Chief Operating Officer

Kinect Solar LLC•Anywhere, TX, TX

13d•Remote

About The Position

Kinect Solar is a fast-growing distribution and logistics company serving the renewable energy sector. We are entering our next phase of growth and investing in the systems, processes, leadership, organizational structure, and operational discipline needed to scale effectively. This is a rare opportunity to build the operating system of a profitable, growing business at an inflection point — partnering with strong commercial leaders across two business lines, an experienced CFO, and a CEO committed to building this company the right way. We are hiring a Chief Operating Officer to build the operating backbone of Kinect Solar, owning operations, the systems and processes that make the company run, and the operating cadence that holds everything together. This leader will quickly assess the business, team, and operating model while supporting continued growth and business performance. The successful candidate will be comfortable "flying and fueling the plane at the same time," balancing day-to-day execution with organizational and operational improvements. Partnering closely with the CFO and the Sales Leaders for our two business lines (KIS and KL), the COO provides the operational rigor, commercial discipline, and infrastructure that allow the business to grow faster and more profitably. The COO will be responsible for developing and maintaining the enterprise operating framework, performance management processes, and systems required to support continued growth. The Sales Leaders drive revenue and customer relationships within their business lines; the COO owns the enterprise operating system within which both businesses run. The role is designed for a builder who leads through influence and structural authority and is energized by enabling the success of others.

Requirements

15+ years of progressive leadership experience in operations, supply chain, or general management, with at least 8 years in a senior executive role (COO, SVP Operations, GM, or comparable)
Demonstrated experience building and installing operating systems in a growth-stage business — KPIs, operating cadence, deal desk, planning processes
Experience leading operations in a logistics or distribution business handling heavy industrial or renewable energy products (transformers, BESS, trackers, modules, or comparable)
Proven track record leading IT and systems projects — WMS, TMS, ERP (NetSuite a plus), CRM — from strategy through implementation
Experience managing a multi-site or contracted-warehouse network at scale
Track record of leading through influence and structural authority — has built BD/sales infrastructure that sales leaders rely on
Experience building or leading a compliance function
Strong executive presence and the ability to partner effectively with a CEO, Board, and senior executive peers
Demonstrated success assessing, restructuring, and scaling organizations while balancing strategic leadership with hands-on operational execution.
Experience building or leading formal project management functions, methodologies, or operational excellence initiatives

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience with heavy/oversized freight, hazmat, and the regulatory frameworks that govern them
Direct experience in renewable energy, transportation, logistics, warehousing, industrial distribution, infrastructure, or other operationally complex industries.
Experience in a founder-led or PE-backed growth-stage business
Previously served as COO or senior operations executive in a business with two or more commercial business lines
Experience integrating multiple operational functions into a unified operating model during periods of growth or organizational change

Responsibilities

Lead the operations organization across warehouse, logistics, inventory, fulfillment, and special projects
Manage and optimize the contracted warehouse and 3PL network — carrier and partner selection, performance management, and network design
Direct freight strategy for specialized cargo (transformers, BESS, trackers, modules), including heavy/oversized freight, permitting, hazmat handling for lithium-ion, and insurance
Establish and own operational KPIs across logistics, warehouse, inventory, and fulfillment: on-time delivery, cost per shipment, damage rates, dwell time, inventory accuracy, claims ratio, and carrier performance
Assess organizational structure, talent, and operational ownership while integrating and scaling warehouse, transportation, logistics, inventory, and fulfillment operations
Build the BD and sales infrastructure that supports both business lines — pipeline management, forecasting, CRM, deal desk, and the cadence that connects commercial activity to capacity and resource planning
Partner with the Sales Leaders to translate their commercial strategies into repeatable, measurable processes — without owning the customer relationships
Own pricing, margin management, and deal-desk discipline as enterprise functions
Build the data and reporting infrastructure that gives the executive team real-time visibility into pipeline, backlog, and conversion
Own the enterprise operating cadence — weekly, monthly, and quarterly business reviews, KPI dashboards, and the rhythms that hold the company accountable to its plan
Partner with the CEO, CFO, and Board to translate strategic priorities into operating plans and quarterly objectives
Build the operating framework, accountability structure, and decision-making processes required to scale the business. Serve as a thought partner to the Sales Leaders on operating efficiency, organizational design, and execution within their business lines
Build and scale a project management function that supports increasingly complex customer projects.
Establish project governance, operational handoffs, and cross-functional execution to ensure projects are delivered safely, compliantly, and on schedule.
Own operational systems strategy — WMS/TMS evaluation and implementation, CRM, deal desk tooling, and operational integrations across the tech stack
Partner closely with the CFO on NetSuite and the broader ERP environment; NetSuite functional support reports to the CFO with a dotted line to the COO for operational priorities
Lead the IT Systems Product Manager and partner with corporate IT and shared services (under the CFO) on a unified, scalable technology environment
Champion data and analytics initiatives that create enterprise-wide visibility and lead major IT and operational transformation projects
Build and lead the Compliance function as the business scales, ensuring operational, transportation, warehouse, safety, and renewable energy compliance requirements are proactively managed
Own federal and state regulatory compliance for battery storage and renewable energy products, including DOT hazmat (lithium-ion), state permitting for oversized loads, etc.
Oversee in-house counsel for commercial agreements (supplier, customer, 3PL, carrier) and the deal desk legal review workflow
Partner with the Sales Leaders on commercial contract strategy and own consistent legal and deal-desk discipline across the company's commercial activity
Lead and develop the operations organization while evaluating talent, organizational effectiveness, and opportunities to improve performance. Manage the relationship with offshore contractor partners supporting administrative and operational functions
Serve as a strategic partner to the Board, CEO, and executive team; contribute to enterprise strategy and growth planning
Embody and reinforce Kinect Solar's culture and values