Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Job Title: Chief Operating Officer (COO)Department: Operations

Location: Dubai, UAE, with travel across operating marketsJoining: Immediate preferredReporting to: CEOABOUT THE COMPANYFirst Response Healthcare LLC (FRH) is a JCI-accredited home healthcare organisation headquartered in Dubai, with operations across the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Our portfolio includes Doctor-on-Call, Home Healthcare, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Diagnostics, Ambulance and Clinic services.We are building a healthcare organisation that combines clinical quality, responsive service and personalised care with strong operational discipline. Our culture values initiative, ethical practices, ownership and measurable performance.JOB SUMMARYWe are seeking an accomplished Chief Operating Officer to lead operations across markets and service lines, strengthen profitability and build the people, processes and systems required for sustained growth.Reporting directly to the CEO, the COO will translate strategy into execution and take accountability for operational performance against agreed business objectives. The mandate is to build an organisation where teams make informed decisions, deliver consistent results and resolve issues without routine dependence on the CEO.The ideal candidate combines strategic judgement with hands-on leadership and has a proven record of scaling healthcare businesses while protecting patient safety and service quality.KEY RESPONSIBILITIESStrategy & Execution: Convert company strategy into annual operating plans, budgets and measurable priorities, with clear ownership, timelines and follow-through.Operational Leadership: Lead operations across centres, territories and service lines, ensuring reliable service delivery, effective coordination and business continuity.Profitability & Cost Management: Drive operating profit and contribution margins against approved budgets; identify underperforming locations and services and implement corrective plans.Workforce Productivity: Optimise staffing, rostering, clinician utilisation, deployment and transport to improve capacity, response times and cost per visit.Patient Experience & Quality: Strengthen the patient journey from enquiry and booking to care delivery and follow-up. Partner with clinical and quality leaders on patient safety, complaints, regulatory compliance and JCI readiness.Leadership & Accountability: Develop capable managers, establish clear responsibilities and KPIs, and lead structured performance reviews that result in decisions and completed actions.Cross-Functional Execution: Align Operations with Finance, HR, IT, Quality and commercial teams to remove bottlenecks and deliver shared business objectives.Growth & Expansion: Lead operational readiness for new centres, markets, services and partnerships, ensuring launches meet agreed quality, financial and delivery milestones.Technology & Controls: Standardise operating procedures, strengthen management dashboards and improve scheduling, billing and reporting systems. Work with Finance to reduce revenue leakage and strengthen collections.Risk & Governance: Maintain effective operational controls, escalation protocols and contingency plans, while respecting clinical authority and local regulatory requirements.QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCEBachelor’s degree in healthcare management, business administration or a related field; MBA preferred.Minimum 12 years of relevant experience, including five years in senior operational leadership.Proven responsibility for healthcare operations across multiple locations, including budgets, financial performance and sizeable teams.Experience in home healthcare, doctor-on-call, clinic networks or similar healthcare services strongly preferred.GCC healthcare experience and familiarity with regulatory and accreditation requirements.Demonstrated success improving profitability, workforce productivity, patient experience and operational systems.Strong financial understanding, analytical ability and confidence in making decisions.A self-driven leader who develops people, addresses underperformance and takes ownership of outcomes.KEY SUCCESS MEASURESOperating profit and budget delivery; workforce productivity; service response and fulfilment; patient satisfaction; quality and compliance; leadership capability; and successful expansion.COMPENSATION & BENEFITSCompetitive salary and performance-based annual bonus.Reward and recognition programmes.ESOP opportunities for eligible high-performing individuals.Leadership development and career advancement opportunities.WHY JOIN US?Play a defining role in FRH’s regional growth and help build a larger, professionally managed healthcare business.As part of our succession planning, we welcome leaders with the capability and ambition to progress towards a future CEO role, subject to demonstrated performance, leadership readiness and business requirements.HOW TO APPLYEmail your CV to CEO@firstresponse.aeSubject: Application – Chief Operating OfficerWebsite: www.firstresponsehealthcare.com