Chief Operating Officer (COO) – Telecom

About the role

The Chief Operating Officer will lead day‑to‑day operations of a mobile network operator, translating strategic objectives into actionable plans. This senior executive role oversees network performance, commercial growth, operational efficiency and customer experience across the business.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and execute the overall operational strategy, aligning Board and CEO priorities with measurable targets.
• Coordinate commercial, technology, network, customer service, distribution, finance and regulatory functions.
• Drive a high‑performance culture focused on accountability, execution and continuous improvement.
• Oversee network availability, resilience, capacity planning, technology upgrades and service launches.
• Ensure disaster recovery, business continuity and cybersecurity measures are in place.
• Support subscriber, revenue, EBITDA and market‑share goals across retail, enterprise, wholesale and digital channels.
• Lead customer‑experience initiatives, monitoring satisfaction and Net Promoter Score.

Required profile

• Extensive senior leadership experience in an African mobile network operator or comparable emerging‑market telecom business.
• Proven ability to translate strategy into operational plans and deliver results.
• Strong analytical, risk‑management and stakeholder‑communication skills.

Required skills

• Network operations management
• Telecommunications technology oversight
• Disaster recovery and business continuity planning
• Cybersecurity fundamentals
• Commercial operations and revenue management