COO Jobs in Virginia
COO jobs in Virginia are in strong demand, with openings concentrated in defense contracting, federal IT services, healthcare systems, and financial services, from director-level operations roles through senior executive positions. The busiest hiring markets are Northern Virginia, Richmond, and the Hampton Roads metro, where established employers such as Booz Allen Hamilton, Inova Health System, and General Dynamics have long-standing operations leadership needs. The most sought-after specialties are technology operations, healthcare administration, and government services delivery. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
Find COO JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 130+ COO jobs
Position Summary
The Senior Director, Construction Operations provides executive leadership and strategic direction for all Outside Plant (OSP) construction operations across multiple regions and markets. This role is responsible for scaling and optimizing fiber deployment programs, driving operational excellence, and ensuring consistent delivery of high-quality infrastructure builds across underground, aerial, and long-haul network environments.
Reporting to executive leadership, the Senior Director oversees Directors and Individuals of OSP Construction and is accountable for enterprise-wide construction performance, including safety, quality, cost, schedule, and contractor execution. This leader will establish best practices, standardize processes, and drive continuous improvement across all construction operations.
This is a highly visible leadership role requiring a balance of strategic foresight and deep field expertise. The ideal candidate is a proven operator who has successfully led large-scale fiber deployments and built high-performing construction organizations.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide strategic leadership and oversight for all OSP construction activities across multiple regions and markets.
- Lead and manage a team of Directors and individual contributors of OSP Construction, ensuring consistent execution, accountability, and performance alignment.
- Develop and implement enterprise-wide construction strategies to support rapid fiber network expansion and customer delivery commitments.
- Establish standardized processes, metrics, and reporting frameworks for construction execution, productivity, and quality.
- Oversee large-scale underground, aerial, and directional boring programs across diverse geographies.
- Own and manage overall construction budgets, capital deployment, and cost controls across all active markets.
- Drive contractor strategy, including vendor selection, performance management, contract negotiations, and optimization.
- Ensure consistent adherence to safety standards, OSHA compliance, and zero-incident culture initiatives across all teams.
- Implement and enforce quality assurance programs to ensure infrastructure integrity and long-term network reliability.
- Partner with Engineering, Permitting, Operations, and Executive Leadership to align construction priorities with business objectives.
- Oversee risk management, including schedule delays, cost overruns, permitting challenges, and field execution issues.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives related to productivity, cycle time reduction, and cost efficiency.
- Lead executive-level reporting on construction performance, including KPIs, forecasts, and risk mitigation plans.
- Support escalation management for critical issues involving municipalities, utilities, customers, and key partners.
- Ensure organizational scalability through workforce planning, leadership development, and succession planning.
Required Qualifications
- 12–15+ years of experience in OSP construction, telecom, fiber optics, or utility infrastructure.
- 7+ years of leadership experience managing large, multi-region construction teams and senior leaders.
- Proven experience leading large-scale fiber network deployments, including metro, long-haul, and data center connectivity builds.
- Deep expertise in:
- Underground conduit systems and civil construction
- Aerial fiber deployment
- Directional drilling and trenching operations
- Utility coordination and joint-use programs
- Fiber placement and splicing readiness
- Demonstrated success scaling construction operations across multiple concurrent markets.
- Strong understanding of permitting, right-of-way processes, and municipal coordination at scale.
- Extensive experience managing multimillion-dollar budgets, capital programs, and vendor contracts.
- Strong working knowledge of OSHA regulations, safety programs, and compliance frameworks.
- Ability to interpret engineering designs, GIS mapping, and construction documentation.
Requirements
- Ability to travel frequently (up to 50%) across active markets and project sites.
- Valid Driver’s License with a clean driving record.
- Ability to operate effectively in both field and executive environments.
- Willingness to work flexible hours as required by business needs.
Preferred Qualifications
- OSHA 30 Certification strongly preferred.
- Experience with large-scale fiber builds supporting hyperscale, data center, or enterprise customers.
- Familiarity with construction and project management platforms (ESRI, Oracle, Netcracker, Smartsheet, Tableau, etc.).
- Experience implementing enterprise-level construction KPIs, dashboards, and reporting systems.
- Strong background in contractor ecosystem development and performance optimization.
Leadership Profile
The Senior Director is a builder of organizations and systems, not just projects. This leader combines deep field credibility with executive-level decision-making and strategic planning. They excel at scaling operations, driving accountability, and building high-performing teams across multiple geographies.
This individual must be:
- Strategic and execution-focused – able to translate vision into operational success
- Highly accountable – owns outcomes across cost, schedule, and quality
- Data-driven – uses metrics to guide decisions and optimize performance
- Field-connected – maintains credibility with boots-on-the-ground teams
- People-focused – invests in developing leaders and building scalable teams
Position Summary
The Senior Director, Construction Operations provides executive leadership and strategic direction for all Outside Plant (OSP) construction operations across multiple regions and markets. This role is responsible for scaling and optimizing fiber deployment programs, driving operational excellence, and ensuring consistent delivery of high-quality infrastructure builds across underground, aerial, and long-haul network environments.
Reporting to executive leadership, the Senior Director oversees Directors and Individuals of OSP Construction and is accountable for enterprise-wide construction performance, including safety, quality, cost, schedule, and contractor execution. This leader will establish best practices, standardize processes, and drive continuous improvement across all construction operations.
This is a highly visible leadership role requiring a balance of strategic foresight and deep field expertise. The ideal candidate is a proven operator who has successfully led large-scale fiber deployments and built high-performing construction organizations.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide strategic leadership and oversight for all OSP construction activities across multiple regions and markets.
- Lead and manage a team of Directors and individual contributors of OSP Construction, ensuring consistent execution, accountability, and performance alignment.
- Develop and implement enterprise-wide construction strategies to support rapid fiber network expansion and customer delivery commitments.
- Establish standardized processes, metrics, and reporting frameworks for construction execution, productivity, and quality.
- Oversee large-scale underground, aerial, and directional boring programs across diverse geographies.
- Own and manage overall construction budgets, capital deployment, and cost controls across all active markets.
- Drive contractor strategy, including vendor selection, performance management, contract negotiations, and optimization.
- Ensure consistent adherence to safety standards, OSHA compliance, and zero-incident culture initiatives across all teams.
- Implement and enforce quality assurance programs to ensure infrastructure integrity and long-term network reliability.
- Partner with Engineering, Permitting, Operations, and Executive Leadership to align construction priorities with business objectives.
- Oversee risk management, including schedule delays, cost overruns, permitting challenges, and field execution issues.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives related to productivity, cycle time reduction, and cost efficiency.
- Lead executive-level reporting on construction performance, including KPIs, forecasts, and risk mitigation plans.
- Support escalation management for critical issues involving municipalities, utilities, customers, and key partners.
- Ensure organizational scalability through workforce planning, leadership development, and succession planning.
Required Qualifications
- 12–15+ years of experience in OSP construction, telecom, fiber optics, or utility infrastructure.
- 7+ years of leadership experience managing large, multi-region construction teams and senior leaders.
- Proven experience leading large-scale fiber network deployments, including metro, long-haul, and data center connectivity builds.
- Deep expertise in:
- Underground conduit systems and civil construction
- Aerial fiber deployment
- Directional drilling and trenching operations
- Utility coordination and joint-use programs
- Fiber placement and splicing readiness
- Demonstrated success scaling construction operations across multiple concurrent markets.
- Strong understanding of permitting, right-of-way processes, and municipal coordination at scale.
- Extensive experience managing multimillion-dollar budgets, capital programs, and vendor contracts.
- Strong working knowledge of OSHA regulations, safety programs, and compliance frameworks.
- Ability to interpret engineering designs, GIS mapping, and construction documentation.
Requirements
- Ability to travel frequently (up to 50%) across active markets and project sites.
- Valid Driver’s License with a clean driving record.
- Ability to operate effectively in both field and executive environments.
- Willingness to work flexible hours as required by business needs.
Preferred Qualifications
- OSHA 30 Certification strongly preferred.
- Experience with large-scale fiber builds supporting hyperscale, data center, or enterprise customers.
- Familiarity with construction and project management platforms (ESRI, Oracle, Netcracker, Smartsheet, Tableau, etc.).
- Experience implementing enterprise-level construction KPIs, dashboards, and reporting systems.
- Strong background in contractor ecosystem development and performance optimization.
Leadership Profile
The Senior Director is a builder of organizations and systems, not just projects. This leader combines deep field credibility with executive-level decision-making and strategic planning. They excel at scaling operations, driving accountability, and building high-performing teams across multiple geographies.
This individual must be:
- Strategic and execution-focused – able to translate vision into operational success
- Highly accountable – owns outcomes across cost, schedule, and quality
- Data-driven – uses metrics to guide decisions and optimize performance
- Field-connected – maintains credibility with boots-on-the-ground teams
- People-focused – invests in developing leaders and building scalable teams
See All 130+ COO Jobs in Virginia
Find roles in Virginia that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find COO JobsCOO Jobs by City in Virginia
Where Virginia roles are concentrated, by current openings.
COO Job Market in Virginia
A snapshot from current Virginia openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Staffing & Recruiting
- Technology & Software
- Healthcare & Medical Services
- Consulting & Professional Services
What Virginia Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in COO jobs across Virginia.
- Bachelor's degree in business administration, operations management, or a related field required
- Ten or more years of progressive leadership experience in operations or general management
- Demonstrated ability to develop and execute organizational strategy across multiple business units
- Experience managing P&L responsibility and overseeing financial planning processes
- Strong background in process improvement methodologies such as Lean or Six Sigma
- Prior experience working with government contracts or federal clients strongly preferred in Virginia
COO Jobs in Virginia: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a coo in Virginia?
Becoming a coo in Virginia does not require a state-issued license, but most employers expect a graduate degree in business administration, operations, or a related discipline alongside deep executive experience. The typical path runs through progressively senior roles in operations, finance, or general management, often beginning in Virginia's dominant sectors of defense contracting, healthcare, or federal IT services. An MBA from a Virginia institution or an equivalent credential strengthens candidacy considerably.
Which companies hire coos in Virginia?
Employers hiring coos in Virginia right now include Capital One, University of Virginia, and Merck, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Virginia's concentration of defense primes, large regional health systems, and government services firms means coo openings appear consistently throughout the year rather than in seasonal clusters.
Which Virginia cities have the most coo jobs?
McLean, Richmond, and Virginia account for the largest share of coo openings in Virginia. Northern Virginia leads because of its dense cluster of defense contractors and federal consulting firms headquartered there, Richmond draws openings from financial services and healthcare anchor employers, and Hampton Roads adds volume from military-adjacent operations and port logistics organizations.
Are there remote coo jobs in Virginia?
Yes, but they are limited. The coo role is inherently cross-functional and requires direct leadership of teams, vendors, and facilities, which keeps most positions tied to a physical location. About 61% of coo openings tied to Virginia are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, and those tend to involve technology-forward or professional services firms where operations oversight can be managed digitally.
How can I get hired as a coo in Virginia with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through a director of operations or VP of operations role at a mid-size Virginia employer, where you can build the cross-functional leadership record most coo searches require. Large Virginia health systems such as Inova and VCU Health and consulting firms in the Northern Virginia corridor run associate leadership and operations rotational programs that develop internal candidates. Lateral moves from finance, program management, or supply chain roles are common stepping stones, and an MBA or a Project Management Professional credential sharpens your profile.
Where can I find and apply to coo jobs in Virginia?
You can find and apply to coo jobs in Virginia on Migrate Mate, which lists current Virginia openings across industries and metro areas. Search the listings for roles that match your experience level and sector, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 130+ COO Jobs in Virginia
Find roles in Virginia that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find COO Jobs