SUMMARY:
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER (COO)
Operational Right Hand to the CEO | AI-Fluent | Data-Driven | Systems-Focused
Location: Sandton, Johannesburg
Employment Type: Full-Time
Reporting To: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Industry: Film, Television, Video Production, Live Events, Post-Production & AI
Salary: R55,000 – R65,000 CTC per month
JOB SUMMARY
A Johannesburg-based film, television, content and events production company is seeking an exceptionally capable and commercially minded Chief Operating Officer (COO) to serve as the operational right hand to the CEO.
This is a hands-on operational leadership position, not a traditional administrative Operations Manager role.
The successful candidate will take ownership of the day-to-day running of the business, connect people, projects, systems and departments, drive accountability, resolve operational bottlenecks and build the processes and systems required to support sustainable growth.
The ideal candidate must be exceptionally sharp, confident, analytical, systems-focused and highly accountable. They must be comfortable making independent decisions, managing people firmly, addressing underperformance and taking ownership of problems rather than simply escalating them to the CEO.
Strong capability in Advanced Excel, data analysis, management reporting, systems improvement, AI and automation is essential.
Experience within film, television, advertising, creative agencies, events, media or another fast-paced project-based environment will be highly advantageous. Exceptional candidates from other industries will also be considered where they demonstrate strong transferable operational leadership experience
POSITION INFO:
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Company Operations & Accountability Take ownership of the smooth day-to-day running of the business. Translate CEO and business priorities into clear operational actions. Keep business priorities, deadlines and deliverables visible and on track. Identify operational risks and bottlenecks before they escalate. Make appropriate operational decisions independently. Drive execution and accountability across departments. Ensure agreed actions are followed through and completed. Build a culture of ownership, urgency, discipline and responsibility. Reduce unnecessary operational escalations to the CEO. Production Traffic & Resource Management Oversee multiple productions, projects and deadlines simultaneously. Monitor project schedules, capacity and resource requirements. Improve visibility of workload and resource utilisation. Identify scheduling conflicts and capacity constraints before they affect delivery. Coordinate resources effectively across departments and projects. Ensure strong handovers between Sales, Pre-Production, Production, Post-Production, Delivery and Finance. Improve on-time project delivery and reduce preventable delays and rework. People Management, Performance & HR Provide firm, constructive and accountable leadership. Define clear roles, responsibilities, KPIs and performance standards. Monitor employee performance and ensure accountability. Conduct and support formal performance management processes. Address underperformance promptly and professionally. Handle difficult conversations and disciplinary matters when required. Support organisational planning and workforce development. Identify skills, capacity and structural gaps within the business. Build and maintain a high-performance culture. Recruitment & Onboarding Identify recruitment requirements in conjunction with the CEO. Support recruitment planning and candidate assessment. Participate in interviews and selection processes for key appointments. Evaluate candidates from both a competency and cultural-fit perspective. Develop structured and effective onboarding programmes. Ensure new employees understand their responsibilities, KPIs, systems and processes. Continuously evaluate staffing requirements and team structure. Systems, SOPs, AI & Automation Review and improve operational workflows across Monday.com and related business systems. Develop practical SOPs that are implemented, adopted and maintained. Identify repetitive or inefficient processes that can be simplified or automated. Implement AI-enabled and no-code automation solutions. Use AI and automation to improve areas including: Management reporting Workflow routing Quality assurance Recruitment Administration Data processing Operational monitoring Maintain strong system discipline, including: Clean and accurate data Consistent naming conventions Clear ownership Documentation Version control Testing and quality assurance Evaluate new technology and implement solutions that deliver measurable operational value. Data, Analytics, Excel & Commercial Intelligence Drive a data-led management culture across the organisation. Consolidate information from multiple departments and systems. Build and maintain advanced management dashboards. Develop sophisticated Excel and spreadsheet models. Analyse large datasets and identify trends, anomalies, risks and opportunities. Interrogate data rather than merely reporting it. Convert complex information into clear management insights and recommendations. Provide financial and commercial analysis relating to: Budgets versus actuals Labour utilisation Resource allocation Cost trends Operational efficiency Project performance Profitability Present findings clearly and concisely to the CEO and management team. Sales Oversight & Accountability Monitor sales activity, pipelines and follow-up processes. Improve pipeline discipline and sales accountability. Ensure opportunities are progressed effectively. Identify stalled opportunities and gaps in follow-up. Strengthen coordination between Sales and Production. Ensure operational capacity is considered during sales planning. Provide concise and meaningful sales reports to the CEO. Cross-Department Coordination Act as the operational link between: Sales Pre-Production Production Post-Production Delivery Finance Improve communication and workflow handovers. Reduce duplication, rework and information gaps. Clarify ownership where responsibilities overlap. Ensure project learnings and operational lessons are documented and implemented. Drive effective collaboration across departments. Management Reporting & Continuous Improvement Produce accurate weekly and monthly management reports. Analyse operational trends, root causes, risks and performance gaps. Identify opportunities to improve: Profitability Resource utilisation Delivery performance Turnaround times Cost efficiency Staff productivity Workflow efficiency Develop practical improvement plans and ensure implementation. Help design the operating structure required to support future growth. AI FLUENCY - CORE REQUIREMENT AI is central to the company's future operating model. The successful candidate must demonstrate genuine practical experience and confidence with: AI tools and platforms Generative AI AI agents No-code automation Workflow automation Workflow integration AI-assisted business systems Data-driven process improvement The COO must naturally approach processes by asking: \"Can this be automated, simplified, measured or made smarter?\" The requirement is not simply an interest in AI. The successful candidate must be capable of applying AI and automation to create measurable operational improvements, efficiencies and business leverage . MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS Candidates should meet the following requirements: Minimum 7 years' management experience . Minimum 3 years' senior management and\/or operational leadership experience . Proven experience taking ownership of significant business operations. Strong people management and performance management capability. Demonstrated ability to manage teams and hold employees accountable. Advanced Excel and spreadsheet modelling skills. Strong numerical, analytical and commercial capability. Proven management reporting and data analysis experience. Experience developing dashboards, reports and operational metrics. Experience improving business systems, processes, workflows and accountability structures. Hands-on exposure to workflow management systems. Practical experience with AI tools and automation technologies . Ability to interpret operational and financial information. Strong problem-solving and decision-making capability. Ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving, deadline-driven environment. Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills. Qualifications A relevant qualification in one or more of the following areas will be advantageous: Business Management Operations Management Finance Commerce Project Management Industrial Engineering Business Analytics Related discipline An MBA or other advanced business qualification will be beneficial but is not essential where the candidate has exceptional practical operational leadership experience. PREFERRED INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE Strong preference will be given to candidates with experience in fast-moving, project-based environments such as: Film and television production Commercial production Advertising agencies Creative agencies Marketing agencies Events and experiential agencies Broadcast and media Post-production Animation and VFX Content studios Social media agencies PR and communications Design and branding environments Industry experience is advantageous rather than an absolute requirement. Exceptional candidates from other sectors should still be considered where they demonstrate highly transferable operational leadership experience within a complex, fast-paced and deadline-driven business. CORE COMPETENCIES & PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES Proactive Identifies issues before being asked, takes initiative and closes loops effectively. Meticulous Maintains exceptional standards relating to detail, data accuracy, documentation, systems and deadlines. Analytical Can interrogate complex information, identify patterns and translate findings into actionable business insights. Financially Minded Understands the commercial and financial consequences of operational decisions. AI-Forward Actively uses AI and automation to improve productivity, quality, reporting and operational outcomes. Highly Accountable Takes ownership of outcomes and expects the same level of accountability from others. Confident Decision-Maker Comfortable making appropriate independent decisions without unnecessarily escalating matters to the CEO. Direct but Constructive Comfortable addressing poor performance, difficult situations and accountability issues professionally. Structured, Not Bureaucratic Creates clarity, systems and discipline without slowing down the organisation. Commercial Prioritises decisions that improve profitability, efficiency, customer service or growth. Calm Under Pressure Maintains sound judgement and execution in dynamic, high-pressure environments. Entrepreneurial Looks beyond the boundaries of a traditional job description and takes ownership of what needs to be done. POTENTIAL KPIs Performance may be measured against areas including: On-time project delivery Reduction in overdue tasks Resource utilisation Capacity visibility and forecasting Staff performance review completion Recruitment turnaround times Onboarding effectiveness SOP implementation and adoption Pipeline hygiene Sales follow-up compliance Reduction in preventable rework Reduction in operational escalations to the CEO Reporting accuracy Reporting timeliness Cost optimisation Operational efficiency improvements Data quality Workflow compliance Measurable impact of AI and automation initiatives WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE Within the first 6-12 months , the successful COO should have achieved: A measurable reduction in day-to-day operational escalations to the CEO. Improved accountability and deadline management. Stronger performance management across departments. More structured recruitment and onboarding processes. Improved cross-functional coordination. Greater visibility of projects, workloads and resource capacity. AI and automation embedded into appropriate daily operational processes. Reliable management reporting and dashboards. Increased use of data in business decision-making. Cleaner, more disciplined business systems. Fewer preventable errors and instances of rework. Improved operational and commercial visibility. A scalable operating structure capable of supporting future business growth. WHO THIS ROLE IS NOT SUITED TO This position will not suit someone who: Requires constant direction or supervision. Avoids difficult conversations. Is uncomfortable managing underperformance. Is weak with numbers, data or spreadsheets. Treats systems, documentation or data casually. Resists AI adoption or automation. Primarily operates as a coordinator or administrator. Identifies problems but consistently escalates them instead of proposing and implementing solutions. Struggles to balance strategic thinking with detailed operational execution. THE OPPORTUNITY This is a pivotal senior leadership appointment within a growing creative production business. The Chief Operating Officer will become the operational counterpart and trusted right hand to the CEO , taking ownership of how the organisation operates while building a smarter, more accountable and scalable business. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to shape operational structures, improve commercial visibility, strengthen teams, introduce meaningful AI and automation solutions and create the systems required for the company's next stage of growth-while retaining the agility, speed and creative excellence essential to the industry.
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