Chief Operating Officer

About the role

Our client is an established and highly regarded professional services business with a long-standing reputation and steady expansion across both regional and metropolitan Australia. Its service offering covers business advisory, taxation, related accounting and finance work, as well as legal and technology consulting. The firm is guided by a partnership group that actively demonstrates its values, creating a collaborative environment with a strong focus on professional growth and career progression.

Role overview

The organisation is looking for a seasoned Chief Operating Officer to help drive its next stage of growth. Working closely with the partnership group, this executive will oversee core business areas such as people and culture, finance, marketing, IT, governance, and day-to-day operations.

What the role involves

This position blends strategic leadership with hands-on execution. The COO will support business performance, strengthen systems and processes, and enable scalable growth. A major part of the role will also include leading mergers and acquisitions activity, including post-deal integration, while ensuring the wider business remains aligned across multiple locations.

What success looks like

The ideal candidate will bring substantial leadership experience within professional services. A background in delivering growth, managing change, driving continuous improvement, and working effectively with senior stakeholders in partnership-based environments will be highly valued. Strong commercial judgement, the ability to inspire teams, and the skill to turn strategy into practical action are essential.

Culture and working style

Fit with the organisation’s culture is important. The successful leader will be collaborative, credible, and able to build trusted relationships across the business. A visible leadership style, combined with agility, structure, and a dynamic approach to delivery, will be important in this role.

Opportunity

This is a rare chance to join a professional services firm in a senior leadership capacity, with significant accountability and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the organisation’s future.

Responsibilities

• Lead the firm’s operational agenda across people and culture, finance, marketing, technology, governance, and core business operations.
• Partner with the partnership group to shape and execute strategy.
• Improve organisational systems, processes, and overall business performance.
• Support expansion and growth initiatives across the business.
• Drive mergers and acquisitions activity, including integration planning and execution.
• Maintain alignment across a geographically distributed business.
• Translate strategic priorities into practical delivery.
• Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders and teams across the organisation.

Requirements

• Substantial executive leadership experience in a professional services environment.
• Demonstrated success in growth, transformation, and continuous improvement.
• Experience engaging with senior stakeholders in partnership-led structures.
• Strong commercial acumen and business judgment.
• Ability to lead both strategically and operationally.
• Collaborative, credible, and relationship-focused leadership style.
• Capacity to operate effectively across multiple locations.

Perks

• High level of accountability and ownership.
• Opportunity to shape the firm’s next phase of growth.
• Strong potential to make a meaningful organisational impact.
• Supportive culture with emphasis on development and progression.

Additional information

The organisation has a broad service footprint spanning advisory, tax, accounting, finance, legal, and technology consulting. It operates with a geographically dispersed presence and is led by a partnership group that is actively engaged in the business.