HIRE TALENT  /  LEADERSHIP & EXECUTIVE  /  CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Construction Executive Search

Hire a COO

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.

Hire a COO → How it works
Photo of a Vetted COO CandidateExample profile
Arjun N.
Vetted Specialist
Leadership & Executive
Chief Operating Officer
Enterprise Ops · Multi-VP Leader · Board-Facing
Sector coverage
8 mission-critical sectors
Data center · Healthcare · Life sciences · more
Engagement type
Retained executive search
Confidential outreach, board-referenced
Geography
US + EMEA
Active C-suite network in both markets
Placement warranty
Replacement guarantee
Every C-suite placement
How It Works

Hire a COO in 3 steps

A 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.

Step 01

CEO / board kickoff

60–90 minute session with the CEO and board or sponsor. Align on succession context, VP-bench situation, cultural priorities, comp architecture, and confidentiality.

Step 02

Retained-search shortlist

Discreet outreach across a targeted candidate universe. Shortlist of 3–5 COO candidates with detailed board memos, references, and independent 360 diligence.

Step 03

Board slate & placement

Final CEO/board slate with succession-plan integration. Replacement guarantee protects the placement through the transition window.

Why iRecruit.co for COO Hires

What makes our COO shortlist different

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.

01

Enterprise operations verified

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.

02

CEO-partnership discipline

Verified CEO / COO partnership dynamics. Referenced from prior CEOs on decision-making cadence, executive-team communication, and ops-to-strategy handoff quality.

03

Multi-VP bench leadership

Reference-verified retention, promotion, and culture built across VP Ops, VP Construction, VP Precon, and multi-region VP structure.

Meet Vetted COO / CFO / CDO Candidates

The caliber of C-suite candidate you’ll interview

Every candidate is board-referenced, CEO-vetted, and matched to your firm context. Anonymized examples below reflect real retained-search profiles.

Vetted SpecialistMale COO - national GCExample profile

Adam D.

National GC COO
  • COO of $2.8B national GC, 12 years enterprise ops
  • Led VP Construction + VP Ops + VP Precon bench
  • CEO partnership across 2 CEO successions
Enterprise OpsMulti-VP LeaderBoard-Facing
Vetted SpecialistFemale CFO - developer platformExample profile

Ingrid B.

Developer Platform CFO
  • CFO of $6B AUM developer platform
  • Capital-markets + institutional-investor relationships
  • Board-referenced across 3 fund-cycle audits
CFOCapital MarketsBig 4 origin
Vetted SpecialistMale CDO - healthcare ownerExample profile

Connor D.

Health System Chief Development Officer
  • CDO of academic medical center system, $3B capital plan
  • Multi-hospital development portfolio
  • Board of Trustees + CFO reporting rhythm
CDOCapital ProgramsBoard-Facing
C-Suite Specializations

Match the C-suite specialty to your firm

Below are the C-suite retained-search specializations we handle at the COO tier — including CFO and Chief Development Officer:

Chief Financial Officer
C-suite finance leader
Hire for this specialty
Chief Development Officer
C-suite development leader
Hire for this specialty
GC COO
General contractor COO
Hire for this specialty
CM Firm COO
Construction management COO
Hire for this specialty
Owner-Side COO
Owner-side operations COO
Hire for this specialty
Developer COO
Developer platform COO
Hire for this specialty
PE-Sponsored COO
PE portfolio company COO
Hire for this specialty
Chief Strategy Officer
C-suite strategy leader
Hire for this specialty
Chief People / HR Officer
C-suite people leader
Hire for this specialty
CEO (peer role)
C-suite CEO placements
Hire for this specialty
VP of Construction
Delivery-side VP
Hire for this specialty
Confidential C-Suite Search
Retained, board-referenced
Hire for this specialty

Not sure which C-suite specialty fits?

We’ll help you scope the mandate on the CEO / board kickoff — succession context, VP bench, and comp architecture.

Hire a COO →
Vetting Criteria

What we verify on every COO candidate

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:

Enterprise operations verified

Reference-verified multi-region, multi-division operations leadership from prior CEOs and boards.

CEO-partnership discipline

Verified CEO / COO partnership dynamics referenced from prior CEOs.

Multi-VP bench leadership

Reference-verified retention, promotion, and culture across VP Ops, VP Construction, VP Precon.

Board-facing composure

Verified board-briefing discipline and executive-team readout quality.

Sector-anchored context

Construction, real-estate, or capital-programs enterprise experience. Matched to your firm type.

Compensation & architecture fit

Base + variable + LTI + equity architecture aligned with board and CEO expectations before finalist interviews.

FAQ

Hiring a COO: frequently asked questions

How long does a COO retained search take?

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.

What does a COO retained search cost?

All C-suite searches are retained. Fee is typically 30–35% of first-year cash comp. Retention flexibility available for confidential incumbent replacement.

Do you also handle CFO searches?

Yes. Chief Financial Officer searches route through the same C-suite retained-search process. Anchor section on this page covers CFO placements.

Do you handle Chief Development Officer searches?

Yes. CDO searches are core coverage — developer platform CDOs, health-system CDOs, capital-programs CDOs. Anchor section on this page covers CDO placements.

Do you handle confidential incumbent-replacement C-suite searches?

Yes. Retained-search discretion, discreet outreach, and market-signal management are standard for C-suite replacement.

Do you offer a placement guarantee?

Yes. Every C-suite placement carries a replacement guarantee. Guarantee terms are confirmed in the retained-search agreement.

Can you build the full C-suite from scratch (CEO + COO + CFO + CDO)?

Yes. Team-build C-suite mandates route through retained search. Common for PE-portfolio company integrations, founder-succession transitions, and new-platform launches.

How is iRecruit.co different from a generalist executive-search firm?

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.

Related Placement

Chief Financial Officer

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.

Hiring a CFO?

Retained search, board-referenced. Capital-markets and audit-committee-facing fluency verified.

Hire a CFO →
Related Placement

Chief Development Officer

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.

Hiring a Chief Development Officer?

Retained search, board-referenced. Capital-partner and development-lifecycle fluency verified.

Hire a Chief Development Officer →
Ready to hire

Talk to a construction C-suite search partner

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.

Hire a COO →
Related: CEO hiring  ·  Executive search services
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