COO Jobs in Illinois
COO jobs in Illinois are actively sought across the state's deep roster of industries, with demand concentrated in financial services, healthcare systems, manufacturing, and technology, at levels from emerging operations leaders through senior executive. Chicago anchors the market as one of the most active hiring metros in the country for executive operations roles, with Peoria and Rockford adding meaningful volume in manufacturing and distribution. Major employers with lasting Illinois presences include United Airlines, Caterpillar, and Northwestern Medicine, all of which regularly hire coos and senior operations executives. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
Find COO JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 169+ COO jobs
Note: Interviews are expected to begin Monday, November 23.
About Noble
Noble is Chicago’s highest-performing and largest network of public charter schools. Our 17 campuses and ~1,600 employees currently serve ~12,000 students, 99% of whom identify as persons of color, 90% of whom are from under-resourced communities, and 81% of whom are first-generation college attendees. Noble’s mission is to ensure that all students have equitable and positive school experiences that equip them to complete college and lead choice-filled lives.
We are proud to be recognized nationally for college access and persistence. Noble supports more than 31,000 alumni, with 99% of Noble students accepted into college and historically almost 90% choosing to enroll.
Clear, Consistent and Connected
All staff at Noble are bound by three key principles that shape a strong and positive campus culture at Noble.
- Clear, Setting Clear Expectations: Students, like everyone, flourish when they clearly understand boundaries and expectations. All Noble Schools staff should prepare and explain academic and behavioral expectations using easy-to-understand procedures, routines, and "what to do" directions in all spaces.
- Consistent, Maintaining Consistency in Responses: Students experience a spectrum of emotions. While all emotions are valid, not all behaviors are productive. Consistent, Maintaining Consistency in Responses: Consistent responses help ensure fairness and give students the security of knowing our campuses operate with justice and equity.
- Connected, Building Positive Relationships: Students, like all individuals, thrive when they feel a communal connection to their school and can rely on meaningful relationships with the adults at the school. All Noble staff prioritize positive interactions and relationships rooted in the humanity and belonging of each student.
Assistant Director of HR Operations
The ideal candidate combines strong data and technical skills with people management experience, sound judgment, and a commitment to the detailed work of HR operations. They build reliable systems, develop others, and translate data into improvements that strengthen staff experience.
Ideal Candidate Qualifications and Qualities
- Advanced Google Sheets and/or Excel skills, including complex formulas, large datasets, and clear reporting.
- Experience with Google Apps Script, automation, and responsible use of AI tools.
- Three or more years of HR, onboarding, payroll, or related operations experience strongly preferred.
- One to two years of people management experience strongly preferred.
- HRIS/HCM administration and K–12 or nonprofit experience preferred.
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- Genuine interest in HR operations, with strong attention to detail, prioritization, and follow-through.
- Analytical thinking, resourcefulness, and initiative to solve problems and improve processes.
- Clear communication, collaborative relationships, and sound judgment with confidential information.
- Self-awareness, openness to feedback, and alignment with Noble’s values: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Follow-Through; Humility and Self-Awareness; Respect; and Results.
Key Responsibilities
- Analyze data and tell the story: Build trackers, dashboards, charts, and concise summaries that help leaders understand trends, weigh options, and act. Translate workforce, engagement, retention, and compensation data into practical recommendations.
- Own and improve systems: Manage HRIS data and functionality, troubleshoot issues, and use Google Apps Script and other tools to automate workflows, strengthen accuracy, and reduce manual work.
- Support compensation strategy: Prepare market comparisons, internal equity analyses, and cost scenarios. Help translate approved decisions into clear resources and accurate implementation.
- Lead people and deliver reliable operations: Coach and manage HR Associates, set clear expectations, and ensure timely follow-through. Oversee assigned onboarding, offboarding, and compliance processes; support payroll, benefits, and major HR projects.
Key Outcomes
The Assistant Director supports the Director of HR Operations and CPO in achieving these outcomes:
- Actionable data: Accurate HR systems and clear reporting support timely, informed decisions.
- Strong team performance: HR Associates meet work and service expectations, build skills, and demonstrate consistent ownership and follow-through.
- Staff engagement: Support in the staff engagement strategy through building our survey, educating our staff, and summarizing key data to inform targeted actions that contribute to Noble’s staff engagement and NPS goals.
- Staff retention: Timely analysis identifies turnover trends and informs actions that support Noble’s staff retention goals.
- Compensation support: Reliable analyses inform compensation decisions, and approved changes are implemented accurately and consistently.
- Efficient service: Projects meet deadlines, processes reduce manual work, and staff receive clear, responsive support.
Annual targets will be established with the Director and aligned to CPO goals.
Position Details
This is a permanent exempt position. This role is hybrid; however, it does require weekly on-site work at various locations, including our campuses and home office.
Travel
Local travel to various campuses is required.
We strive to be the best place to work, and our employee benefits are thoughtfully designed to support us in this ambition. Compensation for this role typically starts between $90,000 and $106,250 annually, with final salary commensurate with experience and expertise. The comprehensive compensation plan includes a competitive benefits package.
Application Timeline & Process
The Assistant Director of HR Operations is expected to start on January 4th, 2027, with resume collection ending on or around December 4th, 2026.
Statement of Non-Discrimination
Noble is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, making all employment decisions, including recruiting, hiring, training, and promoting, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other characteristic or classification protected by law.
Note: Interviews are expected to begin Monday, November 23.
About Noble
Noble is Chicago’s highest-performing and largest network of public charter schools. Our 17 campuses and ~1,600 employees currently serve ~12,000 students, 99% of whom identify as persons of color, 90% of whom are from under-resourced communities, and 81% of whom are first-generation college attendees. Noble’s mission is to ensure that all students have equitable and positive school experiences that equip them to complete college and lead choice-filled lives.
We are proud to be recognized nationally for college access and persistence. Noble supports more than 31,000 alumni, with 99% of Noble students accepted into college and historically almost 90% choosing to enroll.
Clear, Consistent and Connected
All staff at Noble are bound by three key principles that shape a strong and positive campus culture at Noble.
- Clear, Setting Clear Expectations: Students, like everyone, flourish when they clearly understand boundaries and expectations. All Noble Schools staff should prepare and explain academic and behavioral expectations using easy-to-understand procedures, routines, and "what to do" directions in all spaces.
- Consistent, Maintaining Consistency in Responses: Students experience a spectrum of emotions. While all emotions are valid, not all behaviors are productive. Consistent, Maintaining Consistency in Responses: Consistent responses help ensure fairness and give students the security of knowing our campuses operate with justice and equity.
- Connected, Building Positive Relationships: Students, like all individuals, thrive when they feel a communal connection to their school and can rely on meaningful relationships with the adults at the school. All Noble staff prioritize positive interactions and relationships rooted in the humanity and belonging of each student.
Assistant Director of HR Operations
The ideal candidate combines strong data and technical skills with people management experience, sound judgment, and a commitment to the detailed work of HR operations. They build reliable systems, develop others, and translate data into improvements that strengthen staff experience.
Ideal Candidate Qualifications and Qualities
- Advanced Google Sheets and/or Excel skills, including complex formulas, large datasets, and clear reporting.
- Experience with Google Apps Script, automation, and responsible use of AI tools.
- Three or more years of HR, onboarding, payroll, or related operations experience strongly preferred.
- One to two years of people management experience strongly preferred.
- HRIS/HCM administration and K–12 or nonprofit experience preferred.
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- Genuine interest in HR operations, with strong attention to detail, prioritization, and follow-through.
- Analytical thinking, resourcefulness, and initiative to solve problems and improve processes.
- Clear communication, collaborative relationships, and sound judgment with confidential information.
- Self-awareness, openness to feedback, and alignment with Noble’s values: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Follow-Through; Humility and Self-Awareness; Respect; and Results.
Key Responsibilities
- Analyze data and tell the story: Build trackers, dashboards, charts, and concise summaries that help leaders understand trends, weigh options, and act. Translate workforce, engagement, retention, and compensation data into practical recommendations.
- Own and improve systems: Manage HRIS data and functionality, troubleshoot issues, and use Google Apps Script and other tools to automate workflows, strengthen accuracy, and reduce manual work.
- Support compensation strategy: Prepare market comparisons, internal equity analyses, and cost scenarios. Help translate approved decisions into clear resources and accurate implementation.
- Lead people and deliver reliable operations: Coach and manage HR Associates, set clear expectations, and ensure timely follow-through. Oversee assigned onboarding, offboarding, and compliance processes; support payroll, benefits, and major HR projects.
Key Outcomes
The Assistant Director supports the Director of HR Operations and CPO in achieving these outcomes:
- Actionable data: Accurate HR systems and clear reporting support timely, informed decisions.
- Strong team performance: HR Associates meet work and service expectations, build skills, and demonstrate consistent ownership and follow-through.
- Staff engagement: Support in the staff engagement strategy through building our survey, educating our staff, and summarizing key data to inform targeted actions that contribute to Noble’s staff engagement and NPS goals.
- Staff retention: Timely analysis identifies turnover trends and informs actions that support Noble’s staff retention goals.
- Compensation support: Reliable analyses inform compensation decisions, and approved changes are implemented accurately and consistently.
- Efficient service: Projects meet deadlines, processes reduce manual work, and staff receive clear, responsive support.
Annual targets will be established with the Director and aligned to CPO goals.
Position Details
This is a permanent exempt position. This role is hybrid; however, it does require weekly on-site work at various locations, including our campuses and home office.
Travel
Local travel to various campuses is required.
We strive to be the best place to work, and our employee benefits are thoughtfully designed to support us in this ambition. Compensation for this role typically starts between $90,000 and $106,250 annually, with final salary commensurate with experience and expertise. The comprehensive compensation plan includes a competitive benefits package.
Application Timeline & Process
The Assistant Director of HR Operations is expected to start on January 4th, 2027, with resume collection ending on or around December 4th, 2026.
Statement of Non-Discrimination
Noble is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, making all employment decisions, including recruiting, hiring, training, and promoting, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other characteristic or classification protected by law.
See All 169+ COO Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find COO JobsCOO Jobs by City in Illinois
Where Illinois roles are concentrated, by current openings.
COO Job Market in Illinois
A snapshot from current Illinois openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- AbbVie10
- UChicago Medicine3
- Duly Health and Care3
- Advocate Aurora Health3
- University of Illinois3
Top Industries Hiring
- Food & Beverage
- Marketing & Advertising
- Construction & Real Estate
What Illinois Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in COO jobs across Illinois.
- Bachelor's degree in business administration, operations management, or a closely related field
- Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional operations teams at a senior level
- Proven ability to translate strategic goals into measurable operational outcomes
- Experience managing P&L responsibility within a complex Illinois-based or multisite organization
- Strong background in process improvement methodologies such as Lean or Six Sigma
- Illinois executive leadership experience in the relevant industry sector preferred
COO Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a coo in Illinois?
Becoming a coo in Illinois typically requires a bachelor's degree in business, operations, or a related field, with many employers preferring an MBA. There is no state-issued license specific to the coo role in Illinois, but industry credentialing such as Lean Six Sigma certification or healthcare operations credentials can strengthen a candidacy. Most Illinois coos advance through progressively senior operations, finance, or general management roles within their industry before reaching the executive level.
Which companies hire coos in Illinois?
Employers hiring coos in Illinois right now include AbbVie, UChicago Medicine, and Duly Health and Care, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Illinois's concentration of Fortune 500 headquarters, major health systems, and large manufacturers means steady executive-level operations demand across the state.
Which Illinois cities have the most coo jobs?
Chicago, Illinois, and Mettawa have the most coo openings in Illinois. Chicago leads by a wide margin because of its dense concentration of corporate headquarters, major health systems, and financial services firms, while Peoria and Rockford generate steady demand from manufacturing anchors like Caterpillar and the regional healthcare networks that serve central and northern Illinois.
Are there remote coo jobs in Illinois?
Yes, but they are rare. The coo role is fundamentally about leading people and operations in person, which limits remote arrangements compared to analytical or project-based roles. About 71% of coo openings tied to Illinois are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, with the remote portion most common at technology companies and digital-first businesses where operational oversight does not require a daily physical presence.
How can I get hired as a coo in Illinois with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is building a foundation in operations management or business analysis and working toward a director-level role before pursuing executive positions. Large Illinois employers such as Northwestern Medicine, United Airlines, and Caterpillar run formal leadership development programs that move high-potential managers into senior operations roles. Starting as an operations manager, director of strategy, or general manager in a division gives candidates the P&L and team-leadership experience Illinois employers require, and earning a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt adds a credential that is consistently valued in manufacturing and healthcare hiring.
Where can I find and apply to coo jobs in Illinois?
You can find and apply to coo jobs in Illinois on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings posted by Illinois employers. Search the listings to find roles that match your experience and industry, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 169+ COO Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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