Chief Operating Officer

Chief Operating Officer at Nexus Search Chief Operating Officer at Nexus Search in Orlando, Florida Posted in 8 days ago.

Type:

full-time

Job Description:

A high-growth, privately held beverage manufacturer is seeking an experienced Chief Operating Officer to partner directly with the founder and scale operations to the next level. The business is a vertically integrated, multi-format production facility

• handling everything from R D and formulation through filling, packaging, and third-party logistics
• producing hundreds of millions of units annually for some of the fastest-growing brands in the consumer beverage space. The Role Reporting directly to the Owner, the COO will serve as the operational backbone of the business
• owning day-to-day manufacturing execution, driving efficiency across all production lines, and building the systems and team infrastructure needed to support continued growth.

This person will be a true operator: someone who is as comfortable on the production floor as they are in a planning meeting. This is not a role for someone who needs a fully built machine. It's a role for someone who wants to build the machine alongside an entrepreneurial owner. What You'll Own End-to-end manufacturing operations across canning, bottling, flavoring, packaging, and 3PL/fulfillment Plant leadership, production planning, and scheduling across a 200,000+ sq. ft. facility Supply chain management

• vendor relationships, raw material sourcing, and logistics coordination Quality, compliance, and regulatory adherence (FDA, c

GMP, FSSC 22000

) Hiring, developing, and retaining operational leaders across all departments KPI development, operational reporting, and continuous improvement initiatives Capital planning, capacity expansion, and equipment investment decisions Cross-functional collaboration with R D, sales, and customer success teams What We're Looking For 10+ years of progressive operations leadership, with at least 3-5 years in a senior operations or COO-level role Direct experience in beverage manufacturing, canning, or co-manufacturing is strongly preferred

• ideally with hands-on familiarity with high-speed filling lines (carbonated and/or still), aluminum canning, or PET bottling Proven track record of thriving in an owner-led, fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment
• you move fast, make decisions with imperfect information, and don't wait for consensus Genuine comfort being a player-coach: strategic thinker who can also roll up their sleeves Strong people leadership skills
• the ability to hold teams accountable while building real culture Experience managing complex, multi-SKU production environments with high variability in run types and customer requirements Background in FDA-regulated, cGMP, or food/beverage manufacturing environments Financial acumen
• comfortable owning a P&L, managing cost-per-unit, and making data-driven decisions