A central leadership role in strengthening organisational effectiveness across Nordic digital infrastructure

Would you like to help shape the organisational backbone of one of the world’s most trusted digital infrastructure partnerships?

On behalf of NORDUnet, we are seeking a Chief Operating Officer to lead the organisation’s operational effectiveness, organisational governance and internal alignment. Reporting to the CEO and joining the C-level leadership team, the COO will play a key role in strengthening organisational cohesion, leadership alignment, execution and internal operating structures at an important stage in NORDUnet’s development.

About NORDUnet

NORDUnet is the strategic digital infrastructure collaboration of the Nordic region, jointly owned and steered by the five Nordic National Research and Education Networks in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. For more than four decades, NORDUnet has delivered highly reliable connectivity, secure digital services and advanced network infrastructure to the Nordic research and education community, while also serving as a platform for Nordic collaboration and international partnership.

As the organisation enters a new strategic phase, the appointment of a COO will build on NORDUnet’s strong foundation by strengthening internal alignment, reinforcing decision-making and execution, and supporting the organisation’s continued development as a trusted and effective partner to the Nordic community.

A central role in organisational alignment and execution

The COO leads NORDUnet’s operations and governance function and heads a team of 6–7 specialised professionals. The function covers legal and compliance, procurement, information security, risk and compliance, PMO and project coordination, HR and organisational processes, board and governance processes, internal IT support systems, and office management.

In this role, governance is broader than compliance and formal processes. It includes the leadership, decision-making and collaboration structures that enable NORDUnet to operate effectively as one organisation and to engage with the five NRENs in a structured, transparent and well-balanced way. Acting as a key partner to the CEO, the COO will help translate strategic priorities into coordinated action across the organisation, while ensuring clear roles, strong internal communication and disciplined execution.

Key responsibilities

As Chief Operating Officer, you will:

• Further develop and ensure effective use of governance structures, decision-making processes and accountability frameworks

• Lead and develop a team of 6–7 specialised professionals in a collaborative and high-trust environment

• Strengthening organisational alignment and collaboration across functions, ensuring clear interfaces and effective ways of working

• Ensure efficient and well-functioning internal operations across legal, procurement, information security, PMO, HR, internal IT and office management

• Support the CEO and leadership team in translating strategic priorities into coordinated action and disciplined execution

• Drive cross-organisational initiatives, ensuring progress, transparency and consistent follow-up

• Lead and coordinate board processes, including preparation of materials and systematic follow-up

• Drive continuous improvement of internal processes, tools and organisational effectiveness.

Your profile

We are looking for an experienced operational leader with a strong track record in complex, multi-stakeholder environments. You are likely to bring:

• Senior leadership experience from operations, PMO, strategy, governance or a similar function

• Proven ability to improve organisational effectiveness, collaboration and internal ways of working

• Strong experience supporting executive leadership in translating strategy into execution

• Experience from complex environments such as public or semi-public organisations, infrastructure, research or international collaborations

• A solid understanding of governance as a practical enabler of decision-making, alignment and accountability

• Strong people leadership experience, with the ability to lead and develop specialised teams in a trust-based setting

• Strong execution capability, with the ability to create structure, ensure follow-through and maintain momentum

• The ability to operate effectively in a technical environment and translate between technical teams and organisational priorities.

• Experience with or exposure to security-related areas (e.g. information security, risk, or compliance), and an understanding of how to support and integrate these functions at an organisational level

Personal qualities

You are structured and analytical, with a pragmatic and execution-oriented mindset. You build trust through clarity, reliability and sound judgement, and you combine calm and steady leadership with the ability to create direction, accountability and progress. You are a strong collaborator who can lead both directly and through others, and you bring the empathy and interpersonal skills needed to work effectively across diverse teams and stakeholders.

Why join NORDUnet?

This is an opportunity to take on a high-impact executive role in a mission-driven organisation that plays a vital part in enabling research, education and international collaboration across the Nordic region. You will join a highly respected organisation with strong technical credibility, a unique stakeholder landscape and an important voice in global digital infrastructure development.

The role offers:

• A central position on the executive leadership team

• The opportunity to shape and build a newly established COO function

• A key role in strengthening cross-functional collaboration, structure and execution across the organisation

• A mission-driven environment with highly skilled and committed colleagues

• The opportunity to work within a unique Nordic collaboration and international ecosystem

Location

The role requires a base in Greater Copenhagen, with NORDUnet’s headquarters in Copenhagen serving as the primary place of work.