Overview
Our client who is a specialist electrical engineering consultancy, focused on data centres and high-voltage infrastructure projects
The Chief of Staff is the CEO's right hand, providing direct support to the CEO in running the business and acting as the main coordination point between the CEO and the other members of the C-suite. The role ensures that the CEO's priorities are clearly communicated, that decisions taken by the executive team are translated into actions with owners and deadlines, and that these are followed through across the company's operations in Norway, Finland and Portugal.
Working closely with the CFO, COO, CCO, CIO and other executives, the Chief of Staff prepares the information the CEO needs for decision-making, runs the executive meeting rhythm, coordinates cross-functional priorities and manages communication with the Board and parent group
As a senior electrical engineer, the Chief of Staff brings the technical credibility to engage directly with design, bid and project delivery teams, challenge technical and execution assumptions, and ensure that strategic and commercial decisions are grounded in a sound understanding of how MV/HV substation projects are engineered and delivered
Key Responsibilities:
CEO Support & Executive Office
- Act as the CEO's principal adviser and sounding board on business, operational and technical matters.
- Manage the CEO's priorities, agenda and time allocation, acting as a filter and escalation point for issues requiring CEO attention.
- Prepare briefings, analysis, presentations and recommendations ahead of key CEO meetings, client meetings and decisions.
- Follow up on CEO commitments and requests, ensuring actions are completed on time across the organization.
- Represent the CEO in internal and external meetings where required, ensuring alignment and follow-up.
C-Suite Coordination & Executive Meetings
- Act as the main point of coordination between the CEO and the other C-suite executives (e.g. CFO, COO, CCO, CIO).
- Run the executive meeting rhythm: weekly executive meetings, quarterly business reviews and strategy sessions.
- Set agendas, prepare pre-reads, record decisions and track executive actions through to closure.
- Ensure alignment between functions on cross-cutting priorities, resolving cross-functional issues or escalating them to the CEO as needed.
- Coordinate executive input for Board meetings and parent group reporting, working with the CFO and functional leads.
Strategy & Business Planning
- Support the CEO in defining, communicating and cascading company strategy and annual objectives to the executive team.
- Coordinate the annual business planning and budgeting cycle together with the CFO and the executive team.
- Carry out analysis on strategic topics such as market entry, growth options, partnerships and new technologies (e.g. renewables and BESS grid connections).
- Provide engineering insight into strategic decisions, including technical and execution risk on major bids and projects.
- Monitor progress against strategic objectives and flag risks, gaps and corrective actions to the CEO.
- Develop new processes and procedures, as well as refining existing processes and procedures for the business using AI and other emerging technologies, ensuring appropriate stakeholder engagement and successful implementation and maintenance.
Strategic Initiatives & Performance Reporting
- Lead or coordinate high-priority, cross-functional initiatives on behalf of the CEO, from planning through to delivery.
- Develop and maintain company-level KPI dashboards covering commercial, operational, financial and HSE performance.
- Track the order book, pipeline and performance of key projects in collaboration with Bid & Sales, Finance and Project Delivery.
- Prepare business cases and ad-hoc analysis to support CEO and executive decisions.
- Support the alignment of organizations processes and reporting with the parent company requirements.
- Together with the CEO, develop report structures using AI and other emerging technologies for successfully completing relevant metrics for tracking of strategic initiatives and performance reporting.
Technical Advisory & Governance
- Act as the CEO's technical adviser, reviewing the technical basis, assumptions and risks of major bids, projects and investment decisions.
- Take part in or lead technical reviews of key projects with Engineering and Project Delivery, flagging technical and execution issues to the CEO.
- Support the CEO in technical discussions with clients, grid owners (e.g. Statnett, Fingrid), partners and key suppliers.
- Assess new technologies, standards and regulatory changes (e.g. grid codes, NEK 440 / FEF updates) and their impact on the business.
- Maintain the company governance framework, including delegations of authority and executive approval processes, and act as point of contact for the Board and parent group on behalf of the CEO.
- Possess a strong interest in AI and automation, while demonstrating such an interest with strong knowledge and skillset using Claude (mandatory) - other AI tools an advantage.
Required Qualifications and Competencies:
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering (Power Systems or a related specialisation) is required. Senior professional engineering registration (e.g. Ordem dos Engenheiros - Membro Sénior or equivalent) and an MBA or business postgraduate qualification are an advantage
- Minimum 15 years' professional experience as an electrical engineer, including at least 10 years in the power, energy infrastructure or EPC sector, ideally on MV/HV substation projects.
- At least 5 years in a senior leadership role such as Engineering Manager, Technical Director, Project Director or equivalent.
- Proven track record of working directly with CEOs, executive teams and Boards, and of influencing decisions at executive level.
- In-depth, hands-on understanding of the full EPC project lifecycle (tender, engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning).
- Experience leading complex, high-value projects or programmes and cross-functional initiatives in a growing or multi-country organisation.
- Experience preparing board-level reporting and working with parent companies or investors
Technical Skills:
- Senior-level electrical engineering expertise in MV/HV substations and power systems, with the technical authority to engage with design, bid and project teams, clients and grid owners.
- Familiarity with the main standards and regulations for the power sector (e.g. IEC 61936-1, IEC 62271, NEK 440, FEF, SFS 6001).
- Understanding of project controls, technical and commercial risk, and the cost and margin drivers of EPC contracts.
- Strong strategic, analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to structure complex issues and recommend clear actions.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint; experience with BI and dashboard tools (e.g. Power BI) is an advantage.
- Solid understanding of business planning, budgeting, financial statements and project-based business models.
- Programme and project management skills, including planning, risk management and governance.
- Understanding of corporate governance, internal controls and compliance across multiple jurisdictions.
Interpersonal & Communication Skills:
- Excellent verbal and written communication in English (Portuguese is considered a plus).
- Must hold the right to work in the EU/EEA and be available for travel to Norway and Finland as required.
- Strong organizational and multitasking capabilities.
- Highest level of discretion, integrity and professionalism when handling confidential information.
- Ability to influence without direct authority and to build trust with the CEO and C-suite executives.
- Clear and structured communicator, able to turn complex technical and commercial information into concise briefings for the CEO.
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment, balancing several high-priority topics at once
ewi is committed to equality in the workplace and is an equal opportunity employer. ewi is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy.
Chief of Staff
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