Group Chief Operating Officer

Group Chief Operating Officer | South Africa | Executive

A rare opportunity to lead operations at scale within a high-growth national retail group. This role sits at the centre of commercial performance, operational discipline and strategic expansion.

We are seeking a commercially driven Group Chief Operating Officer to lead national operations across multiple channels including retail, direct sales and digital. The role carries full accountability for operational performance, revenue growth, margin protection and EBITDA delivery across a multi-site national footprint.

Reporting into the executive leadership team, the COO will oversee operational execution across a network of more than 40 retail locations while driving alignment between retail stores, direct sales teams, digital channels and enterprise sales. The position requires a disciplined operator who can translate strategy into measurable operational performance while maintaining strict cost governance and profitability.

This is a highly visible leadership role suited to an experienced executive who thrives in fast-moving, founder-led environments and who has a strong track record of scaling retail or consumer operations while improving profitability.

Our client is a rapidly expanding national retail group operating across telecommunications retail, direct sales, digital channels and enterprise segments. The business is known for its entrepreneurial culture, ambitious expansion strategy and strong commercial focus.

What You?ll Do

Lead full operational and commercial P and L performance across all channels
Drive sustainable revenue growth while protecting gross margin and cost discipline
Oversee a national retail store network ensuring consistent operational standards
Lead Direct Sales Force, Prepaid, Postpaid and FTTH channel performance
Integrate digital platforms, call centre operations and B2B sales channels
Implement structured reporting dashboards, forecasting and operational performance frameworks
Manage payroll ratios, commissions governance and cost to income metrics
Ensure strong inventory control, stock turn performance and shrinkage mitigation
Oversee facilities, compliance, audit readiness and regulatory adherence
Evaluate and execute disciplined retail expansion with defined ROI and IRR thresholds
Build and lead high performance regional and channel leadership teams

What You Bring

10 to 15 years senior leadership experience in retail or commercial operations
Proven experience managing multi site retail operations with 30 or more locations
Demonstrated P and L ownership with EBITDA accountability
Background in telecommunications, retail or high volume consumer environments
Strong financial acumen including margin protection and working capital management
Track record of operational restructuring and regional performance improvement
Ability to lead within a founder led growth business and drive operational discipline

What Success Looks Like

Improved store level profitability and operational consistency across regions
Strengthened gross margin protection and cost governance frameworks
Standardised operational reporting and performance dashboards nationally
Execution of a disciplined regional expansion roadmap
Sustainable EBITDA growth across multiple sales channels