Key Skills

Job Description

Office of the CEO · One of Ark's main European locations · Full-time · Frequent travel Ark exists to protect the people of Earth. We build advanced robotic systems for defence and other demanding real-world environments, bringing together robotics, autonomy, hardware, software, manufacturing and frontline operations. Our teams work across several countries and closely with the people who use our systems in the field. We are entering the next stage of the company's growth. Products must develop faster. Manufacturing must scale. Customer commitments must stay connected to delivery reality. A distributed organisation must keep operating as one company. We are looking for a Chief of Staff to work directly with our CEO and Leadership Team through this stage. The role This role increases the CEO's capacity. You'll make sure the right issues reach the CEO at the right time, decisions are properly prepared and followed through, and the CEO can focus on the areas where his direct involvement has the highest value. It is a company-building role at the centre of Ark. You'll be the CEO's closest strategic and execution partner. You'll help turn company direction into clear priorities, improve how decisions are made and followed through, and connect work across Product, Engineering, Manufacturing, Growth, Frontline Operations, Finance and People. You'll have broad visibility across the company, from product and field operations to customers, financing and organisational development. You'll work on the questions that matter most as Ark grows into a significantly larger international defence technology company. The environment is demanding and changes quickly. Teams are distributed, not every process is fully built, and the people around the table bring very different professional backgrounds and levels of experience working at scale. You should enjoy bringing clarity to that kind of environment without slowing it down. This is not an Executive Assistant role. It isn't a strategy role focused on producing presentations, and it isn't a shadow COO or a parallel management structure sitting above Ark's functional leaders. You'll work closely with Ark's leaders while respecting their ownership of their functions and outcomes. What you'll own 1. Turn strategy into execution Work with the CEO and Leadership Team to define Ark's most important company priorities Translate strategic direction into clear initiatives, owners, timelines and expected outcomes Coordinate company planning and maintain visibility over major priorities, dependencies and risks Make sure changes in direction are understood by the teams affected 2. Make leadership decisions count Run the operating rhythm of the Leadership Team, including preparation, decisions and follow-through Make sure important discussions lead to clear owners and actions Surface unresolved decisions, risks and cross-functional blockers early Help the Leadership Team focus on the few issues with the greatest company-level impact 3. Increase the CEO's impact Act as a trusted thought partner on company strategy, organisational questions and important business decisions Frame complex issues, challenge assumptions, and develop clear options and recommendations Prepare the CEO for important customer, government, investor and leadership discussions Make sure relevant information, disagreement and bad news reach the CEO Help the CEO concentrate his time on customers, capital, product direction, strategic partnerships and critical hires 4. Connect the company as it scales Strengthen the connection between commercial commitments, customer needs, product development, manufacturing capacity and field delivery Build a concise company-level view of performance and the most important business risks Improve how decisions and context move across countries and remote teams Lead selected cross-functional initiatives that do not yet have a natural owner Build practical operating systems that can support significant growth without creating unnecessary bureaucracy What we're looking for There is no single background required for this role. Strong candidates may come from a scaling technology company, a defence or industrial business, a military organisation, strategy consulting, investment banking, private equity, business operations or another demanding environment. A previous Chief of Staff title matters less than evidence that you have: Worked directly with a founder, CEO or senior leadership team Led complex cross-functional work through delivery, not only analysis Operated during rapid growth, organisational change or international expansion Made good decisions with incomplete information Influenced experienced leaders without relying on formal authority Built structure in an ambiguous environment without creating unnecessary process Worked successfully with remote or internationally distributed teams Communicated complex issues clearly and concisely Challenged senior leaders constructively when you believed a different approach was needed Earned trust when handling confidential or sensitive information Consistently brought difficult work to completion You must be comfortable moving between strategic questions and practical details. On the same day, you may work through company priorities with the CEO, resolve a dependency between several teams, review company performance information and prepare for an investor or government discussion. Required: fluent professional English and frequent travel. Eligibility for relevant security vetting may also be required. Valuable but not required: experience in defence technology, robotics, hardware, manufacturing, military operations, defence procurement or government customers. Why this role is different You'll have an unusually broad view of how a European defence technology company is built, with direct exposure to: Building and deploying advanced robotic systems Product, engineering, manufacturing and frontline operations Defence customers and government stakeholders International growth and company building Financing, investors and board-level decisions The organisational challenges of scaling across several countries This is a role for someone who wants real responsibility and proximity to decisions, not only exposure to them. You'll be expected to form your own view, challenge constructively and take ownership of important work from definition through completion.

Core Responsibilities

Partner with the CEO and Leadership Team to translate company strategy into priorities, prepare and follow through on decisions, and coordinate complex cross-functional initiatives. Connect commercial commitments, product development, manufacturing, and field delivery while improving company-wide visibility, communication, and operating systems as Ark scales.

Requirements

Candidates should have experience working directly with senior leaders and delivering complex cross-functional work in a fast-growing, changing, or international environment. They must be comfortable with ambiguity, able to influence and challenge leaders constructively, communicate clearly in fluent professional English, travel frequently, and potentially qualify for relevant security vetting.