Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Swedish Nutra AB — Malmö, Sweden
About Swedish Nutra
Swedish Nutra is a Malmö-based manufacturer of liquid dietary supplements. We make everything in-house, GMP- and HACCP-certified, producing our own brands (Swedish Nutra, Swedish Collagen, True Collagen, Essentials100) and private-label products for partners in more than 37 countries. We are founder-led and profitable, and entering our next phase: building the leadership team and systems to scale, and growing a direct-to-consumer e-commerce channel alongside our established B2B business.
We are hiring our first Chief Operating Officer to take full ownership of operations and build the operating engine for that growth.
The role
This is a build role, not a maintenance one. You will own operations end to end, lead the senior team, and put in place the structure, systems, and accountability to take Swedish Nutra from a founder-led company to a professionally managed one, without losing the speed that got us here.
You report to and partner with the CEO/Founder, who focuses on vision, key commercial relationships, and product innovation. You will have real authority over operational decisions, hiring, and the shape of the organisation. You inherit strong products, real revenue, and significant market opportunity, and the room to build the rest.
What you will own
The senior team and operating structure. Build out and lead the department-level team (B2B sales, marketing, finance, production/QC). Several of these searches are already underway; you will complete and lead the team. Design the org chart and reporting lines for a company scaling from small business to mid-market. Set KPIs for every function, run the performance cadence (weekly check-ins, monthly reviews, quarterly OKRs), and build accountability with clear consequences and escalation paths. You own the people function during ramp-up, with support from the Talent Acquisition and Projects Lead, until a dedicated HR lead is justified.
Professionalising the business. Extract the institutional knowledge currently held by the CEO: processes, supplier relationships, pricing logic, formulation specs, margin structures. Turn ad-hoc execution into documented, repeatable, measurable processes and SOPs across every function, and build the systems and tooling appropriate to our stage. We are building toward an AI-first operating model and have an in-house AI team to build alongside you; your job is to prioritise it, sponsor it, and design our processes to be automation-ready. Deep AI expertise is not required.
Production, quality and the regulated operation. Full accountability for the Malmö site: production planning and output across own-brand and private-label lines, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance. Maintain GMP and HACCP certification and meet the supplement and food regulations of every export market. Hold the Production Manager accountable for output, quality, supply, and cost.
The P&L and the backbone for growth. Own P&L management and reporting to the CEO. Build budgeting, forecasting, cash-flow, and the financial controls behind them, and drive margin through operational efficiency. Scale operations, supply, and fulfillment to support both our B2B business and our growing direct-to-consumer channel, oversee B2B operations, and partner closely with the ecommerce team on the operational backbone the channel runs on.
What we are looking for
5+ years in senior operational leadership (COO, VP Operations, GM, or equivalent), with a proven track record of professionalising a founder-led or owner-managed business. This is the single most important criterion. You bring structure where little exists; you are not here to optimise a machine that already runs.
You have built and hired department-level leadership teams from scratch, not only managed inherited ones, and implemented KPIs, performance management, and accountability from the ground up.
You can own a regulated manufacturing operation. You do not need to run the line yourself, but you can hold a production team to account and carry quality and regulatory risk. Hands-on experience in a GMP/HACCP or comparable regulated environment is a strong plus.
Experience in CPG, FMCG, supplements, health and wellness, or consumer products is strongly preferred, and you understand both B2B distribution and DTC e-commerce.
Comfortable in a multi-market environment, and with ambiguity and rapid decisions in a resource-conscious setting. A hands-on operator who also thinks strategically and will execute directly in the early months before the team is built.
AI-forward: keen to use AI and automation to build a leaner, faster company, and able to bring the team along. Enthusiasm and the ability to drive adoption matter more than mastery.
High integrity and emotional intelligence. You will be a cultural anchor, and confident enough to challenge the CEO while respecting the founder's vision.
Fluent English (our working language; the team is international).
What we offer
Full operational ownership of a profitable company at a genuine inflection point, and the backing of a founder who wants to delegate operational leadership and focus on what he does best.
A competitive package: base salary, a performance bonus tied to operational results, and a long-term incentive. Specifics are discussed with shortlisted candidates.
How to apply
Send your application to hr@swedishnutra.com
Important: add job title COO in the subject line when applying.
Please include your CV and a personal letter.
Start date: as soon as possible.
Workplace: Swedish Nutra AB, Lodgatan 19, 211 24 Malmö.
Selection is ongoing — apply as soon as you can.
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