Chief Operations Officer (COO)

Linguava Interpreters•Portland, OR

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Reporting to the CEO, the Chief Operations Officer (COO) will lead and scale operational excellence for a rapidly growing language service and access provider to the healthcare industry. This role is critical in transforming the company’s long-term vision into reality by driving operational excellence. You will design and implement clear strategies, actionable plans, and disciplined execution to achieve organizational goals—while ensuring the “people first” culture remains strong and aligned throughout. The COO is accountable for overall company performance, including P&L, risk management, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence. The Chief Operations Officer (COO) will be an experienced hands-on leader who preferably has experience in language access and/or healthcare or healthcare service provider organizations. The right candidate combines technical operational fluency with experience in scaling, whether by expanding services or building robust systems for growth. This individual combines an organized, strategic mindset with exceptional follow-through, driving innovative solutions that propel the company forward. The ideal candidate is a visionary leader with the ability to scale a rapidly growing business through disciplined execution and strategic insight.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required, MBA or equivalent strongly preferred.
Minimum 10 years of team leadership experience in healthcare or with a healthcare service provider – experience with language services and access a plus.
Proven ability to transform small-scale operations into high-performing large-scale enterprises (ideally $100M+ revenue).
Strong background in creating SOPs, training models, and managing multi-site operations.
Effective communication and problem-solving skills; thrive in fast-paced, high-growth environments.
Broad experience across finance, business operations, and administration, with the ability to integrate these functions into overall company strategy.
Demonstrated ability to lead organizations through significant change, transformation, and growth while maintaining alignment and stability.
Proven success in developing high-performing leadership teams and coaching leaders to greater effectiveness.
Strong background in technology with proven ability to align technology strategy with business operations.
Strong, confident leadership presence paired with a collaborative, hands-on approach.
Data-driven decision-maker with strong financial acumen.
Ability to “see around corners” and anticipate future needs.
Flexible and resilient under shifting priorities.

Responsibilities

Oversee day-to-day operations across multiple departments, ensuring seamless integration and standardized processes that support its people.
Collaborate with CEO to develop and implement scalable SOPs to support aggressive growth targets.
Manage KPIs and data to ensure on-time delivery and quality standards are consistently met.
Oversight includes Legal, Compliance, and Risk Management functions.
Lead, mentor, and coach a management team that fosters a high-performance culture, communicating with candor and integrity, even in challenging situations.
Build a culture of “People First”; empowering, trust, and listening – emphasizing collaboration and shared goals.
Technical fluency – to support team in a company-wide technical transformation.
Translate the CEO’s ideas and long-term vision into clear strategies, action plans, and measurable goals.
Establish company-wide goals, metrics, and scorecards that create accountability, transparency, and data-driven decision-making.
Balance company-wide priorities and resources to achieve short-term and long-term objectives
Ensure the organizational structure supports priorities with the right people in the right roles to achieve success.
Lead company’s annual and quarterly strategic planning processes to set priorities and ensure company-wide alignment.
Review scorecards with leadership team, ensuring trends and issues are identified early and acted upon.
Lead and facilitate weekly leadership team meetings that drive clarity, accountability, and measurable progress.
Technology & Innovation – ensure the company is relentlessly pursuing progress and continuously improves, adapts, and innovates to remain competitive and effective.
Review and refine processes to reduce costs, improve productivity, and enhance profitability.
Implement best practices and ensure compliance with industry standards.
Anticipate operational challenges and opportunities, implementing solutions that ensure longterm success.
Ensure core processes are clearly defined, documented, and consistently followed.
Establish consistent use of measurable goals and KPIs across all teams to create clarity, accountability, and alignment.
Ensure the company delivers extraordinary client experiences by anticipating needs, exceeding expectations, and holding all teams accountable to high service standards.
Accountable for the P&L, ensuring responsible allocation of resources and sustainable financial performance.
Ensure the company achieves long-term goals and overall success.
Deliver sustainable growth by aligning financial performance with client satisfaction, service quality, and operational excellence.
Scale the company effectively into new markets and service lines while maintaining high standards of compliance, quality, and client experience.
Lead the organization with focus, clarity, and commitment to achieving measurable results.
Provide clear, transparent updates on company performance, risks, and opportunities to CEO, Leadership Teams, and employees.