Retained COO search for GC, CM, owner, and developer firms — delivered enterprise operations, CEO-partnership discipline, and multi-VP bench leadership. Chief Financial Officer and Chief Development Officer searches also handled here. Board-referenced.
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Example candidateA structured retained-search process for the C-suite ops seat — where getting the COO wrong doesn’t just cost delivery, it costs the CEO’s ability to focus on the enterprise instead of the operating rhythm.
60–90 minute session with the CEO and board or sponsor. Align on succession context, VP-bench situation, cultural priorities, comp architecture, and confidentiality.
Discreet outreach across a targeted candidate universe. Shortlist of 3–5 COO candidates with detailed board memos, references, and independent 360 diligence.
Final CEO/board slate with succession-plan integration. Replacement guarantee protects the placement through the transition window.
COOs anchor the operating rhythm and multi-VP bench. Enterprise operations discipline, CEO-partnership judgment, and multi-VP leadership separate a COO who compounds delivery from one who becomes the friction the CEO manages around.
Every COO candidate has delivered multi-region, multi-division operations leadership. Reference-verified from prior CEOs, boards, and VP benches. Not senior VP candidates aspiring to COO.
Verified CEO / COO partnership dynamics. Referenced from prior CEOs on decision-making cadence, executive-team communication, and ops-to-strategy handoff quality.
Reference-verified retention, promotion, and culture built across VP Ops, VP Construction, VP Precon, and multi-region VP structure.
Every candidate is board-referenced, CEO-vetted, and matched to your firm context. Anonymized examples below reflect real retained-search profiles.
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Example candidate.png)
Example candidate.png)
Example candidateBelow are the C-suite retained-search specializations we handle at the COO tier — including CFO and Chief Development Officer:
We’ll help you scope the mandate on the CEO / board kickoff — succession context, VP bench, and comp architecture.
COO hires live and die on enterprise operations, CEO partnership, and multi-VP leadership. Below is what every candidate has documented before you meet them:
Reference-verified multi-region, multi-division operations leadership from prior CEOs and boards.
Verified CEO / COO partnership dynamics referenced from prior CEOs.
Reference-verified retention, promotion, and culture across VP Ops, VP Construction, VP Precon.
Verified board-briefing discipline and executive-team readout quality.
Construction, real-estate, or capital-programs enterprise experience. Matched to your firm type.
Base + variable + LTI + equity architecture aligned with board and CEO expectations before finalist interviews.
Time to CEO / board-facing shortlist is typically 4–6 weeks. Total time to placement (shortlist through offer acceptance) is typically 60–120 days depending on succession complexity and confidentiality.
All C-suite searches are retained. Fee is typically 30–35% of first-year cash comp. Retention flexibility available for confidential incumbent replacement.
Yes. Chief Financial Officer searches route through the same C-suite retained-search process. Anchor section on this page covers CFO placements.
Yes. CDO searches are core coverage — developer platform CDOs, health-system CDOs, capital-programs CDOs. Anchor section on this page covers CDO placements.
Yes. Retained-search discretion, discreet outreach, and market-signal management are standard for C-suite replacement.
Yes. Every C-suite placement carries a replacement guarantee. Guarantee terms are confirmed in the retained-search agreement.
Yes. Team-build C-suite mandates route through retained search. Common for PE-portfolio company integrations, founder-succession transitions, and new-platform launches.
Generalist ES firms lack sector delivery fluency at the C-suite level. iRecruit.co COO recruiters verify construction / real-estate / capital-programs enterprise leadership — every candidate is matched to your firm context.
CFO retained search covers construction, real-estate, and capital-programs CFOs — audit-committee fluency, capital-markets composure, cash-flow certification integrity, and CEO / board reporting rhythm. Big 4 origin common but not required.
Retained search, board-referenced. Capital-markets and audit-committee-facing fluency verified.
Chief Development Officer retained search covers developer platform CDOs, health-system CDOs, and capital-programs CDOs. Ground-up development lifecycle judgment, capital-partner interface, and multi-project program governance verified.
Retained search, board-referenced. Capital-partner and development-lifecycle fluency verified.
60–90 minute CEO / board kickoff. We’ll align on succession context, VP-bench situation, cultural priorities, and confidentiality needs — then start the retained-search process.
