MAT COO Recruitment

MAT COO recruitment specialists to help you find the right candidate

"The COO appointment is often what makes growth possible at trust level. We help boards find the operator who can carry that weight."

Corrina O’Beirne
Head of Headteacher & Leadership Recruitment

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MAT COO Recruitment made easy

The MAT Chief Operating Officer is a relatively new executive seat, and it's becoming one of the most important hires a growing trust can make. Trusts scope it differently, candidates come from different backgrounds and boards often aren't sure whether they need a COO at all, or whether a combined CFOO, or an operations director a level down would serve them better.

We've worked with trusts appointing their first COO - we can help find you the right fit for your situation.

When MATs come to us for COO search

Appointing your first COO

Most MATs hit a point where the operational demands on the executive team are genuinely too big and it's often visible in the CEO's diary. The first COO appointment is a structural shift, not just a hire. We spend time scoping what the role should cover before we go to market.

Splitting a CFOO role into separate CFO and COO seats

Smaller MATs often start with a combined finance and operations leader. As the trust grows, that combined role becomes unsustainable - the finance remit on its own is a full executive job, and so is operations. The unbundling needs careful handling: sequencing, communication to the existing CFOO, scope definition across the two new roles.

Replacing a COO who's moving on

Succession searches where the trust already knows what good looks like. The brief is usually tighter, and the conversation is more about continuity and cultural fit.

Other MAT positions we recruit for

MAT CEO recruitment
MAT CFO recruitment

Let us help you find your next COO

Gain instant access to our pool of associates; quality-assured with proven track-record relevant to your needs.

How does it work?

Map the operational scope

We start with a working session with the CEO and the trustees leading the appointment by covering the central services you run today, the growth plans ahead, and the kind of operator who can scale them with you.

Meet your search consultants

You'll work directly with the consultant leading your COO search, drawing on candidates from MATs, the wider public sector, and operationally complex roles in adjacent sectors.

We map talent across sectors

We approach sitting MAT COOs, operations directors and senior ops leaders from outside education bringing you a shortlist of operators who can run estates, IT, HR and central services to the standard your trust needs.

From offer into your central services team

We stay with you through final interview and offer, then support your new COO through the early months meeting heads of school, mapping the estates portfolio, and embedding into the central team.

Frequently Asked Questions

What background should a MAT COO come from?

Smaller MATs (roughly 3–7 schools) often run well with a combined CFOO. Above that scale, separation tends to work better. The remits are each big enough to justify their own seat, and succession is cleaner. The right answer depends on trust size, growth plans, and the current team shape. It's one of the first things we'd talk through at scoping.

How long does a MAT COO search typically take?

From signed brief to accepted offer, most of our MAT COO searches complete in 8–12 weeks. Depending on the circumstances we may be able to deliver this quicker - get in touch today to discuss your needs.

What does a MAT COO actually do?

Scope varies by trust, but a MAT COO typically owns estates, IT, HR operations, health and safety, compliance, procurement and the central support functions. Some COOs also hold catering, transport, and commercial income generation. The common thread is: the things that keep the trust running day-to-day, at scale, across multiple sites.

Contact us today to help with your MAT COO search

Speak to a specialist member of the team to discuss how we can partner your organisation.

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