Chief Operations Officer (COO) - Lagos Mainland

🏢 Outsource Company (recruiting for a healthcare/diagnostics client) · 📍 Ojota, Lagos

Above ₦1,000,000/month

About the role

The Chief Operations Officer (COO) - Lagos Mainland vacancy is being advertised by Outsource Company, a Nigerian business process outsourcing (BPO) firm based in Abuja that recruits on behalf of client organisations across sectors, in this case for a client operating in the healthcare/diagnostics space based in Ojota, Lagos. Outsource Company describes itself as a 100% privately held Nigerian BPO/ITES provider running a large call centre operation, and it regularly posts vacancies on behalf of a range of client businesses rather than solely for its own internal operations, which is the situation with this listing.

The role itself is unusually clearly defined in terms of what it is not: the listing explicitly states this is not a shadow CEO role, and that the company is looking for an operator rather than a strategist on paper. The COO is described as the execution engine of the business, owning all day-to-day operations and ensuring that the CEO's strategy is implemented in full across HR, Finance, Supply Chain, IT, Quality and Service Delivery. This framing matters for anyone considering the role: the employer is signalling that they want someone who takes full ownership of operational execution and closes gaps independently, rather than someone who escalates problems back up to the CEO for resolution.

The responsibilities break into several clear areas. On strategy execution, the COO is expected to execute company and CEO strategies fully and on schedule, not selectively based on personal preference, and to take end-to-end ownership of operational efficiency across every department, identifying and fixing lapses without needing CEO intervention. This extends to designing, implementing and continuously improving standard operating procedures, workflows and systems to drive efficiency and control cost.

On the people side, the COO will lead and manage all department heads, set clear KPIs, and enforce accountability for results, including direct and prompt handling of underperformance and disciplinary matters, with the listing explicitly stating there should be no enabling or shielding of underperforming staff. Building a high-performance, disciplined culture centred on ownership and results is called out as a core part of the mandate.

Data-driven performance management is another significant pillar of the role: the COO is expected to develop, track and maintain dashboards and reports across all key operational metrics, use data to identify problems early and drive improvements, and own budgeting, cost control and resource optimisation, reporting key metrics up to the CEO and Board. On governance, the successful candidate needs to understand, respect and enforce the organisation's structure and reporting lines, ensure regulatory and industry compliance, and manage operational risk. Finally, the role carries a stakeholder management responsibility, maintaining strong internal alignment and external relationships with clients, vendors and partners, and communicating operational status, risks and wins clearly and consistently to the CEO.

On qualifications, the employer is asking for a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Healthcare Management or a related field, with an MBA or Master's degree preferred. The experience bar is set high: a minimum of ten years of progressive leadership experience in operations, with at least three to five years specifically in a senior operations leadership role such as Head of Operations, COO or General Manager. Given that the job field is listed as Medical/Healthcare and the qualification list references Healthcare Management specifically, prior experience in healthcare, diagnostics, or another highly regulated, process-driven industry is called out as a strong advantage, which strongly suggests the underlying client is a healthcare or diagnostics business even though it isn't named directly in the listing.

Beyond formal experience, the employer wants hands-on experience building dashboards, KPIs and using data for decision-making, along with strong budgeting and financial oversight skills and proficiency in Excel, ERP systems and business intelligence tools. The competencies section reinforces the operator framing already established earlier in the listing: execution discipline, end-to-end ownership, direct accountability leadership, data-driven decision making, and a clear understanding of organisational hierarchy and how to operate within a defined mandate rather than around it.

This role suits a senior operations executive with a decade or more of progressive leadership experience, ideally from a healthcare, diagnostics or another regulated, process-heavy industry, who is comfortable being measured on data-driven execution rather than high-level strategic input alone, and who is prepared to report to and support a CEO rather than operate independently of one. Given the disclosed salary of above ₦1,000,000 per month, this is clearly a senior executive-level compensation package consistent with the seniority the role demands.

Applicants preparing to apply should be ready to speak concretely about past turnarounds they have led, specific operational metrics they have owned, and examples of how they have handled underperformance or accountability issues directly, since the listing is unusually explicit about wanting evidence of exactly this kind of hands-on operational discipline rather than purely strategic experience.

How to apply: Apply via the 'Apply Now' button on the MyJobMag listing

Responsibilities

• Execute company and CEO strategies fully and on time
• Take end-to-end ownership of operational efficiency across all departments
• Design, implement, and continuously improve SOPs, workflows, and systems
• Lead and manage all department heads; set clear KPIs and enforce accountability
• Address underperformance and manage disciplinary actions directly and promptly
• Develop, track, and maintain dashboards and reports for all key operational metrics
• Own budgeting, cost control, and resource optimization
• Enforce organizational structure and reporting lines; ensure regulatory compliance
• Manage operational risk and implement mitigation strategies
• Build internal alignment and maintain external relationships with clients, vendors, and partners
• Communicate operational status, risks, and wins to the CEO

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Healthcare Management, or related field (MBA preferred)
• Minimum 10 years of progressive leadership experience in operations
• At least 3-5 years in a senior operations leadership role (Head of Operations, COO, or General Manager)
• Proven experience in healthcare, diagnostics, or other highly regulated, process-driven industry is a strong advantage
• Hands-on experience developing dashboards, KPIs, and using data for decision making
• Strong budgeting and financial oversight skills
• Proficient in MS Excel, ERP systems, and business intelligence tools

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