Updated October 2026
A strong startup head of operations job description lists the work moving off the CEO's desk, names the areas the hire will own, such as finance operations, people operations, contracts and vendors, and states what they will not own. It describes six-month outcomes, keeps must-haves short and shows salary and equity.
Don't start with the JD. Ask the CEO to log every operational task they touch for two weeks, then sort each into hand over, keep or stop doing. The hand-over column becomes the job description, and every bullet in it should trace back to a line on that list.
Our illustrative example is a 40-person Series A company making battery storage for commercial buildings, where the CEO still approves every supplier invoice.
Copy-and-paste head of operations job description
About [Company]
[Company] builds [product] for [customer]. We raised [round] from [investors] in [month, year] and have [number] people across [locations].
The role
We're hiring a head of operations to take the running of the company off [CEO name]'s desk. You'll own [areas from the handover list, e.g. finance operations, people operations and vendors] and report to [CEO name]. You won't own [areas staying elsewhere, e.g. sales operations or product delivery].
What you'll do in your first 6 months
- Take over [first task block, e.g. supplier invoices and payment runs] by [month], with month-end closed within [number] working days.
- Choose and roll out [system, e.g. an HR and payroll platform] for all [number] people.
- Put templates and an approval route in place for [contract types], so the CEO only signs above [amount].
- Build a monthly operating report from [systems], not hand-built spreadsheets.
What you'll bring
- You've run operations at a company of [X to Y] people and owned [most important area] directly.
- You've replaced manual work with systems and can say what you rejected and why.
- You read a P&L comfortably and work well with [external accountant / fractional CFO].
- You know when to bring in a lawyer or specialist adviser.
- You say no to work outside the remit, and explain why.
- [Specific need, e.g. hardware supply chain or regulated data].
Nice to have
- You've handled due diligence for a funding round.
- Experience with [accounting or HR tools].
What we offer
- Salary: [£/$/€ X to Y].
- Equity: [X% to Y%], [vesting schedule].
- [Remote / hybrid, X days in City].
- Stage: [Seed / Series A / Series B], [number] months of runway. [Benefits].
The free job description builder can turn your handover list into a draft, and our head of operations interview questions test each scorecard row below.
How the head of operations job description changes by stage
| Seed | Series A | Series B | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remit | Finance admin, payroll, contracts | Finance and people ops, vendors, first reporting | Splits into finance, people and BizOps leads |
| First off the CEO's desk | Invoices and payroll | Board data, hiring admin, system choices | Planning cycle and cross-team processes |
| Hands-on | Entirely | Mostly, managing one or two | Managing managers |
| Title | Operations manager | Head of operations | VP operations or COO |
If your handover list is about running teams more than admin and systems, you may need a COO. Our guide on how to hire a COO or head of operations covers the difference. Benchmark pay against current data for your market.
Scorecard: how you'll judge success
| Outcome | What good looks like at 12 months | How you'll test it in interviews |
|---|---|---|
| CEO time returned | Nothing on the handover list has bounced back to the CEO | Give them the real task log; ask what they take and refuse |
| Finance operations | Month-end on time, payments run without the CEO, cash known weekly | Walk through a month-end they ran, including what went wrong |
| People operations | Payroll, onboarding and hiring admin on one system, no missed pay | Ask how they chose their last HR tool |
| Contracts and vendors | Templates in use, renewals tracked, legal spend predictable | Messy supplier renewal scenario |
| Operating reporting | A monthly report the board reads without CEO edits | Ask who used the last report they built |
30-60-90 day plan
| Days | Focus | By the end they should have |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 30 | Shadow the CEO, read contracts, list every system | The task log, ranked, with a handover date on each line |
| 31 to 60 | Take the first block of tasks, choose any new systems | Invoices and payroll running without the CEO |
| 61 to 90 | Fix the processes that break most often | The first monthly report, plus what they will and won't own next quarter |
Mistakes founders make in head of operations job descriptions
Writing a chief of everything. Finance, people, legal, IT, office, BizOps and "special projects" in one role guarantees most of it is done badly.
Hiding what the CEO keeps. Candidates need to see where their authority ends. Say what the CEO still signs.
Using the COO title to sound senior. COO candidates expect to run teams. If the work is systems and admin, the title sets the wrong expectations.
Asking for someone who "thrives in chaos". That attracts firefighters. You want someone who builds systems so there are fewer fires.
Where Funded.club fits
We've helped 500+ startups from Seed to Series D across North America, Europe and APAC with operations and leadership hires, on a low fixed fee agreed upfront. Illustratively, on a $160,000 head of operations a 20 to 25% contingency fee is $32,000 to $40,000; our fee above $150,000 runs from $15,900 to $21,900 (see pricing).
Part of the fee is an advance; if we don't deliver a shortlist of at least 3 qualified candidates within 30 days, you can claim it back in full. Our guide on hiring a COO or head of operations covers the full process.
Frequently asked questions
What does a head of operations do at a startup?
They take operational work off the CEO, usually finance operations, people operations, contracts and vendors, and replace manual tasks with systems.
What is the difference between a head of operations and a COO?
A head of operations runs systems and processes. A COO usually runs several teams and acts as the CEO's second in command.
When should a startup hire a head of operations?
When the CEO's handover list is long enough to fill a week and is slowing selling, building or fundraising.
Worth a brief chat about your next hire? Book a free call.
Hiring after a funding round?
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