Chief Operating Officer

Role overview

Museum of Ice Cream is a category-leading experiential entertainment company built around joy, nostalgia, and play. With 13 locations across the U.S. and Singapore and significant growth ahead, the organization is looking for a Chief Operating Officer to help expand the business while preserving the creativity and energy that define the brand.

This is a build-and-scale leadership role rather than a steady-state operations job. The COO will be the CEO’s closest strategic partner, turning bold vision into disciplined execution across operations, people, finance, marketing, production, technology, construction, and guest experience. The ideal leader brings structure without adding bureaucracy, drives accountability without dampening creativity, and can align teams while protecting the culture.

The role is based in one of the cities where the company operates, and the selected candidate must live in a market with an active company presence: New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago, Miami, or Boston.

What the role does

Reporting to the CEO, the Chief Operating Officer is responsible for connecting strategy and execution across the enterprise. The position ensures the business runs cohesively across all functions and that leadership, systems, communication, and operating rhythms are strong enough to support continued growth.

The COO works across the full organization, including operations, finance, people, marketing, production, construction, technology, creative, and guest experience. This leader helps keep the company aligned around priorities, performance goals, and shared business objectives while maintaining the hospitality, creativity, and culture that shape the guest experience.

This is an integrator role for someone who has guided organizations through complexity and growth by improving execution, strengthening alignment, and building organizational effectiveness across headquarters and field teams.

Responsibilities

• Partner closely with the CEO as a trusted strategic advisor and enterprise leader.
• Convert founder-driven vision into scalable execution across the organization.
• Improve leadership alignment, communication, and accountability structures.
• Set and maintain operating cadences that support growth and consistency.
• Align priorities across strategy, people, operations, and execution.
• Coordinate with teams in marketing, production, people, finance, operations, construction, technology, creative, and guest experience.
• Build cross-functional accountability systems that improve follow-through.
• Strengthen collaboration between headquarters and field-based teams.
• Connect commercial planning, operational priorities, and enterprise resource planning.
• Use business intelligence and analytics to support decision-making and focus.
• Advance operational consistency, hospitality standards, and scalable processes.
• Improve training, systems, and workflows to support growth across current and future markets.
• Enhance internal infrastructure, communication methods, and decision-making frameworks.
• Support technology enablement, coordination, and process modernization.
• Partner on new market launches, flagship openings, and expansion initiatives.
• Help build launch playbooks and readiness plans for growth.
• Promote leadership development, succession planning, and a strong ownership culture.
• Model the company’s mission, vision, and values while balancing creativity with operational discipline.

Requirements

• Background helping fast-growing organizations scale through strong execution and cross-functional leadership.
• At least 10 years of experience leading consumer-facing, hospitality, experiential, retail, entertainment, or similarly dynamic businesses.
• Experience working in founder-led, high-growth environments.
• Broad business understanding across operations, people, finance, marketing, and organizational planning.
• Proven ability to improve communication, effectiveness, and execution across teams.
• Track record of building scalable systems, processes, and operating structures.
• Comfort working as a close partner to a founder or CEO.
• Leadership experience across both headquarters and field operations.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% of the time.
• Strong communication skills, relationship-building ability, and executive presence.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution in a fast-moving environment.

Success measures

• Increase in customer spend per visit by 10% year over year and achievement of same-store sales growth goals.
• Improvement in NPS and net review scores to target levels.
• Clearer alignment and communication across leadership and business functions.
• Well-defined operating rhythms and accountability systems that strengthen execution.
• Scalable processes that support continued expansion.
• Effective delivery of new market launches and enterprise initiatives.
• Consistent operational performance and guest experience standards across locations.
• Better coordination across functions and stronger organizational effectiveness.
• A high-performing culture rooted in collaboration, accountability, and ownership.
• Strong partnership between the CEO, leadership team, and the broader organization.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation is highly competitive and includes a base salary, management bonus opportunity, and a comprehensive benefits package.

• Competitive pay
• Annual bonus
• 401(k)
• Stock options
• PTO and sick time
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Vision insurance
• Additional employee perks such as ClassPass, commuter discounts, employee assistance support, and unlimited ice cream
• Employee development opportunities
• 16 complimentary museum tickets per year for friends and family, plus free entry for the employee
• 50% discount on retail products

Additional information

The company is hiring for one open role, even if the position appears in multiple job postings.

Museum of Ice Cream is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other status protected by law.