This is a special job post as I consider this the most consequential and important hire we'll make in years. You'll see this is probably not your typical job advert, as what we're trying to do here is filter out the exact best fit for what we know is a really important position. But let us get started... (it's a lengthy one)

Bit of background...

ColorElephant — a digital studio with 30+ people spread across the globe — is looking to hire a Head of Operations / Chief Operations Officer with the intent of streamlining and professionalizing the day-to-day operations and ensuring proper processes are in place to enable the next phase of our growth. In a nutshell, what I want, as the CEO, is to hire someone I know I can trust to ensure operations are being handled so I can focus on the true "lever" decisions and topics that can transform our business.

Tiago is our longest-running employee and has played a pivotal role in ensuring we deliver projects, people are happy and our business grows, wearing the "Head of Ops" hat but doing far beyond that. However, in the next chapter of our business growth, we need someone who "has been there and done that" so I and Tiago can focus on the many other things that are a better fit for our skill (and honestly more of our liking).

Expectations / Job to be done

What are some of the challenges we face and hope someone like you can help us with:

1. Project timelines: defining them clearly and 'fairly' and then ensuring team is executing against them;
2. Going from reactive to pro-active in planning hiccups with projects and solving them before they are a out-of-hand problem;
3. Ensuring project managers have the tools and people they need to make great work, while then being accountable;
4. Having a "first line of defense" towards any problems, questions and needs from PMs, ensuring as much self-sufficiency in finding solution for these, freeing up time from me/Tiago to focus on business structural growth;
5. Ensuring there is clarity for the team;
6. Not operating blindly. Firm grasp on project budgets, profitability, team productivity etc. Owning, managing and driving insights from data;
7. Responsibility over staff time off, productivity and attendance;
8. Delegating work downwards from Ricardo, Tiago and other people on the team;
9. Helping turn some of our vision into reality:
10. Keeping us in check with clear goals and the accomplishment (or not) of these;
11. Help organize the team and create a great remote culture;

To break it down you're responsible for (1) ensuring our projects are delivered appropriately by being the manager of our PM team; (2) ensuring our team grows and is happy by making sure we provide them with the tools, support and processes needed; (3) ensuring we're set for growth with (again) processes, your ideas and the peace of knowing the engine is running;

Requirements