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Korn Ferry · 1 day ago

Chief Operating Officer & Country Head (CEFA US)

United States

Full-time

Remote

Director/Executive

$225K/yr - $250K/yr

15+ years exp

Korn Ferry has partnered with CEFA to find a Chief Operating Officer & Country Head for the U.S. market. This role is responsible for launching, operating, and scaling CEFA's U.S. business while ensuring the brand's vision and standards are executed in alignment with local market conditions.

Management Consulting

H1B Sponsor Likely

Responsibilities

Develop and execute CEFA's U.S. market strategy and growth strategy in alignment with the CEO-defined priorities and CEFA's long-term vision

Lead the end-to-end launch of CEFA's initial U.S. schools, including pilot execution, early performance stabilization, and refinement of a repeatable U.S. expansion model

Conduct market analysis to identify priority regions, competitive dynamics, and franchise growth opportunities

Adapt and position CEFA's brand for the U.S. market, preserving the integrity of CEFA's proprietary curriculum, culture, and values

Oversee U.S. marketing and communications strategies tailored to American families and franchise partners

Build sustainable U.S. revenue streams through franchise performance, growth initiatives, and strategic partnerships

Monitor U.S. financial performance, including unit-level economics, and make sure it aligns with growth and profitability objectives

Establish CEFA as a scalable, execution-ready organization in the United States by building U.S.-specific operational capabilities while leveraging CEFA's established systems, manuals, and centralized Canadian back-office infrastructure

CEFA's Canadian shared services will support core back-office functions, including finance, payroll, banking coordination, legal documentation, HR administration, systems, and policy frameworks. The COO & Country Head will serve as the primary U.S. business owner and interface with these teams, ensuring U.S. operational requirements are clearly defined, prioritized, and effectively executed

The COO & Country Head retains full accountability for U.S.-facing execution, including school openings, staffing models, franchisee performance, parent experience, local compliance, and consistent delivery of CEFA's curriculum and standards across all U.S. locations

Own and continuously improve U.S. franchise partners unit economics, including ramp-up timelines, labor models, tuition pricing frameworks, and long-term franchisee profitability

Act as the primary operational partner and escalation point for U.S. franchise partners, driving performance improvement, satisfaction, and long-term retention

Recruit, develop, and lead a high-performing U.S.-based team to support execution, growth, and franchise success

Foster a positive, collaborative, and values-driven CEFA culture across U.S. operations

Serve as CEFA's senior representative in the United States, building trusted relationships with franchisees, families, educators, regulators, landlords, and community partners

Ensure U.S. franchise partners are well-supported, financially successful, and deeply aligned with CEFA's brand and values

Act as a spokesperson for CEFA in U.S. media and public forums, promoting thought leadership in early childhood education

Build partnerships with universities, teacher training programs, and mission-aligned organizations to strengthen CEFA's talent pipeline and community impact

Identify opportunities to enhance CEFA's curriculum and programming for U.S. cultural and regulatory contexts

Monitor industry trends and emerging best practices to ensure CEFA remains at the forefront of early childhood education

Partner with CEFA leadership to introduce digital tools and systems that enhance operational efficiency, parent engagement, and competitive differentiation

Implement systems to track student outcomes, franchise performance, and customer satisfaction, driving continuous improvement

Serve as the executive owner of regulatory, licensing, and operational compliance for CEFA's United States business

Ensure all U.S. operations comply with federal, state, and local regulations governing early childhood education and franchise systems, including the FTC Franchise Rule, childcare licensing requirements, employment laws, and health and safety standards

Oversee U.S. licensing, permitting, and inspection processes for new and operating schools, in collaboration with CEFA's Canadian legal and compliance teams

Proactively monitor regulatory changes and adjust U.S. operational practices to protect CEFA's brand, licenses, and growth trajectory

Qualification

Franchise operationsU.S. regulatory complianceP&L managementMarket expansion strategyOperational excellenceFinancial acumenTeam leadershipCommunication skillsTechnology-savvyCommitment to educationRelationship building

Required

15–20+ years of progressive leadership experience in franchise, multi-site, or regulated service organizations, ideally within early learning, education, or mission-aligned sectors

Demonstrated success launching and scaling operations in new markets, including building repeatable operating models from early-stage pilots

Proven ability to drive unit-level P&L performance and franchisee profitability

Strong understanding of U.S. regulatory and licensing requirements for childcare and franchise systems

Experience operating as a country leader or senior operator within a founder-led or privately held organization

Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to inspire confidence among franchisees, partners, and internal teams

Strong financial and operational acumen, with experience managing budgets, forecasts, and multi-site performance

Technology-savvy, with experience leveraging systems and digital tools to support operational scale and customer engagement

Commitment to CEFA's mission, values, and dedication to high-quality early childhood education

Company

Korn Ferry

Glassdoor3.5

Korn Ferry is a global consulting firm that powers performance.

Founded in 1969

Los Angeles, CA, US

10001+ employees

http://www.kornferry.com

H1B Sponsorship

Korn Ferry has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)

Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship

Represents job field similar to this job

Trends of Total Sponsorships

2025 (11)

2024 (11)

2023 (5)

2022 (16)

2021 (12)

2020 (25)