; Fort Lee (NJ); On-site; USD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

USP, a New Jersey-based importer and distributor of flat-rolled steel, seeks a Chief Operating Officer to own day-to-day operations and lead department heads under the President and Chairman. The COO will translate strategy into operating plans, establish KPIs, and drive performance across supply chain, logistics, and admin functions.

The role requires extensive executive leadership, English and Korean fluency, and a track record of P&L, budgeting, and governance.

Qualifications

• Executive operating leadership with company-wide accountability.
• Fluency in English and Korean to communicate with ownership and overseas partners.
• Proven track record in leading department heads across multiple functions.
• Executive responsibility for P&L, budgets, cost management, and working capital.
• Experience building management processes and performance reporting.
• Ability to learn a specialized industry and product line quickly.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day operations and serve as the primary decision point for cross-functional operating matters.
• Lead, coach, and develop department heads; establish clear objectives, accountability, decision rights, and succession depth.
• Translate ownership's priorities into operating plans, budgets, milestones, owners, and measurable targets; drive execution through completion.
• Establish a disciplined management cadence, dashboards, financial and operating KPIs, internal controls, reporting, and follow-through.
• Assess the organization, processes, systems, and management capabilities; prioritize improvements and move stalled initiatives to resolution.
• Coordinate supply chain, customs and logistics, inventory, third-party processing, customer service, budgeting, costs, working capital, credit, risk, and compliance.
• Contribute ideas, constructive challenge, and well-supported feasibility proposals to short and mid-term planning.
• Partner with existing leadership to strengthen commercial processes, forecasting, management capability, talent development, and succession.
• Support M&A preparation and transaction work with ownership, counsel, investment banks, advisors, and prospective strategic acquirers.
• Represent USP with suppliers, processors, customers, and partners while promoting timely decisions and continuous improvement.

Skills

Executive leadership

Bilingual English/Korean

P&L management

Cross-functional leadership

Strategic planning

Change management

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

MBA or equivalent advanced degree

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

USP, a New Jersey-based importer and distributor of flat-rolled steel, seeks a Chief Operating Officer to own day-to-day operations and lead department heads under the President and Chairman. The COO will translate strategy into operating plans, establish KPIs, and drive performance across supply chain, logistics, and admin functions.

The role requires extensive executive leadership, English and Korean fluency, and a track record of P&L, budgeting, and governance.