Chief Operating Officer Opportunity
London | On-site | Engineering & Consultancy
SF Search Partners are supporting the appointment of a Chief Operating Officer to join the board of a fast-growing engineering and consultancy business headquartered in London.
This is a critical hire for an experienced, hands-on operator who thrives in pace-driven, project-led environments and brings strong commercial and delivery discipline.
The Opportunity
- Board-level COO role with a mandate to scale the business
- Strong focus on customer service, mobilisation, and delivery excellence
- Operating across a diverse customer base including Local Authorities, Social Housing providers, and NHS Trusts
The Business
- Engineering and consultancy model successfully applied into the Public Sector space
- Design and build capability with strong margins relative to the sector
- Growth mindset embedded across the leadership team - speed, efficiency, and execution matter
- Likely private equity involvement, or well-suited to a PE-backed operating model
The Person
This role will suit a confident, commercially astute operator with:
- Proven experience scaling project-led, design & build or engineering businesses
- Strong exposure to multiple concurrent projects in fast-paced environments
- A hands-on leadership style with pace, urgency, and decisiveness
- Deep understanding of margin management, delivery risk, and operational efficiency
- Experience from commercial fit-out, offices, or similar D&B environments highly regarded
- Respect for existing culture, paired with the confidence to drive change
- Ideally experienced in, or highly credible for, PE-backed growth journeys
This is a rare opportunity to step into a true growth COO role.