Chief Operating Officer
ABOUT AI ACQUISITION
AI Acquisition is a bootstrapped, multi-entity business running high-velocity acquisition, coaching, SaaS, and performance marketing operations. We are founder-led, fast, and commercially driven. We build it, test it, and scale it - before others are still planning.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The founders are strong on vision, capital allocation, and commercial growth. The gap is the operating layer - management depth, accountability architecture, and the systems that allow leadership to work on the business instead of in it.
We explored hiring a President. What we need is not another strategist. We need a hardcore operator who will own the P&L, build the operating system, hold the organisation accountable, and make the company more profitable. This is a role for someone who has done it before and wants to do it again at scale.
Requirements
WHAT YOU WILL OWN
P&L Ownership: Full P&L ownership across business units - you set the targets, you drive the outcomes, you own the number
Operating System: Build the accountability infrastructure from scratch - KPIs, scorecards, operating cadence, incentive structures, and process automations. Real systems with named outputs, not templates
Team Performance: Direct management of department heads and senior operators - radical clarity on expectations, consequences, and growth. You make the hard calls (exits, restructures, resets) without deferring upward
GTM Execution: Partner with marketing and sales leadership on pipeline, conversion, and revenue operations - you understand the levers and own them when needed
Hiring & People Ops: Partner with People & Talent to build management depth - you define the profiles, set the standard, hold the bar
Founder Leverage: Free the founders from operational management so they can focus on vision, growth, and external relationships - you are the connective tissue between strategy and execution
MUST-HAVES
Verifiable P&L ownership - revenue grew or margin improved during your specific tenure, confirmable by a named third-party source
Operated across at least two domain families: GTM (marketing / sales / CS), Ops/Finance (P&L / systems), and People (management / accountability)
Built operating infrastructure from scratch - not inherited, not fractional; real systems with named outputs and before/after outcomes
Made hard people decisions: exits, restructures, performance management with consequences
In-house operating experience inside an actual operating company (not exclusively consulting, advisory, or fractional)
DC DISC temperament - high Dominance and Conscientiousness; will push back on founders and drive accountability without consensus-seeking
Managed teams of 30+ with direct reports at VP / Director level
High IQ, high agency, high urgency - you move before you are asked
STRONG SIGNALS (WEIGHTED, NOT REQUIRED)
COO, President, GM, MD, VP Operations, or Head of Operations title in a founder-led company (50-500 employees)
Background in coaching, SaaS, agency, info products, performance marketing, or high-velocity services
Doubled revenue or improved EBITDA margin by 5%+ in a tenure window, documented
Built an operating cadence (weekly reviews, KPI dashboards, incentive structures) that outlasted your tenure
Experience managing distributed / remote teams across multiple geographies
Has spoken publicly about operating philosophy - podcasts, conference Q&A, written content
HARD DISQUALIFIERS
Exclusively functional specialist - pure CMO, CFO, or CRO with no cross-functional P&L accountability
Fractional or interim-only career with no in-house operating tenure
Pure advisory or consulting background with zero in-house operating roles
Harmony-seeking / consensus-building DISC profile - this environment is fast and founder-led
Zero verifiable P&L or revenue outcomes across career
No GTM exposure - an ops-only operator who has never owned a commercial outcome
THE ENVIRONMENT
This is not a polished corporate environment. We move fast, we change direction, and we hold high standards. The founding team is commercially excellent and operationally under-resourced. You will have real authority, real accountability, and real upside.
If you need consensus to act, a structured onboarding programme, or six months to understand the business before driving outcomes, this is not the right role.
If you have done it before, know what you are looking at within 30 days, and want to build something worth building - we want to talk.
Benefits
HOW THIS SEARCH WORKS
This search is being run through a structured sourcing process. Candidates are evaluated against a five-dimension scoring model before any conversation is scheduled. If you have been reached out to directly, it is because your verified career signals placed you in the top tier of 1,400+ operators reviewed.
Compensation is competitive with the role's scope and accountability. Details are confirmed during the process.
