Chief Operating Officer

Role overview

Museum of Ice Cream is a category-defining experiential entertainment brand built around joy, nostalgia, and play. Over the past decade, it has expanded to 13 locations across the United States and Singapore and is still growing. The company is looking for a Chief Operating Officer who can help the business scale while preserving the creative energy and guest experience that define the brand.

This is a hands-on builder role rather than a maintenance-focused one. The COO will act as the CEO’s closest strategic partner, turning ambitious ideas into disciplined execution across operations, people, finance, marketing, production, technology, construction, and guest experience. The ideal leader is comfortable in a founder-led, fast-moving environment and can introduce structure without unnecessary bureaucracy.

The role is intended for someone who understands both hospitality and scaling businesses, and who can strengthen alignment across teams while protecting the culture and momentum that make the organization distinctive.

Position summary

Reporting to the CEO, the Chief Operating Officer will help unify the enterprise and support the company’s next stage of growth. The role focuses on translating company vision into clear operating plans, strengthening communication and leadership systems, and ensuring the business runs cohesively across functions.

This leader will work closely with teams across operations, finance, people, marketing, production, construction, technology, creative, and guest experience. The goal is to keep priorities aligned, improve performance, and build the operating foundation needed for future expansion while maintaining creativity, hospitality, and culture.

Responsibilities

The COO will serve as a trusted partner to the CEO, connecting strategy with execution across the organization. Key responsibilities include:

• Act as a strategic advisor and operational extension of the CEO, helping convert founder vision into scalable business execution.
• Build leadership alignment, accountability, and clear communication across the organization.
• Create operating cadences and rhythms that support growth and decision-making.
• Drive coordination across business functions and company-wide priorities.
• Work closely with marketing, production, people, finance, operations, construction, technology, creative, and guest experience teams.
• Strengthen collaboration between headquarters and field teams.
• Align commercial goals, operational priorities, and broader business planning.
• Use business data, analytics, and cross-functional execution to improve enterprise planning.
• Increase visibility into priorities, resources, and organizational focus.
• Support consistent operating performance, hospitality standards, and scalable growth.
• Partner with operational leaders to improve systems, training, and process discipline.
• Ensure execution meets company standards and guest expectations across current and future markets.
• Improve internal systems, infrastructure, workflows, communication, and decision-making processes.
• Support technology enablement and operational coordination across the enterprise.
• Partner on new market launches, flagship openings, and other strategic growth initiatives.
• Help ensure readiness, financial discipline, and brand consistency during expansion.
• Develop practical launch playbooks and readiness frameworks for scale.
• Model the company’s mission, vision, and values in daily leadership.
• Support leadership development, succession planning, accountability, collaboration, and ownership.
• Balance operational rigor with the creativity and ambition of the brand.

Requirements

• Proven success helping high-growth businesses scale through strong execution and cross-functional leadership.
• At least 10 years of experience leading consumer-facing, hospitality, experiential, retail, entertainment, or similarly fast-moving businesses.
• Background in founder-led and rapidly growing environments.
• Strong commercial and operational understanding across operations, people, finance, marketing, and organizational planning.
• Track record of improving organizational effectiveness, communication, and execution.
• Experience building scalable systems, processes, and operating structures.
• Comfort working closely with a founder or CEO in a highly collaborative partnership.
• Ability to lead effectively across both headquarters and field-based teams.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% of the time.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and leadership influence skills.
• Ability to combine strategic thinking with practical, day-to-day execution in a fast-paced environment.
• Candidate must be based in a city where MOIC already operates, specifically New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago, Miami, or Boston.

Success measures

• Increase in customer spend by 10% year over year and achievement of same-store sales growth targets.
• Improvement in NPS and online review scores to the agreed targets.
• Stronger alignment and communication across leadership and business functions.
• Well-defined operating rhythms and accountability systems that improve delivery.
• Scalable processes and systems that support ongoing growth.
• Effective execution of new market launches and enterprise initiatives.
• Consistent operating standards and guest experience across all locations.
• Better coordination across functions and stronger organizational effectiveness.
• A high-performing culture grounded in collaboration, ownership, and accountability.
• Strong working partnership between the CEO, leadership team, and wider organization.

Compensation and benefits

The compensation package is described as highly competitive and includes a base salary, management bonus potential, and a comprehensive benefits program.

• Competitive pay
• Annual bonus opportunity
• 401(k)
• Stock options
• PTO and sick time
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Vision insurance
• 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 admission for the employee
• 50% discount on retail products

Equal opportunity statement

Museum of Ice Cream is an equal opportunity employer and values workplace diversity. 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 legally protected status.

Additional information

Although multiple postings may appear, this listing represents one open position. The company requires the selected candidate to live in a city where it currently has a presence.