Interim COO - Pharma Contract Manufacturing - Export Markets

• Reports To: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) / Promoters
• Location: Vapi
• Position Type: Fractional

Role Summary:

We are seeking an experienced, execution-focused Interim Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead our day-to-day operations, bridge strategic vision with operational execution, and drive organizational accountability.

The COO will serve as the engine of execution across all functional departments - ensuring alignment across Quality, manufacturing/production, supply chain, commercial, and administration. The ideal candidate is a proactive operator who thrives on implementing operational governance frameworks (such as OKRs/KPIs), building repeatable processes, breaking down functional silos, and building a high-performance accountable culture where decision-making and delegation is encouraged.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategy Execution & OKR Architecture:

• Goal Cascading: Translate CEO and board-level strategic vision into actionable Annual Objectives and Quantified Quarterly Key Results (OKRs).
• Operational Alignment: Ensure all functional leads (Plant/Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Commercial, HR) have clear, measurable metrics aligned directly with core company goals.
• Performance Dashboards: Establish and maintain a single-source operational dashboard to track weekly progress, capacity, and core KPIs.

2. Operational Governance & Cadence:

• Execution Rhythms: Chair weekly leadership execution meetings, monthly metric reviews, and quarterly OKR scoring and planning cycles.
• Process & SOP Optimization: Audit operational handoffs, identify bottlenecks, and institutionalize Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure repeatable, scalable output.
• Resource Allocation: Monitor capacity, bandwidth, and operational budgets - reallocating resources dynamically to keep high-priority strategic initiatives on track.

3. Cross-Functional SLA Management & Escalation:

• Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Define and enforce cross-departmental SLAs for key handoffs (e.g., Sales forecast to Production scheduling; Production completion to Quality release).
• Inter-Departmental Friction: Act as the primary escalation point for cross-functional bottlenecks, enforcing root-cause analysis (5-Whys) and rapid resolution.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Eliminate communication barriers between technical, operational, quality, and commercial teams.

4. Leadership, Team Development & Accountability:

• Line Management: Directly manage and mentor functional department heads, driving a culture of personal ownership and operational discipline.
• Performance Management: Drive a transparent, score-based accountability culture focused on outcomes rather than activity logs.
• Succession & Capability Building: Identify middle-management skill gaps and build internal capability to support long-term scaling.

Candidate Qualifications & Experience:

Required Experience:

• Proven Executive Leadership: 20+ years of progressive leadership experience in operations, with at least 3 - 5 years in a COO, VP of Operations, or General Manager role within a structured, operational environment (e.g., Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Supply Chain, or High-Growth Industry).
• Framework Implementation: Direct experience designing, rolling out, and maintaining goal-setting frameworks (OKRs, OGSM, or Balanced Scorecard).
• Process Mastery: Deep familiarity with operational frameworks, Lean principles, Quality Systems, and SLA-driven execution.

Key Skills & Mindset:

• Operator Mentality: Highly organized, detail-oriented, and relentless about operational follow-through and weekly cadence.
• Analytical & Metric-Driven: Able to parse operational data, spot negative trends early, and turn raw numbers into clear execution priorities.
• Strong Conflict Resolution: Able to hold senior leaders accountable firmly and empathetically without causing friction or organizational fatigue.

Success Metrics (First 90 - 180 Days):

• Timeline: Success Indicator / Deliverable
• Day 30: Complete an operational diagnostic audit identifying key bottlenecks, handoff gaps, and metric tracking deficiencies.
• Day 60: Finalize company and departmental OKRs; roll out a weekly operational review cadence and live dashboard across all functional heads.
• Day 90: Execute the first quarterly OKR retrospective with >=80% baseline metric tracking adherence across all departments.
• Day 180: Achieve stable weekly execution rhythm, clear inter-departmental SLA compliance, and measurable throughput/yield improvements