Associate Chief Operating Officer Jobs in Tennessee

Technology Lab is a managed service provider (MSP) delivering IT infrastructure, systems support, and technology operations to charter schools. Our team includes both remote and onsite staff working across a growing portfolio of school partners. As we scale our client base and service offerings, we're building an executive leadership bench capable of professionalizing operations while preserving the responsiveness and reliability our school partners depend on.

Technology Lab is hiring a Chief Operating Officer to serve as the CEO's primary operating partner, owning execution across the business — from service delivery and client operations to people, systems, and internal infrastructure. This is fundamentally a COO role: the mandate is operational leadership, cross-functional execution, and scaling the organization to support a growing base of charter school clients.

Because Technology Lab operates a contract-driven, margin-sensitive MSP model, we prefer this person to bring prior experience as a CFO or strong financial background. That background is not incidental — it means the COO can read the business through a financial lens, understand unit economics at the client and contract level, and make operating decisions with full visibility into their financial consequences. This person will not run Finance day-to-day, but will work in close partnership with the finance function and serve as a trusted second set of eyes on the numbers.

• Own end-to-end execution of the company's operating plan, translating strategy into cross-functional priorities, milestones, and accountability.
• Lead and scale core operating functions — including service delivery, IT operations, people operations, and systems/infrastructure — as the client base grows.
• Build the operating cadence: OKRs, weekly/monthly business reviews, KPI dashboards (SLA attainment, ticket resolution, client renewal rates), and decision-making forums that keep the leadership team aligned.
• Identify operational bottlenecks and process gaps early — particularly around service delivery capacity and support scalability — and design systems before they become constraints.
• Partner with functional leaders across Service Delivery, Technical Support, People Operations, and Client Success to remove friction and improve execution velocity.
• Lead major cross-functional initiatives — onboarding new school clients at scale, potential acquisition of other regional MSPs, restructuring, or large-scale process redesigns.
• Partner with department leaders to surface internal initiatives, then prioritize and sequence them against company-wide priorities and capacity

• Bring CFO-level fluency to operating decisions: contract pricing, unit economics per client/school, staffing ratios, and capital allocation.
• Partner closely with functional leaders and the finance team on budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning, ensuring operating plans are grounded in financial reality.
• Represent the operating business in leadership and ownership conversations, particularly where operational and financial performance intersect.
• Support financial diligence and, where applicable, evaluation of acquisition or partnership opportunities with informed financial judgment.
• Serve as a credible leader on financial matters

• Act as a force multiplier for the CEO, running point on execution so the CEO can focus on strategy, client relationships, and growth.
• Build, mentor, and retain a high-performing operating team; raise the operational bar across the company.
• Shape company culture and operating norms as Technology Lab scales its client base and internal team.

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience.
• Demonstrated experience operating in a COO, General Manager, or equivalent cross-functional operating leadership role.
• Track record of scaling operations, systems, and teams inside a growing services organization — MSP, IT services, or B2B services industry strongly preferred.
• Strong financial acumen: comfort with financial statements, unit economics, forecasting, and executive-level financial reporting.
• Proven ability to lead through ambiguity, set structure where none exists, and drive execution across functions without direct authority.
• Exceptional communication skills; credible with the CEO, client stakeholders, and front-line teams alike.

• Prior experience in a dual or transitioning COO/CFO capacity.
• Experience supporting M&A, financial diligence, or a major financial event.
• Background in managed services, IT services, or the education/EdTech sector — familiarity with compliance considerations (e.g., FERPA) of serving school-based clients is a plus.

Compensation includes a competitive base salary benchmarked to mid-market MSP and professional services COO roles, plus an annual performance bonus tied to company profitability and operational KPIs, with a target opportunity in the range of 25–40% of base salary. Additional benefits include health, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) participation and a professional development budget. Full compensation details, including any long-term incentive component, will be shared during the interview process.