Chief of Staff ​/ Director of Business Operations

LOCATION

On-site / Operations Hub – Burlington, NC

President / Owner

Founded by the vision of our founder and now led by second-generation ownership, Fjord Inc. is an industry-leading manufacturer of high-performance marine equipment. We hold dominant domestic market share, supplying 90% of the U.S. Coast Guard and 75% of the U.S. Navy.

With less than 15% market share across the rest of the world, we are primed for explosive international expansion. We are looking for an entrepreneurial business builder, whether an experienced operations leader or a high-potential MBA graduate, to step in as the right hand to the President, scale global operations, and grow into our Chief of Staff / COO.

Fjord Inc. traces its roots to 1967, when founders Gail and Capt. Edward Ratigan, PhD, a veteran ocean sailor and unlimited master mariner, respectively, began designing navigational instruments for the coasts and rivers of Southeast Asia. In 1991 they developed Chafe-Pro®, a patented wrap-around chafe protection design for marine lines, and incorporated the company in North Carolina in 1997, where all Chafe-Pro® products are still manufactured today.

Now led by second-generation owner Michael Ratigan, himself an ocean sailor since age seven, Fjord has built Chafe-Pro® into the global standard for chafing gear through decades of customer-driven product refinement and a guarantee that it will outlast and outperform every other removable anti-chafe device on the market.

• Operational Partner: Serve as the right hand to the President across daily manufacturing operations, supply chain management, and financial discipline (Fulcrum ERP/CRM).
• Global Expansion: Support international dealers and distributors to capture our massive global market potential.
• Supply Chain Resilience: Develop backup textile suppliers and optimize vendor/inventory controls.
• Path to Executive Leadership: Build systems, improve KPIs, and establish the operational framework to lead the executive team as Fjord grows.

• Educational / Professional
  
  Experience:
  
  
• Track A: MBA graduate (or equivalent advanced degree) seeking hands-on, general management exposure, international growth experience, and a fast track to executive leadership.
• Track B: 5–10+ years in manufacturing, B2B industrial products, logistics, or operational roles.
• Mindset: Entrepreneurial, resourceful, and systems-driven with strong financial literacy and comfort using KPIs.
• Global Aptitude: Passion for international business development and distributor relationship management (bilingual English/Spanish is a strong plus).
• Adaptability: Willingness to move between high-level strategy with the President and hands-on execution on the shop floor.

• Base Salary: $65,000 – $75,000 base (offering competitive ground-floor entry for top talent).
• Performance Incentives: Aggressive bonus structure tied to balanced company performance (revenue growth, profitability, inventory management, and operational KPIs).
• Long-Term Upside: Defined path to COO title and inclusion in future profit‑sharing alignment as global market expansion milestones are met.

Fjord Inc.|Chief of Staff / Director of Business Operations