"Lime did a good job for us and I've enjoyed working with them on roles. Moved quickly and have been communicative, understanding our requirements on limited information."
CEO | Hackney Gelato
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Chief operating officer (COO) recruitment specialists
At Lime Talent, we understand the critical importance of finding a qualified Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead your organisation’s day-to-day operations effectively. Based in London, we offer unparalleled expertise in executive FMCG recruitment across the UK and internationally.
The search for a new COO can undoubtedly be a daunting task. It requires a candidate with a blend of industry expertise, operational acumen, and strong leadership capabilities. Our extensive network and industry insights enable us to identify candidates who not only possess these requisite skills and experience, but also align seamlessly with your company culture and strategic objectives. Having the right recruitment partner is crucial in this industry and with our wealth of experience, our team will assist in crafting optimal talent attraction strategies as well as set competitive salaries to attract and secure the best possible COO candidate for your organisation.
Why Use Us?
Established in 2013, we have a proven track record of placing executive talent within the FMCG sector, serving both established blue-chip companies and emerging challenger brands. We work closely with you to understand your unique requirements, helping you navigate the complexities of executive recruitment and elevate your organisation’s operational leadership to new heights.
You can see some of our clients below
Some of the roles that we specialise in recruiting include:
Buying & Procurement
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Consultancy Recruitment Specialists for FMCG, Supply Chain & Strategy
Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence
Demand Planning
Digitalisation and Industry 4.0
Engineering and Automation
General Management and Operations Director
Health, Safety and Environmental Management
Logistics and Customer Services
Production and Operations Management
Supply Chain Director
Supply Chain Management
Trusted by leading companies
Director
Chester-born Chris, has an unrivalled network of commercial candidates within the consumer goods industry. In addition to this, he has worked with many of the UK’s leading consumer brands and also with SME manufacturers from around the globe. Having started his career in 2002, Chris brings a wealth of experience to the team at Lime Talent.
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FAQ Section
A COO leads the end-to-end operational strategy of a business, ensuring it can scale efficiently while delivering excellent product quality, service levels and commercial performance.
Key areas often include:
Supply chain & logistics
Operations & manufacturing
Procurement & sourcing
Quality, technical and regulatory
Systems, processes, and organisational structure
Cost efficiency, margin improvement and risk management
In fast-growing challenger brands, the COO usually acts as the operational backbone, building the infrastructure that enables rapid and sustainable growth.
A Supply Chain Director typically focuses on planning, logistics, warehousing, inventory, and S&OP.
An Operations Director often oversees production, quality, technical and day-to-day operations.
A COO is broader and more senior — responsible for the entire operational environment of the business, often sitting on the board and owning cross-functional strategy, culture, and commercial delivery.
COO salaries vary depending on scale, ownership structure and operational complexity:
Challenger / SME: £120,000–£180,000 + bonus + LTIP
PE/VC-backed scale-up: £140,000–£220,000 + equity
Mid-size FMCG: £150,000–£250,000 + bonus + LTIP
Global FMCG: £200,000–£350,000 + executive benefits
Equity is increasingly common in growth-stage consumer brands where the COO is instrumental in scaling operations.
Typical requirements include:
Strong leadership across supply chain, manufacturing and operations
Experience scaling a business from early growth to maturity
Deep commercial acumen and P&L understanding
Building high-performing teams and operational structures
Experience managing 3PLs, co-manufacturers or international supply networks
Risk mitigation, compliance and quality oversight
Data, systems and technology adoption (ERP, S&OP, automation)
Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on operational problem-solving
For most consumer goods businesses, yes — especially where supply chains are complex, food safety is critical or production is outsourced.
However, some brands value broader operational leadership or experience in fast-paced, high-growth sectors such as ecommerce, DTC, health & wellness or manufacturing.
Typical triggers include:
Rapid revenue growth creating operational strain
Increasing retailer or supply chain complexity
Need for stronger forecasting, logistics or quality processes
International expansion
Founder bandwidth issues
Preparation for investment or acquisition
A COO is often the first true ‘scaling’ hire beyond the founder and commercial team.
Lime Talent runs a highly targeted COO executive search process that includes:
Market mapping across supply chain, operations and general management
Identification of leaders with scale-up and FMCG expertise
Behavioural and competency-based interviews
Full referencing, salary benchmarking and leadership profiling
Hands-on support through offer negotiation and onboarding
We specialise in supporting founder-led and VC/PE-backed consumer brands hiring operational leadership for the first time.
Because COOs in FMCG must blend operational excellence with commercial impact — understanding margin, retailer requirements, forecasting and the realities of physical product businesses.
Lime Talent has deep experience recruiting senior operational leaders who can build scalable systems, manage risk and support accelerated growth.
Most COO searches take 6–10 weeks, depending on:
Complexity of the role
Operational maturity of the business
Equity and package competitiveness
Candidate notice periods
Required technical depth
We can also support interim COO placements for urgent needs or transformation projects.
Yes — we regularly appoint interim:
COOs
Heads of Operations
Supply Chain Directors
Manufacturing or Technical specialists
Interims are ideal during transitions, funding rounds, restructures or urgent operational challenges.
Yes. While the UK is our primary market, we also support COO searches in Europe, North America, the Middle East and APAC — especially for global consumer brands launching or scaling operations in the UK.