COO Jobs in Colorado
COO jobs in Colorado are concentrated in Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs, where technology companies, aerospace firms, and healthcare systems drive consistent demand for senior operational leadership. Employers like Lockheed Martin, DaVita, and Centura Health maintain deep roots here and regularly seek coos with expertise in operational scaling, healthcare administration, or defense and aerospace operations. Colorado's growing startup ecosystem also creates openings for coos skilled in early-stage company building and venture-backed growth. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Job Summary
The HR Director for Partner Services, Operations provides senior-level HR leadership for the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations and the units it supports. This position advises executive and senior leaders on complex HR issues, supervises the HR team supporting Operations and works across workforce planning, employee and labor relations, compensation, performance management, employee engagement, organizational development, policy interpretation, leave and HR operations. The role helps leaders make practical decisions that are consistent with policy, compliance requirements, risk considerations and HR best practices. Because the position operates in a public-sector higher education environment, it requires strong knowledge of State of Colorado classified staff requirements, partnership agreements, State Personnel Board Rules and campus and system policies. The HR Director works directly with central Human Resources, Legal, Employee Relations, Organizational and Employee Development and other campus and system partners.
The HR Director works regularly with the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations and central Human Resources, Legal, Employee Relations, Organizational and Employee Development, Talent Acquisition, and other campus and system partners. This position reports to the Assistant Vice Chancellor, HR Partner Services in Central HR, with a dotted reporting line to the Associate Vice Chancellor and Senior Executive Advisor to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations.
Strategic Advisory Role
This role advises executive and senior leaders on sensitive and complex HR matters. The HR Director helps leaders identify workforce risks, understand policy and legal considerations, address public-sector and classified staff requirements, and make decisions that support the strategic direction and operational goals of the division. The role integrates workforce planning, succession planning, talent strategy, and organizational effectiveness to support employee engagement, compliance and operational continuity.
The HR Director must be able to work across a broad range of HR issues, including recruitment and selection, leadership staffing decisions, performance management, employee development, succession, discipline, and separation, and bring the right partners and stakeholders into the discussion. The role also ensures that HR guidance is implemented throughout the Division of Operations, and that leaders receive consistent service and follow-through.
The HR Director is expected to resolve matters at the appropriate level, recognize when an issue exceeds divisional authority or expertise, and promptly escalate sensitive, complex, or high-risk matters to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations or the appropriate campus or system partner.
Units Supported
- Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations (SVCO)
- Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Employee Health and Well-being (EHWB)
- Office of Compliance, Ethics, & Policy (OCEP)
- Office of Information Technology (OIT)
- Department of Human Resources (HR)
Who We Are
What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be
The responsibilities below describe the primary work of the position, including senior-level HR advising, day-to-day HR generalist support, supervision of HR staff and coordination with campus partners.
Executive Consultation and Strategic HR Advising
- Serve as a senior HR advisor to executive and unit leaders on complex workforce, organizational, employee and compliance matters.
- Translate divisional priorities and operational goals into integrated workforce, talent, and HR plans, processes and recommendations.
- Advise leaders on sensitive personnel issues, leadership staffing decisions, talent risks, policy interpretation, employee relations concerns, succession, organizational change and workforce continuity.
- Work with central HR (Employee Relations, Talent Acquisition, Organizational and Employee Development), Legal, and other subject-matter experts to ensure recommendations are coordinated, compliant and consistent with university practice.
- Use workforce data, HR analytics, professional judgment and knowledge of the organization to support leaders’ decision-making.
- Provide direct leadership and supervision for the HR team supporting Operations units by establishing priorities and service expectations, assigning and reviewing work, coaching staff and building team capacity.
- Serve as the divisional escalation point for complex, sensitive, or high-risk HR matters requiring senior-level judgment, coordinated review, or executive awareness.
- Review HR team deliverables, communications, and recommendations for accuracy, consistency and alignment with university practices and the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations’ vision.
- Provide direct supervision, performance guidance, training, coaching, and development for HR team members to strengthen generalist skills, compliance knowledge, sound judgment and consistent service delivery.
- Evaluate and improve unit-level HR programs, workflows and processes.
- Advise executive and unit leaders on workforce planning, staffing models, organizational structure, leadership capacity, succession planning, recruitment priorities and talent risks.
- Assess current and future workforce needs and recommend talent acquisition, development, retention, succession, or organizational approaches that support operational priorities and continuity.
- Support organizational design, reporting-line changes, reorganizations and growth planning with unit leaders and campus partners.
- Facilitate succession planning, development planning, and strategies to retain and grow high-potential employees; partner with Talent Acquisition and unit leaders to define and execute recruiting strategies for critical, specialized and leadership roles.
- Advise leaders on complex employee grievances, performance concerns, disciplinary actions, investigations, workplace conflict and sensitive employee matters.
- Coordinate with Employee Relations, Legal, the Senior Executive Aide to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations, and other subject-matter experts on matters requiring specialized review, executive awareness, or escalation.
- Help leaders make sound, well-documented decisions that account for employee impact, policy requirements, operational needs and legal or reputational risk.
- Provide guidance to leaders on employee relations practices, performance documentation, workplace expectations and when to escalate concerns.
- Advise leaders on compensation considerations, including pay equity, market alignment, compression, range of penetration, length of service and internal consistency.
- Oversee unit compensation review and assignment in partnership with central HR and compensation experts.
- Review the staff's annual merit roster process and support consistent, well-documented compensation decisions.
- Use compensation data to identify issues, develop recommendations and support consistent decision-making.
- Oversee the staff performance management cycle, including communications, leader guidance, documentation expectations and unit-level calibration sessions.
- Advise leaders on performance concerns, corrective action, goal setting, accountability and use of performance tools and processes.
- Support performance management approaches for units that do not use Cornerstone or have different performance systems.
- Partner with leaders and Employee Relations to ensure performance concerns are addressed consistently and fairly.
- Advise leaders on employee engagement strategies that support retention, culture, operational effectiveness and employee experience.
- Serve as a unit Engagement Champion by supporting survey communication, action planning, assessment and follow-through.
- Help leaders interpret engagement data, identify themes and develop practical recommendations.
- Support employee listening strategies and culture-building efforts across Operations units.
HR Reporting and Technology
- Develop and interpret HR reports, workforce data and HR analytics for divisional and unit leadership, as necessary.
- Use data to identify trends, inform workforce recommendations, evaluate HR processes, and support leaders’ decision-making.
- Support unit leaders and HR staff through HR technology implementations, including communication, training, adoption and change management.
- Oversee learning and training related to HR technologies and related processes.
Leave and System Policies
- Serve as a senior resource on CU System and campus policies, federal and state employment requirements, and HR best practices.
- Lead leave, reasonable accommodation, and related employer processes for supported units in coordination with campus and system partners.
- Advise leaders on policy interpretation, documentation, process consistency, and risk considerations.
- Work with Human Resources, Legal, ADA, and other offices to support consistent application of policies and processes.
Learning and Organizational Development
- Partner with Organizational and Employee Development on learning, leadership development, team effectiveness, and organizational development needs.
- Identify learning and development gaps and recommend programs, resources, or interventions.
- Advise leaders on change management, onboarding, leadership transitions, organizational culture, and team development.
- Support development of individual-contributors, managers and executive onboarding approaches.
Continuous Improvement
- Improve HR processes, workflows, service delivery and leader-facing HR guidance.
- Identify opportunities to clarify roles, improve coordination, reduce duplication and strengthen consistency across supported units.
- Support organizational change, operational transitions and evolving workforce needs by helping leaders design practical HR solutions.
- Maintain knowledge of HR trends, best practices, higher education HR guidelines, public- and private-sector practices and emerging compliance issues.
Position Context and Scope
This position supports a complex group of Operations units with different structures, compliance needs, employee populations, schedules, and work environments. The HR Director must provide practical, senior-level HR guidance, involve specialized partners when needed and help ensure unit decisions are consistent with university, campus, system, state, federal and regulatory requirements.
Employee Types Supported
- Classified Staff
- Graduate Appointments
- Retirees
- Student Employees and Stipend Employees
- Temporary Staff
- University Staff
Scope of Support
- Support internal employee survey processes, including survey development, communication, interpretation of results and division-specific recommendations.
- Coordinate Global Professional Employer Organization employee logistics, including procurement, contracts, onboarding, compliance and stakeholder coordination.
- Support workforce development, organizational planning and change management for growing or evolving Operations functions.
- Maintain and interpret compensation data, including length of service, range of penetration, compression, equity and market adjustment considerations.
- Support compliance with partnership agreements and State Personnel Board Rules for classified staff.
- Coordinate with central HR and Public Safety's Internal Affairs team on employee relations matters requiring specialized review or escalation.
- Support the distinct cultural, operational, and HR needs of Public Safety employees and leaders.
- Support the development of individual- contributors, managers and executive onboarding programs.
- Support employees and leaders in units with non-standard schedules, varied work environments and operational coverage needs.
- Provide oversight for student employee populations, including Employee Health and Well-being, OIT and Public Safety student employees.
What You Should Know
What We Can Offer
This is a full-time University Staff position based in Boulder, Colorado. The annual salary range is $136,300-$175,000.
Benefits
At the University of Colorado Boulder, we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County’s largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. In fact, CU Boulder has been named one of Forbes' America's Best Large Employers, ranking #4 among large employers in Colorado and #28 among universities nationwide. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.
Be Statements
What We Require
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Five or more years of progressive professional human resources experience, including lead or supervisory responsibility.
- Experience providing HR consultation across multiple HR areas, such as workforce planning, employee and labor relations, compensation, performance management, engagement, organizational development, policy interpretation, leave or ADA processes, or HR operations.
- Experience advising senior leaders on workforce, employee relations, organizational effectiveness, or people-related initiatives.
- Experience leading, supervising, coaching, or assigning work to HR staff or HR professionals.
- Experience applying employment laws, policies, documentation standards, and HR best practices to support organizational needs and reduce risk.
- Experience working with central HR, legal counsel, employee relations professionals, or other subject-matter experts to resolve complex HR matters.
What We Would Like You to Have
- Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Higher Education Administration, Organizational Development, Public Administration, or related fields.
- Seven or more years of progressively responsible HR leadership experience, including experience leading HR teams and partnering with senior executives.
- Experience as a senior HR generalist or HR business partner in a complex, decentralized, matrixed, public-sector, higher education, public safety, technology, or similarly complex organization.
- Experience advising executive leaders on workforce planning, organizational effectiveness, complex personnel matters, risk mitigation and change management.
- Experience supporting multiple employee groups common to higher education, including classified staff, university staff, temporary employees, student employees, retirees, graduate appointments, or stipend employees.
- Experience leading organizational change initiatives, including reorganizations, workforce planning, succession planning, organizational design, culture and engagement initiatives, or new HR process implementation.
- Knowledge of higher education employment laws, state personnel systems, public-sector HR practices, partnership agreements and university policies and procedures.
- Expertise in employee and labor relations, including investigations, grievances, disciplinary actions, performance management, documentation, partnership agreements, and collaboration with legal counsel.
- Experience using HR data, analytics and compensation information to advise leaders and support consistent decision-making.
- Professional HR certification, such as SHRM-SCP, SHRM-CP, SPHR, or IPMA-HR certification.
Special Instructions
To apply, please submit the following materials:
- A current resume.
- A cover letter that specifically tells us how your background and experience align with the requirements, qualifications, and responsibilities of the position.
We may request references at a later time.
Please apply by Oct. 5th, 2026, for consideration.
Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, please apply through CU Boulder Jobs.
Posting Contact Information
Posting Contact Name: Boulder Campus Human Resources
Posting Contact Email: Recruiting@colorado.edu
Requisition Number:
Location:
City
State
Employment Type:
Schedule:
Posting Close Date:
Date Posted:
Job Summary
The HR Director for Partner Services, Operations provides senior-level HR leadership for the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations and the units it supports. This position advises executive and senior leaders on complex HR issues, supervises the HR team supporting Operations and works across workforce planning, employee and labor relations, compensation, performance management, employee engagement, organizational development, policy interpretation, leave and HR operations. The role helps leaders make practical decisions that are consistent with policy, compliance requirements, risk considerations and HR best practices. Because the position operates in a public-sector higher education environment, it requires strong knowledge of State of Colorado classified staff requirements, partnership agreements, State Personnel Board Rules and campus and system policies. The HR Director works directly with central Human Resources, Legal, Employee Relations, Organizational and Employee Development and other campus and system partners.
The HR Director works regularly with the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations and central Human Resources, Legal, Employee Relations, Organizational and Employee Development, Talent Acquisition, and other campus and system partners. This position reports to the Assistant Vice Chancellor, HR Partner Services in Central HR, with a dotted reporting line to the Associate Vice Chancellor and Senior Executive Advisor to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations.
Strategic Advisory Role
This role advises executive and senior leaders on sensitive and complex HR matters. The HR Director helps leaders identify workforce risks, understand policy and legal considerations, address public-sector and classified staff requirements, and make decisions that support the strategic direction and operational goals of the division. The role integrates workforce planning, succession planning, talent strategy, and organizational effectiveness to support employee engagement, compliance and operational continuity.
The HR Director must be able to work across a broad range of HR issues, including recruitment and selection, leadership staffing decisions, performance management, employee development, succession, discipline, and separation, and bring the right partners and stakeholders into the discussion. The role also ensures that HR guidance is implemented throughout the Division of Operations, and that leaders receive consistent service and follow-through.
The HR Director is expected to resolve matters at the appropriate level, recognize when an issue exceeds divisional authority or expertise, and promptly escalate sensitive, complex, or high-risk matters to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations or the appropriate campus or system partner.
Units Supported
- Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations (SVCO)
- Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Employee Health and Well-being (EHWB)
- Office of Compliance, Ethics, & Policy (OCEP)
- Office of Information Technology (OIT)
- Department of Human Resources (HR)
Who We Are
What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be
The responsibilities below describe the primary work of the position, including senior-level HR advising, day-to-day HR generalist support, supervision of HR staff and coordination with campus partners.
Executive Consultation and Strategic HR Advising
- Serve as a senior HR advisor to executive and unit leaders on complex workforce, organizational, employee and compliance matters.
- Translate divisional priorities and operational goals into integrated workforce, talent, and HR plans, processes and recommendations.
- Advise leaders on sensitive personnel issues, leadership staffing decisions, talent risks, policy interpretation, employee relations concerns, succession, organizational change and workforce continuity.
- Work with central HR (Employee Relations, Talent Acquisition, Organizational and Employee Development), Legal, and other subject-matter experts to ensure recommendations are coordinated, compliant and consistent with university practice.
- Use workforce data, HR analytics, professional judgment and knowledge of the organization to support leaders’ decision-making.
- Provide direct leadership and supervision for the HR team supporting Operations units by establishing priorities and service expectations, assigning and reviewing work, coaching staff and building team capacity.
- Serve as the divisional escalation point for complex, sensitive, or high-risk HR matters requiring senior-level judgment, coordinated review, or executive awareness.
- Review HR team deliverables, communications, and recommendations for accuracy, consistency and alignment with university practices and the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations’ vision.
- Provide direct supervision, performance guidance, training, coaching, and development for HR team members to strengthen generalist skills, compliance knowledge, sound judgment and consistent service delivery.
- Evaluate and improve unit-level HR programs, workflows and processes.
- Advise executive and unit leaders on workforce planning, staffing models, organizational structure, leadership capacity, succession planning, recruitment priorities and talent risks.
- Assess current and future workforce needs and recommend talent acquisition, development, retention, succession, or organizational approaches that support operational priorities and continuity.
- Support organizational design, reporting-line changes, reorganizations and growth planning with unit leaders and campus partners.
- Facilitate succession planning, development planning, and strategies to retain and grow high-potential employees; partner with Talent Acquisition and unit leaders to define and execute recruiting strategies for critical, specialized and leadership roles.
- Advise leaders on complex employee grievances, performance concerns, disciplinary actions, investigations, workplace conflict and sensitive employee matters.
- Coordinate with Employee Relations, Legal, the Senior Executive Aide to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations, and other subject-matter experts on matters requiring specialized review, executive awareness, or escalation.
- Help leaders make sound, well-documented decisions that account for employee impact, policy requirements, operational needs and legal or reputational risk.
- Provide guidance to leaders on employee relations practices, performance documentation, workplace expectations and when to escalate concerns.
- Advise leaders on compensation considerations, including pay equity, market alignment, compression, range of penetration, length of service and internal consistency.
- Oversee unit compensation review and assignment in partnership with central HR and compensation experts.
- Review the staff's annual merit roster process and support consistent, well-documented compensation decisions.
- Use compensation data to identify issues, develop recommendations and support consistent decision-making.
- Oversee the staff performance management cycle, including communications, leader guidance, documentation expectations and unit-level calibration sessions.
- Advise leaders on performance concerns, corrective action, goal setting, accountability and use of performance tools and processes.
- Support performance management approaches for units that do not use Cornerstone or have different performance systems.
- Partner with leaders and Employee Relations to ensure performance concerns are addressed consistently and fairly.
- Advise leaders on employee engagement strategies that support retention, culture, operational effectiveness and employee experience.
- Serve as a unit Engagement Champion by supporting survey communication, action planning, assessment and follow-through.
- Help leaders interpret engagement data, identify themes and develop practical recommendations.
- Support employee listening strategies and culture-building efforts across Operations units.
HR Reporting and Technology
- Develop and interpret HR reports, workforce data and HR analytics for divisional and unit leadership, as necessary.
- Use data to identify trends, inform workforce recommendations, evaluate HR processes, and support leaders’ decision-making.
- Support unit leaders and HR staff through HR technology implementations, including communication, training, adoption and change management.
- Oversee learning and training related to HR technologies and related processes.
Leave and System Policies
- Serve as a senior resource on CU System and campus policies, federal and state employment requirements, and HR best practices.
- Lead leave, reasonable accommodation, and related employer processes for supported units in coordination with campus and system partners.
- Advise leaders on policy interpretation, documentation, process consistency, and risk considerations.
- Work with Human Resources, Legal, ADA, and other offices to support consistent application of policies and processes.
Learning and Organizational Development
- Partner with Organizational and Employee Development on learning, leadership development, team effectiveness, and organizational development needs.
- Identify learning and development gaps and recommend programs, resources, or interventions.
- Advise leaders on change management, onboarding, leadership transitions, organizational culture, and team development.
- Support development of individual-contributors, managers and executive onboarding approaches.
Continuous Improvement
- Improve HR processes, workflows, service delivery and leader-facing HR guidance.
- Identify opportunities to clarify roles, improve coordination, reduce duplication and strengthen consistency across supported units.
- Support organizational change, operational transitions and evolving workforce needs by helping leaders design practical HR solutions.
- Maintain knowledge of HR trends, best practices, higher education HR guidelines, public- and private-sector practices and emerging compliance issues.
Position Context and Scope
This position supports a complex group of Operations units with different structures, compliance needs, employee populations, schedules, and work environments. The HR Director must provide practical, senior-level HR guidance, involve specialized partners when needed and help ensure unit decisions are consistent with university, campus, system, state, federal and regulatory requirements.
Employee Types Supported
- Classified Staff
- Graduate Appointments
- Retirees
- Student Employees and Stipend Employees
- Temporary Staff
- University Staff
Scope of Support
- Support internal employee survey processes, including survey development, communication, interpretation of results and division-specific recommendations.
- Coordinate Global Professional Employer Organization employee logistics, including procurement, contracts, onboarding, compliance and stakeholder coordination.
- Support workforce development, organizational planning and change management for growing or evolving Operations functions.
- Maintain and interpret compensation data, including length of service, range of penetration, compression, equity and market adjustment considerations.
- Support compliance with partnership agreements and State Personnel Board Rules for classified staff.
- Coordinate with central HR and Public Safety's Internal Affairs team on employee relations matters requiring specialized review or escalation.
- Support the distinct cultural, operational, and HR needs of Public Safety employees and leaders.
- Support the development of individual- contributors, managers and executive onboarding programs.
- Support employees and leaders in units with non-standard schedules, varied work environments and operational coverage needs.
- Provide oversight for student employee populations, including Employee Health and Well-being, OIT and Public Safety student employees.
What You Should Know
What We Can Offer
This is a full-time University Staff position based in Boulder, Colorado. The annual salary range is $136,300-$175,000.
Benefits
At the University of Colorado Boulder, we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County’s largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. In fact, CU Boulder has been named one of Forbes' America's Best Large Employers, ranking #4 among large employers in Colorado and #28 among universities nationwide. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.
Be Statements
What We Require
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Five or more years of progressive professional human resources experience, including lead or supervisory responsibility.
- Experience providing HR consultation across multiple HR areas, such as workforce planning, employee and labor relations, compensation, performance management, engagement, organizational development, policy interpretation, leave or ADA processes, or HR operations.
- Experience advising senior leaders on workforce, employee relations, organizational effectiveness, or people-related initiatives.
- Experience leading, supervising, coaching, or assigning work to HR staff or HR professionals.
- Experience applying employment laws, policies, documentation standards, and HR best practices to support organizational needs and reduce risk.
- Experience working with central HR, legal counsel, employee relations professionals, or other subject-matter experts to resolve complex HR matters.
What We Would Like You to Have
- Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Higher Education Administration, Organizational Development, Public Administration, or related fields.
- Seven or more years of progressively responsible HR leadership experience, including experience leading HR teams and partnering with senior executives.
- Experience as a senior HR generalist or HR business partner in a complex, decentralized, matrixed, public-sector, higher education, public safety, technology, or similarly complex organization.
- Experience advising executive leaders on workforce planning, organizational effectiveness, complex personnel matters, risk mitigation and change management.
- Experience supporting multiple employee groups common to higher education, including classified staff, university staff, temporary employees, student employees, retirees, graduate appointments, or stipend employees.
- Experience leading organizational change initiatives, including reorganizations, workforce planning, succession planning, organizational design, culture and engagement initiatives, or new HR process implementation.
- Knowledge of higher education employment laws, state personnel systems, public-sector HR practices, partnership agreements and university policies and procedures.
- Expertise in employee and labor relations, including investigations, grievances, disciplinary actions, performance management, documentation, partnership agreements, and collaboration with legal counsel.
- Experience using HR data, analytics and compensation information to advise leaders and support consistent decision-making.
- Professional HR certification, such as SHRM-SCP, SHRM-CP, SPHR, or IPMA-HR certification.
Special Instructions
To apply, please submit the following materials:
- A current resume.
- A cover letter that specifically tells us how your background and experience align with the requirements, qualifications, and responsibilities of the position.
We may request references at a later time.
Please apply by Oct. 5th, 2026, for consideration.
Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, please apply through CU Boulder Jobs.
Posting Contact Information
Posting Contact Name: Boulder Campus Human Resources
Posting Contact Email: Recruiting@colorado.edu
See All 71 COO Jobs in Colorado
Find roles in Colorado that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find COO JobsCOO Jobs by City in Colorado
Where Colorado roles are concentrated, by current openings.
COO Job Market in Colorado
A snapshot from current Colorado openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Manufacturing
- Food & Beverage
- Sports & Recreation
What Colorado Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in COO jobs across Colorado.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in business administration, operations, or a related field
- Ten or more years of progressive leadership experience in operations or a related function
- Demonstrated experience managing cross-functional teams and large organizational budgets
- Proven ability to develop and execute operational strategy aligned with company growth goals
- Experience in Colorado's key industries such as technology, aerospace, healthcare, or energy
- Strong background in financial planning, performance metrics, and executive-level reporting
COO Jobs in Colorado: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a coo in Colorado?
Becoming a coo in Colorado typically follows a path of progressive operational leadership rather than a state-issued license or exam, since no Colorado-specific credential is required for the role. Most coos hold a bachelor's degree in business, engineering, or operations, with many advancing their credentials through an MBA. Colorado employers in healthcare, aerospace, and technology prioritize candidates who have led large teams, managed P&L responsibility, and delivered measurable operational improvements at the director or VP level.
Which companies hire coos in Colorado?
Colorado coo roles are posted by Angi, CommonSpirit Health, and University of Denver and others right now, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Colorado's mix of established corporations, defense contractors, and venture-backed technology companies means coo demand comes from a wide range of employer types and sizes.
Which Colorado cities have the most coo jobs?
Denver, Colorado Springs, and Boulder lead Colorado in coo openings, reflecting the concentration of corporate headquarters, major healthcare systems, and technology employers that anchor each market. Denver drives the largest share given its role as the state's primary business hub, while Boulder's innovation economy and Colorado Springs' defense and aerospace sector pull their own consistent demand for senior operational leaders.
Are there remote coo jobs in Colorado?
Yes, but they're rare. About 59% of coo openings tied to Colorado are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, reflecting that most organizations expect their chief operating officer to be present for board meetings, site visits, and daily leadership. The portions of the role most commonly handled remotely include strategic planning, financial reporting, and stakeholder communications.
How can I get hired as a coo in Colorado with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is moving into a director of operations or VP of operations role first, then building toward the coo title as your scope expands. Large Colorado employers in healthcare such as Centura Health and UCHealth, and technology companies along the Denver-Boulder corridor, regularly hire operations managers and directors who grow into senior executive positions. Completing an MBA from a Colorado institution like the University of Denver Daniels College of Business or CU Boulder Leeds School of Business strengthens your candidacy and builds a local professional network that Colorado employers recognize.
Where can I find and apply to coo jobs in Colorado?
You can find and apply to coo jobs in Colorado on Migrate Mate, which lists current Colorado openings updated regularly. Search the listings to find roles that fit your background, industry, and location preferences, then apply directly to the ones that match your experience.
See All 71 COO Jobs in Colorado
Find roles in Colorado that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find COO Jobs