Chief Operating Officer in Naples, Florida at VKLPK LLC

Chief Operating Officer (COO) – Turnaround & Growth Focus

Reports To: CEO / Ownership Group

Direct Reports: 10

Indirect Reports: ~100

Location: Buffalo, NY

Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt

POSITION SUMMARY

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a transformative operational leader responsible for stabilizing, strengthening, and scaling a multi-unit retail franchise organization. This role is designed for a hands-on, financially disciplined operator who excels in turnarounds, cost restructuring, and building profitable, scalable systems.

Reporting directly to the CEO and CSO, the COO will lead ~10 direct reports and oversee ~100 indirect reports across district management, store operations, and back-office functions. The ideal candidate has a proven track record of taking underperforming or small organizations, tightening operational controls, reducing waste, and driving EBITDA expansion while preparing the business for sustainable growth.

This is a high-impact role for a leader who thrives in environments where clarity, accountability, and operational discipline must be rebuilt or elevated.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Operations Leadership & Turnaround Execution

• Assess current operational structure and implement a disciplined operating model that reduces inefficiency and improves unit-level profitability
• Standardize SOPs, service protocols, and operational expectations across all 25+ units
• Identify operational gaps, cost leaks, and process breakdowns; implement corrective action with urgency
• Serve as the primary escalation point for district managers and field operations
• Lead operational resets, store turnarounds, and performance recovery plans
• Oversee new unit openings and remodels with a focus on cost control and ROI

Financial Performance & EBITDA Expansion

• Own full P&L accountability with a mandate to achieve 25–30% EBITDA on a $40M revenue benchmark
• Conduct deep financial analysis to identify margin erosion, labor inefficiencies, and controllable cost opportunities
• Implement cost-reduction strategies across labor, COGS, overhead, and vendor spend
• Partner with finance and ownership on budgeting, forecasting, and capital planning
• Establish a culture of financial literacy and accountability across district and store leadership

People Leadership & Organizational Discipline

• Lead, coach, and develop ~10 direct reports with a focus on accountability, clarity, and performance
• Build a high-performance culture across 100+ indirect reports through structured expectations and consistent follow-through
• Strengthen talent selection, onboarding, and training programs to ensure operational readiness
• Implement succession planning and leadership development aligned with growth and profitability goals
• Conduct regular performance reviews with clear KPIs tied to operational and financial outcomes

District & Field Management

• Set a disciplined operational cadence for district managers including store visits, audits, reporting, and action plans
• Ensure consistent execution of brand standards, customer experience expectations, and operational compliance
• Monitor unit-level performance and deploy targeted intervention plans for underperforming locations
• Build a field-first culture that prioritizes operational excellence and customer outcomes

Back Office, Systems, & Infrastructure

• Oversee inventory management, scheduling systems, vendor relations, and technology platforms
• Implement systems that improve visibility, reporting accuracy, and operational control
• Strengthen compliance with franchise agreements, regulatory requirements, and internal policies
• Partner with HR, finance, and marketing to ensure support functions are aligned with operational priorities

Strategic Growth & Profitability

• Evaluate new unit opportunities through a disciplined financial and operational lens
• Build scalable infrastructure that supports growth without sacrificing margin
• Identify competitive threats, operational risks, and market opportunities; develop mitigation strategies
• Represent operations in executive meetings, franchise discussions, and investor updates

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• 10+ years of progressive operations leadership in retail, franchise, or multi-unit consumer businesses
• 5+ years in a senior executive or VP-level role with full P&L responsibility
• Demonstrated success leading turnarounds, cost restructuring, or operational resets
• Proven ability to drive EBITDA expansion and improve unit-level profitability
• Experience managing multi-unit portfolios of 15+ locations
• Strong financial acumen with deep experience in budgeting, forecasting, and P&L optimization
• Track record of building disciplined, accountable teams across 50+ indirect reports

Preferred

• Franchise operations or multi-brand retail experience
• Experience scaling a company from 20 to 50+ units
• Familiarity with FDD frameworks and franchisor–franchisee dynamics
• Bachelors/MBA or advanced business degree

Competencies

• Turnaround Mindset — thrives in environments requiring cost control, operational resets, and disciplined execution
• Decisive & Accountable — makes clear decisions and holds teams to measurable outcomes
• Financially Rigorous — comfortable with deep financial analysis and margin protection
• Field-First Operator — highly present in the field, close to the customer and the operation
• Systems Builder — creates structure, process, and repeatability without slowing agility
• High EQ Leader — motivates teams through clarity, consistency, and credibility
• Travel-Ready — comfortable with frequent travel across markets