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Best Fractional COO Services in Phoenix
Top Outsourced COO Services & Fractional Chief Operating Officers (COOs) in Phoenix
Phoenix is one of the fastest-growing metros in the United States—and with that growth comes a new class of founders, startups, and organizations seeking operational structure without the weight of traditional executive hires. From scalable tech ventures to mission-driven nonprofits, many Phoenix-based companies are now leveraging the strategic muscle of fractional Chief Operating Officers (COOs) to scale with purpose.
Fractional COOs provide high-level operational leadership on a part-time, project, or interim basis. These professionals deliver the experience and rigor of a full-time executive—while offering flexibility, affordability, and immediate value. Whether solving growing pains, stabilizing post-funding chaos, or rearchitecting back-office functions, fractional COOs play a critical role in helping Phoenix businesses thrive.
At Digital Reference, we believe professionals should be able to prove their value beyond the resume. We’re building a platform that supports reputation-first storytelling and transparency in work. This blog is part of our mission to surface the independent leaders shaping the future of operations.
Our Methodology - How We Selected the Best Interim, Outsourced, and Fractional COO Services in Phoenix
To curate this guide to Phoenix’s leading fractional COOs, we applied the following framework:
- Individuals must be actively offering fractional, interim, or part-time COO services
- Based in Phoenix or surrounding metro areas
- Have public-facing digital presence (firm website, LinkedIn, or verified portfolio)
- Demonstrate proven leadership in operations, growth strategy, systems implementation, or team execution
- Aligned with Digital Reference’s values of radical transparency, verified credibility, and people-first leadership
The professionals listed here represent a cross-section of Phoenix’s most effective operators. They’re not just getting things done—they’re building foundations for sustainable success.
Before diving into our Fractional COOs of Phoenix Spotlight...
If this article doesn't scratch all of your itches, we want to make sure you know that we have you covered - consider exploring these pieces next:
- Operations Consultants & What They Actually Do?
- Fractional COOs by Region and Country
- Fractional COO or Outsourced COO - Choosing the Right Fit for Your Business
Meet The Best Fractional COO & Outsourced COO Services in Phoenix
Dr. Kevin Jacobs
Founder, Business Simplified Studio
Dr. Kevin Jacobs is a fractional COO who helps businesses turn operational complexity into clear, scalable workflows. With expertise in organizational leadership, entrepreneurship, and process design, he partners with teams to simplify systems, strengthen accountability, and align operations with business goals.
Highlights:
🏢 Organizational development, change management, and performance consulting
📑 Fractional COO strategy and implementation
💬 Helps identify operational roadblocks and design effective systems
Dr. Jacobs enables mid-career managers, business owners, and EMS organizations to streamline operations, implement scalable systems, and achieve clarity in complex processes.
Russell Brooks
Russell Brooks provides fractional COO services to high-growth companies, particularly in SaaS and service-based industries. Based in Phoenix, he focuses on building operational infrastructure that aligns vision, strategy, and team culture.
Highlights:
🏢 Product development, operations scaling, and B2B go-to-market strategy
📑 Aligns vision with execution during growth inflection points
💬 Supports companies through fundraising, pivots, and post-acquisition integration
Russell enables teams to tighten internal systems and execute strategy effectively, ensuring sustainable growth and operational alignment.
Irina T.
Co- founder, UpnUp Team
IrinaC T. is a fractional COO and people operations expert who helps scaling startups and remote teams build culture-centric operations. She specializes in process optimization, team development, and implementing operational systems that reflect organizational values.
Highlights:
🏢 People operations, executive coaching, and operational scaling
📑 Implements playbooks, hiring plans, and internal systems
💬 Supports remote-first and hybrid teams across tech, creative, and service sectors
Irina enables organizations to leverage their people as the system, creating operational clarity and structures that empower teams to perform at their best.
Why Phoenix Companies Are Embracing Fractional Operations Leaders
Phoenix is undergoing a transformation. No longer just a Sun Belt city, it’s emerging as a hub for tech, health innovation, real estate, and green energy. The region’s cost competitiveness, talent pool, and infrastructure make it ideal for early- and mid-stage businesses.
Here’s why fractional COOs are becoming essential in Phoenix:
- Founders want to focus on growth, not operations
- Teams are lean and need senior leadership without full-time headcount
- Hybrid and remote work models require strong operational systems
- Many companies are bootstrapped or post-funding and need scalable processes fast
Fractional COOs offer executional rigor, team alignment, and structure without bureaucracy.
What Makes a Great Fractional COO in Phoenix?
Across Phoenix and beyond, the most effective fractional COOs are:
- Quick integrators: They understand the business fast and start delivering value immediately
- Collaborative builders: They partner with founders, not override them
- Operational storytellers: They bring the why behind the what, helping teams connect actions to outcomes
- Structure creators: They implement systems and frameworks that scale with the business
In short, they offer short-term leadership with long-term impact.
The Digital Reference Advantage
At Digital Reference, we recognize that most fractional leaders leave behind value—but rarely have a place to prove it. Our platform helps professionals:
- Collect verified testimonials and structured career achievements
- Build a portable, transparent professional profile
- Demonstrate real outcomes, not just titles or bullet points
We’re building a future where reputation is your resume, and credibility is earned—and shared—over time.
Final Thoughts - Hiring the Right Fractional COO in Phoenix
Fractional COOs are the engine behind many of Phoenix’s growing businesses. They help organizations transition, scale, and execute—all while working with flexibility and strategic intent.
The professionals featured here represent the very best of Phoenix’s fractional leadership:
- Strategically minded
- Culturally grounded
- Operationally excellent
Whether you’re preparing for Series A, evolving your leadership team, or rethinking how your business runs—these are the people you want to know.
Check Out Our Local Directories of Fractional COO, Outsourced COO Services & Interim COOs by City
Ann Arbor, MI - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
Ann Arbor startups and research-driven firms are turning to fractional ops leaders for precision execution and growth strategy.
Atlanta, GA - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
In a city that blends enterprise and startup energy, Atlanta companies lean on COOs who can unify vision and operations.
Boston, MA - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
From biotech to B2B SaaS, Boston’s ops leaders bring structure and speed to innovation-heavy teams.
Chicago, IL - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
COOs in the Windy City are helping companies align their back-end systems with bold front-end goals.
Denver, CO - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
Denver’s scale-ups are calling in fractional execs to professionalize their operations without slowing their culture.
Detroit, MI - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
With roots in manufacturing and momentum in mobility, Detroit companies rely on fractional COOs for systems that scale.
Houston, Texas - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
Houston’s operational ecosystem is evolving fast. More startups are scaling. More nonprofits are serving complex needs.
London, United Kingdom - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
Fractional COO Services are sky-rocketing in popularity in London as labor costs go up and time to market is accelerating.
Los Angeles, CA - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
In LA, creative industries meet tech—and fractional COOs bring the operational clarity these hybrid teams need.
Philadelphia, PA - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
Fractional COO Services in Philly are ensuring East Coast startups and high growth companies have the right structure to survive.
Phoenix, AZ - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
Phoenix-based COOs help founders transition from hustle to structured scale with systems that grow.
San Francisco, CA - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
Bay Area COOs are stepping in to help tech companies streamline, automate, and stabilize post-funding growth.
Seattle, WA - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
In Seattle’s product-driven landscape, ops leaders drive alignment between engineering, GTM, and finance.
Sydney, Australia - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
Home to Canva, growing base of purpose-led enterprises, and increasing demand for agile executive leadership, Sydney has become a hotbed for operational talent that doesn’t require a full-time seat.
Toronto, Canada - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
Toronto doesn’t just build startups—it builds systems. It’s a city where public meets private, where the startup ecosystem is growing alongside government programs, universities, and a rising impact economy. But for all its innovation, hiring executive talent in Toronto has always come with nuance.
Washington, DC (DMV Area) - Part-Time COOs & Fractional COO Services
DC-area operators bring rigor and regulatory awareness—perfect for mission-driven orgs and gov-adjacent teams.
Explore their work. Connect. And when you’re ready to document your own professional story or discover your next operational partner—start with Digital Reference.
– The Digital Reference Team
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