COO

Job Description

Overviewn

Chief Operating Officer (COO) – SMH Group

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Location: Yorkshire (regional role) | Salary: £125,000 – £150,000 + bonus + benefits

nThe Opportunityn

SMH Group is a rapidly growing regional professional services firm providing accountancy, audit, tax, financial planning, corporate finance and advisory services across Yorkshire and Derbyshire. The group has grown significantly through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions of established local accountancy practices since 2018.

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With offices across Sheffield, Leeds, Harrogate, Wakefield, Huddersfield, Barnsley, Rotherham, Chesterfield and surrounding areas, the firm has built a strong regional footprint while maintaining local client relationships and expertise.

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SMH has secured strategic investment from Phoenix Equity Partners, supporting the group’s ambitious growth strategy and continued expansion through acquisition and organic growth.

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As the business continues to scale, SMH is seeking a Group Chief Operating Officer to drive operational excellence, support partner performance, and ensure consistency across the group’s growing network of offices.

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This is a highly visible leadership role reporting to the CEO and Executive Leadership Team, responsible for aligning operational performance, supporting growth initiatives, and embedding a unified culture across the firm.

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The role will be Yorkshire-based, with regular travel expected across group offices.

nKey Responsibilitiesn

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1. Deliver consistent operational performance & optimisationn
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   • Improve productivity, utilisation and recoveries across the firm while maintaining high service quality.

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   • Ensure operational capacity aligns with new business pipeline and client demand.

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   • Monitor the firm’s new business engine to support organic growth.

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   • Support partners and directors with improved operational reporting and performance insight.

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   • Standardise operational processes across the group, including: Accounts, Tax, Audit, Payroll, Client onboarding, Client query management.

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   • Drive operational automation and process improvement initiatives.

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2. Deliver against Group budgetn
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   • Work closely with partners to ensure site-by-site delivery against revenue and profitability targets.

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   • Monitor fee earner utilisation, recovery rates and cost management across offices.

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   • Establish a structured cadence of on-site visits and operational reviews with partners and office leaders.

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   • Support local leadership teams in implementing corrective actions where performance improvement is required.

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   • Ensure operational discipline and accountability across the group.

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3. Embed group culture & collaborationn
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   • Ensure newly acquired firms successfully adopt SMH Group values, behaviours and service principles.

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   • Work alongside the Executive Leadership Team to deliver effective change management during periods of growth.

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   • Reduce “them and us” dynamics between legacy firms and newly integrated practices.

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   • Build a “one firm” mindset across all offices.

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   • Promote collaboration and encourage cross-selling of services across the group.

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4. Support the Executive Leadership Team, Board & Shareholdersn
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   • Act as a positive and visible leader across the business.

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   • Support and reinforce leadership decisions throughout the organisation.

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   • Provide operational support to partners, directors and senior stakeholders.

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   • Lead discussions and communications with a coaching and mentoring approach to develop stronger leaders across the firm.

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   • Contribute to strategic planning and support the continued growth of the group.

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nCandidate Profilen

Essential Experience

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• Senior operational leadership experience within a professional services organisation operating a time-billing / fee-earner model (e.g. accountancy, legal, consulting, advisory, engineering consultancy).

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• Deep understanding of fee earner economics, including: Utilisation, Recovery rates, Charge-out rates, Work in progress (WIP) management, Billing cycles.

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• Experience improving operational performance across multiple offices or regions.

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• Proven ability to implement standardised processes and operational reporting frameworks.

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• Experience supporting partner-led organisations and working closely with senior fee earners.

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• Strong commercial mindset with the ability to connect operational performance to revenue and profitability.

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Desirable Experience

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• Experience within accountancy or audit firms.

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• Experience supporting practice integrations or acquisitions.

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• Exposure to practice management systems and billing platforms.

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• Experience operating at COO, Operations Director, or Regional Managing Director level within a professional services firm.

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Leadership & Personal Attributes

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• Credible and collaborative operator able to work effectively with partners and senior professionals.

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• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.

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• Pragmatic and hands-on approach to operational improvement.

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• Strong communicator capable of aligning teams across multiple offices.

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• Passion for building high-performing teams and a collaborative culture.

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nLocation & Traveln

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• The role is Yorkshire-based, with flexibility on office base.

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• Regular travel will be required across the firm’s regional office network.

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nPackagen

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• Salary: £125,000 – £150,000

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• Bonus: Performance related

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• Benefits: Executive package commensurate with senior leadership role

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