Fractional COO

An exciting opportunity is available for an experienced Fractional Chief Operating Officer (COO) to join a fast-growing, founder-led group operating across strategic communications, leadership, intelligence, and digital sectors. This organisation works with institutional clients across Africa and globally, including foundations, multinational organisations, corporates, and government stakeholders. The business is entering a significant phase of growth and operational expansion, creating an opportunity for a hands-on operator to help build the infrastructure required for scale.

This is not an advisory position. It is suited to someone who enjoys execution, building systems, creating structure, and driving operational workstreams through to completion in a dynamic, multi-entity environment.

Working directly with the Founder, the successful candidate will play a critical role in translating strategic priorities into operational delivery while enabling long-term business scalability.

Key Responsibilities

Group Infrastructure & Governance

• Lead the establishment and formalisation of legal and governance structures across multiple jurisdictions
• Manage relationships with legal, financial, and banking partners
• Ensure entities remain compliant, appropriately structured, and aligned within a cohesive group framework
• Oversee governance documentation and intercompany agreements

Operational Systems & Shared Services

• Build and implement scalable shared services across finance, legal, HR, and operations
• Evaluate and implement operational technology platforms, including finance, CRM, and project management systems
• Develop consolidated reporting frameworks that provide clear group-wide visibility

Business Unit Enablement

• Partner with business leaders to remove operational bottlenecks and strengthen independence across entities
• Support activation and integration of new or dormant entities
• Assist with onboarding and operational integration of key hires

Founder Support & Scale Enablement

• Identify and reduce operational dependencies on the Founder
• Develop processes, documentation, and accountability structures that improve business continuity
• Enable leadership focus on strategy, growth, and stakeholder engagement

Requirements

Essential

• Demonstrated experience building or managing operations within a multi-entity group, holding company, or professional services environment
• Strong understanding of South African legal, compliance, and financial environments
• Proven experience managing external professional service providers to deliver outcomes
• Builder mentality with a strong bias toward execution
• Ability to operate independently and make sound decisions in fast-moving environments
• Comfortable managing ambiguity and competing priorities
• Experience working in founder-led organisations

Advantageous

• Exposure to East African business environments, particularly Kenya
• Experience with holding company structures across African markets
• Background in professional services, consulting, communications, or knowledge-based businesses
• Exposure to multi-currency and multi-jurisdiction operations

This Role May Not Suit

• Advisory-only or strategy-led profiles without operational execution experience
• Candidates from highly structured corporate environments without build-stage experience
• Individuals who prefer fully defined operating environments