Chief Operations Officer (COO), Cologne, Germany

About EIT Culture & Creativity

EIT Innovation Communities are designed as pan-European partnerships that bring together business, research centres and universities with the aim to tackle major societal challenges in areas with high innovation potential. To find out more, please visit www.eit.europa.eu

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) recently launched the building of the Innovation Community for Culture & Creativity. EIT Culture & Creativity’s mission is to bring a Knowledge and Innovation Community designed to strengthen and transform Europe’s Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries (CCSI) by connecting creatives and organisations to Europe’s largest innovation network: www.eit-culturecreativity.eu

EIT Culture & Creativity now invites applications for the position of:

Chief Operations Officer (COO)

Full-time position at the EIT Culture & Creativity (German GmbH) Headquarter in Cologne, Germany.

About the position

The Chief Operations Officer (COO) is a key leadership position at the EIT Culture and Creativity. As a critical member of the executive team, the COO is in charge of guiding the KICs workflow strategy and organising all essential processes. The COO creates systems and structures for desired outcomes and reviews the efficiency of the governance and execution functions. In this essential role, the COO must think strategically and possess strong leadership skills, while being a highly effective communicator and team player with strong problem-solving and decision-making skills. As a bridge between the operations and the contents the role requires a leader has an excellent understanding of and passion for Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries, and a proven track record in developing these sectors.

The COO provides symbiotic and complementary skills to the CEO as the second-in-command providing strategic leadership and supports the CEO role by working with the Management Team to set and meet the KICs objectives while creating a thriving culture of teamwork and productive accountability. The COO combines strategic thinking and with a results-oriented and hands-on practice, unifying the macro and micro level with impactful operations. As the main contact person for the EIT the COO oversees and manages all relevant operational topics of the GmbH, as HR, PMO and IT functions.

Specific responsibilities of the COO include but are not limited to:

General Responsibilities

• Responsible for building the organisation, including the digital infrastructure
• Structuring the operational processes and workflows
• Supervising all daily operations
• Handling the operational processes with EIT
• Designing, planning, implementing, and executing strategies, plans and procedures
• Developing and supervising the guidelines and policies of the organisation
• Collaborating and supporting with CEO in developing and driving vision, strategy and the KIC overall development
• Developing and implementing monitoring and reporting tools for both projects' progress, KPI harvesting, co-funding, grant utilisation etc together with CFO and CCO
• Supporting the CCO in designing, planning, implementing and executing operations for engagement, knowledge flow and learning Responsible for the set-up of the IP Board and the ELSI Board
• Ensuring adherence to organizational, federal, state, and local requirements, enforcing compliance and taking action when necessary

PMO, HR, IT and Content Systems Responsibilities

• Leading the PMO, HR and IT department
• Developing and supervising the internal planning processes for the Business Plan
• Ensuring effective recruiting, onboarding, and performance management of staff
• Leading the organisational processes of the Directors
• Collaborating with and supporting the MT to set performance goals and de/refine processes Implementing shared vision, leadership and the organization's culture, that ensures team members can thrive and organizational outcomes are met

Strategic & Leadership Responsibilities

• Leadership and Team Management: Lead the PMO, HR and IT teams and provide guidance, coaching, and mentorship to team members. Fosters a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability within the operational functions and across the company.
• Strategic Planning: Play a key role in the company's strategic planning process by providing industry knowledge, expertise, leadership, and operational evidence to support strategic decision-making. Works closely with other executives and functional leaders to develop and execute strategic initiatives that support the company's growth and profitability.
• Business Development: Play an instrumental role in orchestrating digital and human resources as well as critical tasks such as Business Plan development and organisational policies.
• Organisational Support: Collaborate with C-Team by ensuring consistency between the different departments.

Indispensable requirements and personal specification to apply to the vacancy:

• Qualification at a Masters degree or MBA level or equivalent
• Minimum 7 years' experience in a role relevant to the position
• Proven track record in developing public funding programmes, and in cluster and network management Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English, working knowledge of other languages, especially German, is an advantage
• At least 5 years' experience in the thematic field of Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries and international environments
• To ensure adherence to organizational, federal, state, and local requirements especially for the German legal entity and the headquarter in Cologne, knowledge of German systems is a plus
• Based on the European focus of the EIT Culture & Creativity the candidates should be residents in the European continent and must be allowed to receive a work permission needed for the job or secure the job provision by a company.

Further requirements

• 5 years or more experience of leadership
• Previous experience having worked in any EIT's KIC is an asset
• Exceptional planning, project management, and operational skills and experience
• Exceptional team player competencies and soft skills
• Excellent time management skills, the ability to prioritise effectively, capable of dealing with tight deadlines and stressful situations
• Accurate, solution-oriented, and continuous improvement mindset
• Attention to and passion for detail and thoroughness and patience
• A good balance of risk taking and judgment
• Knowledge of office administration and project management, and EU projects & funding

We offer:

• a start-up mindset, fast and flat processes, straight internal communication, low hierarchies, and freedom to operate.
• a friendly atmosphere within a dynamic team at modern and well-located office facilities.
• a competitive payment
• an employment contract under German labour law.
• Expected start as soon as possible, at the latest November 2023.

Location

The position is based in the EIT Culture & Creativity head office in Cologne (Germany). The COO is expected to be mainly present in Germany, flexible remote working arrangements are to be negotiated.

Diversity & Inclusion

EIT Culture & Creativity aspires to be an equitable and inclusive community. We nurture an open culture, where everyone is supported to fulfill their potential. We see inclusivity of talent as the basis of our success, and the diversity of perspectives and people as a highly valued outcome. EIT Culture & Creativity provides equal opportunities to all employees and applicants regardless of gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, functional impairment, citizenship, or any other aspect which makes them unique. We look forward to welcoming you to our community.

Selection Process

A Selection Committee of experts will be appointed to carry out the evaluation of applications submitted.

Please note that the Selection Committee´s internal proceedings are strictly confidential for avoiding conflicts of interest.

Shortlisted candidates are invited to virtual interviews in the first round and to a personal interview in the next round at EIT Culture & Creativity with the Selection Committee. Candidates may be asked to provide proof of qualifications, background, skills, and experiences by providing relevant documents.

Privacy note

Data protection is secured according to the European General Data Protection Regulation GDPR (Directive 95/46/EC).

The applications will be stored by REST FORDEREST S.L., the Human Resources company in charge of this hiring service, and will only be shared with individuals involved in the selection process. Application documents will be deleted as soon as the hiring process is finished.

Application process and additional information

A complete application should consist of

(i) Europass Curriculum Vitae

(ii) a motivation letter describing briefly how you meet the criteria outlined and your vision for the role (no longer than 2 DIN-A4 pages)

The application should be sent via e-mail to: [email protected] with subject header “COO EIT Culture & Creativity – surname_name”.

Format: CV and motivational letter in two separate files.

File name: Name the files according to the model “EITCC_COO_ surname_name_CV” and “EITCC_COO_ surname_name_ML”. For example, Maria Novak would name the file, EITCC_CFO_Novak_Maria_CV or ML.

Important: the application should be written in English. Only complete applications will be evaluated (full curriculum vitae and motivation letter, in two separated files).

The job vacancy will be open until 16th of June 2023 at 12:00 noon.

For questions regarding the application process, please contact [email protected]

Would you like to learn more about the EIT Culture & Creativity, visit www.eit-culture-creativity.eu

Take lead in this exciting journey. Send us your application now!

(ism ZAV International Services and EURES Spain)

Kilde: Jobnet.dk