How to hire a president & chief operating officer

How to hire a president & chief operating officer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step president & chief operating officer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a president & chief operating officer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new president & chief operating officer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a president & chief operating officer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your president & chief operating officer job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a president & chief operating officer for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

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   Hiring the perfect president & chief operating officer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of president & chief operating officers.

   Type of President & Chief Operating Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   President & Chief Operating Officer	Top executives devise strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They plan, direct, and coordinate operational activities of companies and organizations.	$54-187
   Division Director	A division director is a professional 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... Show more	$32-102
   Operations Vice President	The responsibilities of an operations vice president will revolve around overseeing business operations and ensuring workforce and workflow efficiency through evaluations and providing strategic plans that would drive the company to meet its vision and mission. An operations vice president, in adherence to the company policies and regulations, also has the power to hire and train employees, even to execute disciplinary actions such as termination or suspension when necessary... Show more	$50-119

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Financial Performance
   • Revenue Growth
   • Product Development
   • R
   • Strategic Partnerships
   • Strategic Plan
   • Oversight
   • Human Resources
   • Business Development
   • Business Plan
   • Healthcare
   • Start-Up
   • Risk Management
   • Regulatory Compliance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Establish, manage and coordinate activities of this start-up management company specializing in turning around trouble health insurance plans.
   • Institute financial and operational audits as part of normal ISO audit program to monitor branch operations.
   • Change this mid-size flexible packaging company from annual EBITDA losses of $-900K to a 3 year EBITDA avg.
   • Establish new partnerships in Asia for sourcing, manufacturing, leading engine technology, ISO certification for parent company.
   • Provide backup support to clinical veterinary staff for general and surgical events and attending veterinarian for regulatory oversight.
   • Provide system oversight for quality assurance tools utilize to measure and report best practices, compliance and economic opportunities.

   More president & chief operating officer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the president & chief operating officer job description is a good way to get more applicants. A president & chief operating officer salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a president & chief operating officer in Kentucky may be lower than in Nevada, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level president & chief operating officer. Additionally, a president & chief operating officer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average president & chief operating officer salary

   $211,982yearly

   $101.91 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level president & chief operating officer salary

   $114,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 27, 2025

   Average president & chief operating officer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Nevada	$261,169	$126
   2	California	$246,796	$119
   3	New York	$241,044	$116
   4	Massachusetts	$235,194	$113
   5	Maryland	$228,801	$110
   6	Connecticut	$225,589	$108
   7	Minnesota	$217,080	$104
   8	Texas	$211,010	$101
   9	Colorado	$203,884	$98
   10	Arizona	$203,082	$98
   11	Missouri	$198,058	$95
   12	Illinois	$196,690	$95
   13	Wisconsin	$193,888	$93
   14	North Carolina	$190,626	$92
   15	Florida	$189,638	$91
   16	South Carolina	$184,051	$88
   17	Montana	$166,718	$80
   18	Oklahoma	$164,862	$79

   Average president & chief operating officer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Global Atlantic Financial Group Limited	$285,760	$137.38	20
   2	WTS International	$278,026	$133.67
   3	Sanofi US	$276,199	$132.79	36
   4	Rochester Regional Health	$268,710	$129.19	1
   5	Citi	$266,889	$128.31	365
   6	Sky Lakes Medical Center	$263,756	$126.81
   7	XCEL	$256,627	$123.38
   8	Pace Inc	$256,039	$123.10	1
   9	Barclays	$253,917	$122.08	21
   10	NaphCare	$253,011	$121.64	1
   11	Baylor Scott & White Health	$251,328	$120.83	55
   12	Anchor Brewing	$249,840	$120.12
   13	TAPPI	$249,106	$119.76
   14	CSC Holdings LLC	$248,681	$119.56	1
   15	Peabody Energy	$248,640	$119.54
   16	Cohen & Steers	$247,325	$118.91
   17	California Medical Association	$242,423	$116.55
   18	Morgan Stanley	$241,003	$115.87	242
   19	Prime Healthcare	$238,776	$114.80	55
   20	ALL	$238,017	$114.43

4. Writing a president & chief operating officer job description

   A president & chief operating officer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a president & chief operating officer job description:

   President & chief operating officer job description example

   Title: VP/COO - Population Health - BayCare Physician Partners
   Location: FL-Clearwater-System Offices
   
   The VP/COO - Population Health - BayCare Physician Partners is responsible for the operational leadership and ongoing growth of the Population Health Services Organization (PHSO), BayCare Physician Partners Clinically Integrated Network (CIN), and Accountable Care Organization (ACO). As a key member of the population health senior leadership team, they work closely with SVP, Chief Transformation Officer, PHSO, and BPP Presidents to create, develop, and implement operational plans and objectives in support of the PHSO and BayCare Physician Partners strategic plans and priorities. The VP/COO develops PHSO plans, processes, and structures to rapidly assess requirements, deploy resources, and acquire and build new and innovative capabilities to meet the needs of value-based lives with speed and scale. They lead the teams focused on creating and executing on strategic programs, developing and enhancing population health value-based data analytics to drive decisions, operationalizing and refining a robust population health network, elevating provider relations, enhancing care coordination, complex case management, and clinical programs. They create yearly operating plans to achieve objectives and overall vision in their assigned departments. In collaboration and partnership with clinical leaders, the VP/COO oversees services and programs aimed at furthering population health management strategies to move the organization into full risk and capitation and maximize contractual performance. They reinforce the importance of the Triple Aim with strong emphasis on value, which includes quality revenue, risk revenue and medical cost reduction while continuously improving clinical outcomes and patient experience. The VP/COO fosters a collaborative working relationship with designated physician leaders and physician constituencies within BPP and BayCare, in addition to all leaders across the System. In conjunction with System Finance, they establish and maintain compliance with all relevant government program requirements and maintenance of the CINs and ACOs accounting principles and fiscal records/financial reports/forecasts. They work with System Compliance Officer to ensure adherence to System, government, and regulatory agency compliance principles. Additionally, they oversee the contractual performance of the Population Health Services Organization (PHSO), BPP Clinically Integrated Network (CIN), and BPP Accountable Care Organization (ACO). The VP/COO reports to the SVP, Chief Transformation Officer. Required Education includes Master's of Business, Public Health, Health Administration, or Medical Management; Or Doctorate's in Medicine or Osteopathic Medicine. Required experience includes 10 years of management experience in healthcare operations, finance, and/or clinical operations, with 3 years as a Director or above; AND 5 years of ACO/CIN and/or population health experience. Preferred experience is 5 years of health plan risk adjustment and managing full risk or capitated physician arrangements and/or 5 years in managed care or health plan experience.
   
   Qualifications:
   
   **Certifications and Licensures**
   
   None Required
   
   **Education**
   
   RequiredMaster'sBusiness Administration
   
   OrMaster'sPublic Health
   
   OrMaster'sHealthcare Administration
   
   OrMaster'sReference summary for details
   
   OrDoctorate'sMedicine
   
   OrDoctorate'sOsteopathic Medicine
   
   **Experience**
   
   Required10 years Reference summary for details
   
   Required3 years Reference summary for details
   
   Required5 years Reference summary for details
   
   Preferred5 years Reference summary for details
   
   **Specific Skills**
   
   RequiredLeadership skills
   
   RequiredCommunicate clearly with individuals at all levels of the organization
   
   RequiredKnowledge of regulatory standards appropriate to position
   
   RequiredDecision Making skills
   
   RequiredFinancial Management skills
   
   RequiredCoaching and Counseling skills
   
   RequiredAnalytical Skills
   
   Schedule: Varies
   
   Shift: Days
   
   Shift Hours: Varies
   
   Weekend Work: None
   
   On Call: No
   
   Employment Status: ACTIVE FULL TIME

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right president & chief operating officer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with president & chief operating officers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit president & chief operating officers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your president & chief operating officer job on Zippia to find and recruit president & chief operating officer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit president & chief operating officers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new president & chief operating officer

   Once you've found the president & chief operating officer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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