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About the Company
Our Client is a Toronto-based start-up that develops technologies that revolutionize the way stories are told. Their technologies simplify the way high quality short videos are made, packaged and edited. This includes unique mobile-based AV proprietary mixing technology, simple self-designed templates, and the most effective UX with the highest video and audio quality. Our client enables the production of mobile video content anytime and anywhere for applications and markets that were uneconomical up to now. Everyone will now be able to capture, craft and share their stories quickly, simply and professionally, all via phone. It’s all about staying true to our client’s mission of removing the lag between epiphany and expression.
Scope of Position
Reporting to the CEO, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) is responsible for defining and integrating all company operations, allowing the CEO to focus on strategic, customer and investor issues. Responsible for day-to-day operations, the COO will work proactively to provide strong leadership while establishing policies and practices that meet the organization’s overall requirements. The COO will play a leadership role in developing the business and operational plans for the company and implement the plans with measurable results.
This is an outstanding opportunity that features:
- Strong industry and company growth
- Patent-pending highly innovative technology
- A proven founding team
- Highly entrepreneurial culture
- An opportunity to make a real difference
Functional Tasks
- Plan and direct the operational priorities, goals, policies, practices and initiatives in accordance with the goals and strategic direction set by the CEO;
- Oversee and support operational management in all aspects of the business from engineering to quality to support to services and administration
- Recommend and participate in the development of corporate-wide policies that address corporate growth and strengthens organizational processes;
- Develop and execute a strategy that drives excellence across the operational organizations, leveraging best-of-class processes, technology and team members to meet and exceed customer expectations as measured by output and efficiency.
- Ensure that scalable processes, policies, procedures are in place to help build future growth.
- Participate as an open, engaged and committed member of the Executive Team in the formulation and execution of the corporate vision, strategy and business objectives.
- Understand and apply efficient and cost effective operations knowledge and practice and, to sustain a profitable day to day business operations that enable service delivery which meets or exceeds customer expectation.
- Ensure operational milestones are met on time, with high quality and that they meet the cost objectives that are established; reporting on a monthly basis.
- Create and sustain a viable organizational structure to make optimum use of human resources, technology and systems.
- Build and facilitate the development of strong relationships and synergies with all areas of the company and with the company’s technical partners and customers in order to achieve the corporate goals, objectives and revenue targets.
- Foster a culture of team spirit and innovation into the longer and short-term operations of the organization.
- Inspire and lead a talented group of customer-centric employees, helping them manage their careers and grow as professionals
- Instill a culture of innovation
- Monitor, measure and report on the organizational results;
- Create an auditable trail of documented assumptions and actions ensuring adherence to best business practices;
- Recruit highly engaged, high achieving individuals to join the team as the company continues to grow
- Instill an intensely customer service mindset within the organization
- Spearhead the commercial agreements and sustainable relationships with potential customers.
- Remain abreast of competitive offerings, pricing and distribution strategies. Make recommendations to ensure positioning of existing technologies is optimized.
- Collect and translate market feedback into a practical product roadmap going forward including a plan for developing and/or partnering in order to secure future additions to the product suite that will ensure ongoing growth and profitability.
Key Performance Indicators
In light of the identified responsibilities, the following are specific deliverables that the position is designed to achieve.
- Strategic metrics: Ensuring that product offerings and roadmap align with market requirements
- Financial metrics: attainment of costs and profitability targets through a strong focus on management, costs, processes and revenue growth.
- Team Metrics: Building overall effectiveness of the team along with morale
Competency Profile
The following competencies listed below define the role of COO
Results Orientation
Focuses strongly on achieving agreed upon outcomes and ensures that key objectives are met. Conveys a sense of urgency and drives issues to closure. Aims to improve upon past performance. Establishes aggressive personal targets and strives to achieve them.
Strategic Approach
Develops a strategic plan to realize the vision. Revises strategy in light of changing circumstances. Takes a long-term view of organizational success. Works to clarify long term organizational goals. Able to stand back from immediate problems in order to focus on more far reaching ideas.
People Management
Establishes and communicates clear priorities and sense of direction. Clarifies roles and responsibilities. Adapts management style to achieve optimum results.
Developing & Coaching Others
Accurately assesses strengths and development needs of employees. Challenges others to improve their abilities and actively supports their development. Continually provides timely and constructive feedback, coaching and challenging learning opportunities. Adjusts coaching style based on each employee’s ability and motivation level.
Planning & Objective Setting
Systematic in approach to work. Produces action plans in which objectives are defined and steps for achieving them are clearly specified. Plans by breaking down large task into subtasks. Develops plans that anticipate obstacles. Is realistic about time-scales and builds in appropriate checkpoints, milestones and controls in order to ensure that desired results are realized.
Commercial Acumen
Applies appropriate commercial and financial principles. Understands situations in terms of costs, profits, added-value and return on investment. Appreciates the commercial impact of own work on the organization’s total expenses and revenues.
Customer/Client Orientation
Strives to provide customers/clients with personalized and efficient service. Anticipates customers’/clients’ needs. Quickly follows up on customer/client contacts and complaints. Monitors and acts on measures of customer/client satisfaction.
Team Skills
Helps to create a sense of team spirit and harmonious relations through cooperation and support. Balances personal goals with those of the team. Fosters collaboration among team members.
Integrity & Sincerity
Inspires trust and supports others through own authenticity and following up on commitments. Maintains high ethical standards both personally and professionally. Shows consistency among principles.
Preferred Experience / Education
The following indicates specific industry, academic and functional experience/qualifications that are important to the successful achievement of the identified responsibilities and performance deliverables.
- Proven operational management experience contributing to the success of a software or social media vendor
- Demonstrable evidence of a track record distinguished by exceeding expectations
- Proven entrepreneurial/smaller company experience, with appropriate financial and business acumen acquired from scaling an organization with similar characteristics to our client to the next level of growth.
- Discipline and the knowledge to focus, prioritize and set in place procedures and processes;
- Flexibility and the ability to adapt to a very fluid, rapidly changing environment.
- Comfort in a relatively ambiguous environment;
- High degree of honesty, respect, integrity and loyalty;
- A professional and mature disposition with the confidence and stature to challenge issues and positions in a respectful, tactful and non-confrontational manner;
- The ability to see beyond obstacles or setbacks and be energized by the challenges of achieving a goal;
- Previous experience in VC-backed companies;
- Strong team building skills with the ability to effectively communicate and motivate
- A facility for the ‘people’ side of organization-building characterized by a pull rather than push approach to driving change and growth.
Remuneration & Benefits
- Highly competitive compensation package structured to the needs of the successful candidate.