[Hiring] Chief Operating Officer @Kinect Solar

Role Description

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.

The COO will be responsible for developing and maintaining the enterprise operating framework, performance management processes, and systems required to support continued growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Operations Leadership
  • 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.
• Business Development & Sales Infrastructure
  • 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.
• Operating System & Cadence
  • 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.
• Project Management & Cross-Functional Execution
  • 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.
• Technology & Systems
  • 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.
• Compliance, Regulatory & Legal
  • 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.
• Leadership & Organizational Build
  • 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.

Qualifications

• 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• 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.

What Success Looks Like in the First 12 Months

• Earned the trust of the Board, CEO, CFO, the Sales Leaders of both business lines, and the broader executive team.
• Completed an organizational assessment and implemented improvements that strengthen accountability and scalability.
• Established a scalable project management framework and operating cadence.
• Strengthened compliance, technology, and reporting infrastructure.
• Delivered measurable operational improvements across logistics, warehouse, and fulfillment KPIs.
• Built the operational platform to scale growth to double business in the next 3+ years.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation.
• PTO, sick, mental health days, and paid holidays.
• Fully remote and flexible work environment and schedules.
• Minimal travel.
• Health, vision, dental, and life insurance.
• 401(k) with employer match.
• FSA/HSA options and Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Employee discounts and referral bonuses.
• Professional development and volunteer time off.