COO Jobs
COO jobs are open across technology, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, and consumer brands, from growth-stage startups to large enterprises, with specializations in operations strategy, supply chain, and P&L management. Find a role that fits from the openings below and apply directly.
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About Balkan Bakery
Balkan Bakery opened in 2007 as a family business, founded by Olja. In 2020, Marija Pejkovic, who has been part of the bakery since the beginning, took over as owner, and the story of one family handing something precious to the next is still at the heart of everything we do.
Today we are a Serbian and Balkan bakery, café and specialty store in the heart of La Grange. Our anchor is the burek. Around it you will find made-from-scratch desserts and savory pies, a daily croissant lineup, Bajadera pralines made to the same recipe since 2007, and illy coffee.
We have recently renovated the space, which is a European-style café with a slower, more romantic rhythm, and we stayed open for our guests throughout. Our new menu launched in early September 2026 and brings Balkan staples into hot paninis and toast sandwiches, salads and snack bowls, plus beer, wine and signature illy coffees. Our brand icon is the stork, a symbol of new beginnings, and you will find it on our menu, our boxes and our packaging.
The Role
We are looking for one exceptional leader to run the bakery day to day and to help us build what comes next. This is a rare, three-part position: you will manage our bakery operation, you will help shape and carry out our growth initiatives, and you will work side by side with the owner as her right hand.
You will report directly to Marija. The ideal person is as comfortable inspecting a tray of croissants at 8 a.m. as they are preparing a partner proposal in the afternoon, and cares about both the craft and the business behind it.
What You Will Do
Bakery Operations
- Plan, schedule and supervise bakery production, shipping and cleaning to the highest safety and sanitation standards, meeting firm daily deadlines.
- Inspect baked goods to make sure they meet our standards for quality, consistency and visual appeal.
- Order ingredients, supplies and equipment, keep the bakery well stocked, and control available resources carefully.
- Take inventory of stock for the bakery and the store.
- Consolidate and manage customer orders, including custom cakes, catering and wholesale orders.
- Make sure staff use and care for our specialized production equipment properly, and that tools, utensils and equipment are cleaned and sanitized.
- Develop, maintain and update recipe files digitally, and help bring new products to life.
- Step in alongside the bakers when production needs support or the schedule falls behind.
- Arrange store and bakery items thoughtfully, so that the guest experience feels curated and encourages purchases.
- Resolve customer concerns professionally and graciously.
Team Leadership
- Create work schedules and supervise, train and evaluate the bakery staff.
- Train the team in quality production and proper food handling procedures.
- Appraise performance fairly and address issues with clear, respectful follow-through.
- Help the front-of-house team deliver warm service and grow our bakery membership launch.
- Set a standard of calm, organized, hospitality-minded leadership.
Strategic Business Development
- Support the growth of our sister company, including planning, product selection and launch tasks.
- Identify, develop and nurture partnerships, such as restaurants, event organizers and community organizations.
- Grow wholesale and catering business, including pricing, proposals and follow-up.
- Help evaluate and plan new locations and concepts, and assist with merchandising plans for new operations.
- Develop and carry out marketing and advertising strategies to attract new guests, working with the owner on brand, press and social media.
- Create and maintain on-brand materials in Canva, such as menus, signage, flyers, pamphlets and social graphics.
- Use AI tools and integrations to streamline operations, content creation, scheduling and reporting across the businesses.
- Represent Balkan Bakery in the local business community, including civic and economic-development conversations in the Village of La Grange.
Executive Support to the Owner
- Manage the owner's calendar, meetings and priorities using Google Calendar, Gmail, Drive, Docs and Sheets.
- Handle correspondence and follow-up with vendors, partners, press and community contacts.
- Track projects, deadlines and next steps across the businesses.
- Prepare documents, reports, proposals and presentations, using Claude and other AI tools to draft, organize and speed up the work.
- Represent the owner at meetings and events when needed.
- Take on special projects as they arise.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Required
- Previous management or supervisory experience in a bakery, food production, café or restaurant setting.
- Hands-on knowledge of baking production, ingredient ordering and inventory control.
- Food safety certification, such as ServSafe Food Protection Manager, or willingness to obtain it within [timeframe, e.g. 60 days] of hire.
- Excellent written and verbal communication in English.
- Strong organization, time management and the ability to prioritize across many tasks.
- Working experience with Canva, including creating branded materials such as menus, packaging inserts, signage and social media graphics.
- Working experience with Google Workspace (Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Docs and Sheets) for daily communication, scheduling, documents and reporting.
- Working experience with Claude and other AI tools and integrations, and comfort using them to streamline operations, content, scheduling and reporting.
- Good judgment, discretion and professionalism when handling confidential business matters.
- Ability to work the schedule below, and to stand, lift and work in a fast-paced kitchen environment.
- High school diploma or GED.
Preferred
- Experience in business development, sales, partnerships, catering or wholesale.
- Experience supporting an owner or executive.
- Bachelor's degree in business, hospitality, culinary arts or a related field.
- Knowledge of marketing, social media and merchandising.
- Fluency in Serbian or another Balkan language (a plus, not required).
- Familiarity with Balkan, Serbian or European baking and café culture.
Schedule and Location
Location: 541 S. La Grange Road, La Grange, IL 60525
Bakery hours:
- Monday: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Tuesday: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Wednesday: [to be confirmed]
- Thursday: [to be confirmed]
- Friday: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Saturday: 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Sunday: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Weekend availability is required. Your exact weekly schedule and some flexibility for events and special projects will be discussed during the interview process.
What We Offer
- Compensation: depending on experience
- Growth opportunities
- The chance to work directly with the owner and grow alongside a family business that is expanding into new ventures.
- A beautiful, newly renovated workplace and a team that cares about craft and community.
Pay: From $25.00 per hour
Work Location: In person
COO Jobs by Experience Level
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Find COO JobsCOO Job Market
Who's Hiring
- The Coca-Cola Company71
- BridgePoint Associates35
- Marriott International35
- Cornerstone Caregiving24
- WGNSTAR20
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software20
- Education16
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals16
- Construction & Real Estate8
- Transportation & Logistics8
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in COO jobs.
- 10 or more years of progressive operational leadership experience
- Demonstrated P&L ownership across a full business unit or company
- Experience scaling teams and building cross-functional processes
- Strong financial acumen including budgeting, forecasting, and reporting
- Proven ability to translate strategy into executable operational plans
- Bachelor's degree required, MBA or equivalent advanced degree preferred
Tips for Your COO Job Search
Quantify operational outcomes on your resume
COO resumes live or die by metrics. Replace vague leadership claims with concrete results: headcount scaled, cost reduced as a percentage, revenue influenced, or cycle time cut. Hiring boards at this level screen for operators who can show what changed under their watch.
Tailor your story to stage of company
A seed-stage startup COO and a Fortune 500 COO are nearly different jobs. Lead your positioning with the stage you've operated in most recently, then tie every example to the specific challenges that stage demands, whether that's building process from scratch or optimizing at scale.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists coo openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Prepare a cross-functional leadership narrative
COO interviews probe how you align sales, product, finance, and operations toward a single goal. Before each interview, map out one specific initiative where you coordinated at least three functions. Practice narrating the tradeoffs, the resistance you faced, and how you resolved it.
Negotiate beyond base salary from day one
COO offers typically include equity, performance bonuses, and scope definitions that matter as much as cash. Know what percentage of the company you're being offered, what the vesting cliff looks like, and whether the operational scope is clearly defined before you respond to any term sheet.
Follow up with a written post-interview memo
After a final-round interview, send a brief memo, not just a thank-you note, that outlines your 90-day operating thesis for the role. This mirrors how effective COOs actually work and signals strategic readiness in a way that generic follow-ups never do.
COO Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most COOs?
The companies hiring the most coos right now include The Coca-Cola Company, BridgePoint Associates, and Marriott International, with the largest share of openings in California, New York, and Texas, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Demand is especially concentrated in high-growth technology companies and private-equity-backed businesses undergoing operational transformation.
How many COO jobs are remote?
About 56% of coo openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, though fully remote arrangements are less common at this level than in individual-contributor roles. Sub-areas like digital operations, SaaS company leadership, and tech-forward startups tend to offer the most location flexibility for coo candidates.
How do you become a COO?
Most coos build toward the role by first running a major function, such as finance, product, or supply chain, then taking on cross-functional responsibility, and eventually owning full P&L accountability. Gaining experience in high-stakes initiatives, building a reputation for execution under pressure, and developing direct relationships with board-level stakeholders accelerates the path considerably.
Can you get hired as a COO without prior C-suite experience?
Yes, particularly at startups and early-growth companies that prioritize operational results over formal titles. Candidates who've served as VP of Operations, General Manager, or Head of a major business unit with clear ownership over outcomes can make a credible case. Framing your resume around decisions made, teams built, and measurable results delivered matters more than the title you held.
What does the COO interview process look like?
COO interviews typically run across multiple rounds and include an initial conversation with the CEO or a board member, a deep operational case study or business diagnostic exercise, and a series of cross-functional interviews with the heads of finance, product, and sales. Final rounds often include a presentation of your operating philosophy or a 90-day plan for the specific business.
Where can I find and apply to COO jobs?
You can find and apply to coo jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Find roles that match your experience and the company stage you want to work in, then apply directly to each listing from the page.
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