A fractional or interim COO, without the six-month search
Robert Rippberger steps in as your chief operating officer, part time or full time, for as long as the job needs. He runs the weekly operating rhythm, takes the decisions that have been waiting on someone, and hands the seat back in better shape. A team from On It Service does the legwork behind him.
When companies call us
- Your COO left, and the search will take months.
- The CEO has been running operations on the side, and it shows.
- Revenue grew faster than the processes that are supposed to hold it.
- A new owner wants a 100-day plan, and nobody has the time to write it.
- An acquisition closed, and the integration has no owner.
Fractional or interim: which one you need
- Fractional COO
- One to three days a week, usually for six months or longer. Right when you need senior operating judgment but not a full-time salary, or not yet.
- Interim COO
- Full time for a fixed period. Right when the seat is empty, a turnaround can’t wait, or an integration needs one person accountable every day.
The first 90 days
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Weeks 1 and 2: listen and read the numbers
Robert meets each department head, walks the floor or the office, and reads the last twelve months of financial and operating reports. You get a short written read of what he found.
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Weeks 3 and 4: pick the priorities
An operating plan with three to five priorities, each with an owner, a measure and a date. Anything that isn’t on the plan waits.
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Months 2 and 3: run the plan
A weekly operating review with your managers, a one-page scorecard, and the first fixes to the bottlenecks that cost the most. The On It team handles the follow-ups, the documents and the project tracking.
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Day 90: review it with you
What moved, what didn’t, what comes next, and an honest answer to whether you still need us. If you’re hiring a permanent COO, Robert helps you write the role and interview for it.
Done before
At CLOC, the legal operations association, we started with the AV for one conference and ended up as the first team helping its leadership with growth and day-to-day operations.
Who this isn’t for
If you want an outside opinion delivered as a slide deck, hire a strategy firm. Robert takes the seat, runs the meetings and owns the follow-through.
Questions about a fractional or interim COO
What does a fractional COO do?
A fractional COO runs a company’s operations part time, usually one to three days a week. The role covers the same ground as a full-time COO: setting operating priorities, running the weekly management rhythm, fixing processes that slow the business down, and holding managers to their numbers. You get senior operating experience for a fraction of a full-time salary.
How much does a fractional COO cost?
It depends on days per week and scope. Most fractional COOs in the US bill a monthly retainer, and published 2026 rate guides put typical retainers between about $8,000 and $20,000 a month for one to three days a week (Fractional Pulse and Fractionus). We quote a fixed monthly fee after a first call, once we know the scope.
What is the difference between a fractional and an interim COO?
A fractional COO works part time over a longer period, often alongside a CEO who keeps some operating duties. An interim COO works full time for a set period, usually to fill an empty seat, lead a turnaround or run an integration, and steps out when a permanent hire starts. Robert does both.
How long does a fractional COO engagement last?
Most last six to twelve months, according to the 2026 Fractional Work Report by Fractional Jobs. We plan in 90-day blocks and review at the end of each one, so you can extend, change the scope or end the engagement with a clean handover.
Can we hire Robert directly instead of through On It Service?
Yes. Some companies prefer an employee in the seat. Robert can join as your COO or VP of Operations, and the On It Service team stays available behind him for project work, staffing and administration if you approve it. We agree the arrangement in writing before day one.
Do you work on site?
Yes, when the work needs it. Robert is based in Los Angeles and travels to clients across the United States. Plant visits, leadership offsites and board meetings are in person; most weekly work runs remotely. We agree the on-site schedule at the start.
Talk it through with Robert
A 30-minute call is enough to tell whether a fractional or interim COO is the right fix and what it would take.