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What does a chief operating officer do?

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read
What does a chief operating officer do

A chief operating officer, also known as a COO, is a high-ranking official who oversees a company or organization's daily administrative and overall operations. They are typically the second in the chain of command, reporting directly to the company's chief executive officer, also known as a CEO. Among their duties include developing strategies and guidelines, reviewing reports, performing assessments, and implementing the company's policies, standards, and regulations. Additionally, they lead and empower staff to reach goals, helping solve issues and concerns when any arise.

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Chief operating officer responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real chief operating officer resumes:

  • Manage the RFP process and present investment packages to local and regional lenders to procure acquisition and long term debt financing.
  • Develop and integrate care services, achieve and maintain JCAHO accreditation.
  • Attain ISO registration, resulting in excellent documentation and adherence to operational and administrative process controls.
  • Manage the implementation of a new supply base global ERP system that reduce inventory and enable just-in-time delivery.
  • Establish, manage and coordinate activities of this start-up management company specializing in turning around trouble health insurance plans.
  • Manage all financial functions including controlling/accounting, board and regulatory reporting, treasury and cash management, and asset/liability management.
  • Provide oversight and guidance to implement systems, controls, and procedures to ensure fiduciary responsibility and sound financial management.
  • Lead the operations, product development and strategic partnership initiatives for the world's undispute leader in veterinary healthcare continuing education.
  • Establish financial controls and procedures throughout all areas of the company and ensure full compliance with GAAP.
  • Implement proper accounting procedures to report pledges, endowment, capital projects and relate debt with adherence to GAAP.
  • Establish the financial reporting systems including general accounting, A/R, A/P, P/P and cash reporting inclusive of church budget.
  • Launch profitable advertisements on Facebook and Google.
  • Develop structured finance criteria and rate mortgage-backed securities.
  • Spearhead operational improvement efforts, establishing and monitoring KPIs.
  • Enhance productivity by implementing KPIs for operations and finance areas.

Chief operating officer skills and personality traits

We calculated that 11% of Chief Operating Officers are proficient in Healthcare, Customer Service, and Oversight. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Detail oriented, and Math skills.

We break down the percentage of Chief Operating Officers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Healthcare, 11%

    Develop and implement operational strategies which support the overall strategy and mission of Johns Hopkins HealthCare and Johns Hopkins Medicine.

  • Customer Service, 8%

    Deliver operational leadership, management and supervision to all operational, technology, administration, customer service and account management functions.

  • Oversight, 7%

    Served on executive administrative support team to facilitate regulatory compliance and oversight for Director and Chief Operating Officer at national headquarters.

  • Financial Management, 7%

    Developed, implemented, and managed majority of operations and business systems including processes for portfolio accounting, and financial management.

  • Business Strategies, 6%

    Supported business strategies/objectives by developing performance-measurement system, which substantially improved integration of clinical, operational, and financial information e.g.

  • Human Resources, 6%

    Performed all performance evaluations for senior executive team, developing new models for performance expectations and leadership criteria with Human Resources.

"healthcare," "customer service," and "oversight" are among the most common skills that chief operating officers use at work. You can find even more chief operating officer responsibilities below, including:

Communication skills. A commonly-found skill in chief operating officer job descriptions, "communication skills" is essential to what chief operating officers do. Chief operating officer responsibilities rely on this skill because "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." You can also see how chief operating officer duties rely on communication skills in this resume example: "spearheaded due diligence and acquisition of diverse companies, including car dealerships, restaurants, and telecommunications firms. "

Leadership skills. Another skill commonly found on chief operating officer job descriptions is "leadership skills." It can come up quite often in chief operating officer duties, since "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day chief operating officer responsibilities: "played key role in successful negotiation of sale of the company, including leadership of the due diligence process. "

Most common chief operating officer skills

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Compare different chief operating officers

Chief operating officer vs. Division director

A division director is an individual who is responsible for managing team members and business operations that are assigned in his/her or her division to achieve the goals of a company. Division directors are required to evaluate division performance and ensure that the team's work complies with the company policies and procedures. They must lead new business development efforts with customers or brokers and should work closely with legal to ensure the protection of the company's interest. Division directors also assist in employee recruitment and provide training to the team if there are skill gaps.

We looked at the average chief operating officer salary and compared it with the wages of a division director. Generally speaking, division directors are paid $15,847 lower than chief operating officers per year.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both chief operating officer and division director positions are skilled in healthcare, customer service, and oversight.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between chief operating officers and division director. For instance, chief operating officer responsibilities require skills such as "business strategies," "risk management," "payroll," and "business operations." Whereas a division director is skilled in "client relationships," "patients," "project management," and "customer satisfaction." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Division directors tend to make the most money working in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $161,467. In contrast, chief operating officers make the biggest average salary, $150,784, in the manufacturing industry.division directors tend to reach similar levels of education than chief operating officers. In fact, division directors are 0.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Chief operating officer vs. Vice president

Vice presidents are usually considered the second-in-command in the organization, depending on the organization structure. They take over when the president is unavailable to fulfill duties. They may also represent the organization in external events and other official functions. They are important members of the boardroom, and their opinions are usually sought after as well. Vice presidents are usually poised to follow the president's footsteps in the organization, especially if the president is nearing retirement. They also make urgent and crucial decisions when the president is not available to do so. Vice presidents must have strong business acumen, decision-making skills, and professionalism.

On average, vice presidents earn a $22,033 higher salary than chief operating officers a year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Chief operating officers and vice presidents both require similar skills like "healthcare," "customer service," and "oversight" to carry out their responsibilities.

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, chief operating officer responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "financial management," "business strategies," "logistics," and "business operations." Meanwhile, a vice president has duties that require skills in areas such as "project management," "client relationships," "loan portfolio," and "financial analysis." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Vice presidents earn a higher average salary than chief operating officers. But vice presidents earn the highest pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $159,773. Additionally, chief operating officers earn the highest salaries in the manufacturing with average pay of $150,784 annually.vice presidents earn lower levels of education than chief operating officers in general. They're 6.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Chief operating officer vs. Division vice president

Division Vice Presidents are company executives that oversee a particular department or division. They are often employed in companies with a varied product line or wide geographical reach, thus needing divisions to streamline processes. Division Vice Presidents should have a solid background in the particular division that they are handling. They ensure that their division's performance is at par or would even exceed company targets and expectations.

On average, division vice presidents earn higher salaries than chief operating officers, with a $22,125 difference per year.chief operating officers and division vice presidents both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "healthcare," "oversight," and "human resources," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a chief operating officer is likely to be skilled in "customer service," "financial management," "business strategies," and "logistics," while a typical division vice president is skilled in "shared services," "rehabilitation," "project management," and "sales strategies."

Division vice presidents make a very good living in the media industry with an average annual salary of $170,691. On the other hand, chief operating officers are paid the highest salary in the manufacturing industry, with average annual pay of $150,784.division vice presidents typically earn lower educational levels compared to chief operating officers. Specifically, they're 5.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Chief operating officer vs. Senior vice president

A Senior Vice President's responsibilities vary according to the company or organization. Still, it mostly revolves around overseeing and leading a particular department's activities and operations, reporting to the president and the board, evaluating the progress and performances of teams and employees, and maintaining constant communication with staff and management. Furthermore, A Senior Vice President is also involved in forming strategies that would benefit the sales of the company, seek innovative options, review documents, and ensure that the operations are up to the standards of the company's policies and regulations.

Senior vice presidents average a higher salary than the annual salary of chief operating officers. The difference is about $58,166 per year.While their salaries may vary, chief operating officers and senior vice presidents both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "healthcare," "customer service," and "oversight. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A chief operating officer uses "financial management," "business strategies," "logistics," and "payroll." Senior vice presidents are more likely to have duties that require skills in "financial services," "svp," "project management," and "asset management. "In general, senior vice presidents earn the most working in the media industry, with an average salary of $183,285. The highest-paying industry for a chief operating officer is the manufacturing industry.senior vice presidents reach similar levels of education compared to chief operating officers, in general. The difference is that they're 2.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of chief operating officer

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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