Head of Operations

Head of Operations - Portugal

Role highlights:

• Head of Operations

• Location: Lisbon, Portugal

• Department: General & Administrative - Local CEO Office

• Reports to: CEO, ICEYE Portugal (operational)

• Employment type: Permanent

• Workplace model: Hybrid - Lisbon office

• Employment is subject to applicable security screening; no national security clearance required at start, but role may be put forward for clearance over time.

Why this role matters

As Head of Operations, you'll be the right hand of the local CEO and the operational backbone of ICEYE's new Portuguese subsidiary. You'll represent ICEYE externally — with customers, vendors and partners — and drive the entity setup from the inside: vendor negotiations, procurement, regulatory filings, office stand-up and budget tracking. You'll partner closely with ICEYE's global People, Finance, IT and Legal functions, who provide the specialist depth; your job is to connect that global infrastructure to local reality and keep the subsidiary running at pace.

Who We Are

ICEYE is the world leader in sovereign intelligence from space. We deliver persistent monitoring capabilities to detect and respond to changes in any location on Earth.

ICEYE owns the world’s largest and most advanced SAR (synthetic aperture radar) satellite constellation. To our customers we provide intelligence with unmatched quality, latency and revisit times, in any weather, day or night. To governments who choose to operate their own constellation we provide this proven capability as a sovereign system.

ICEYE-built constellations serve customers in defence and intelligence, environmental monitoring, insurance and emergency management. We enable fast decisions that contribute to a safer future.

Founded and headquartered in Finland, ICEYE operates globally with over 1000 employees across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.

Your day-to-day responsibilities

Subsidiary operations

• Be the chief of staff to the CEO: agenda for board / leadership reviews, dashboards on hiring, budget, run-rate, KPI tracking.

• Coordinate with ICEYE Oy Finance / FP&A on monthly close, transfer-pricing inputs, statutory audit and IRC compliance.

• Coordinate with ICEYE Oy IT on equipment provisioning, MDM, network, security baseline and on/offboarding of accounts.

• Represent ICEYE Portugal in initial customer and partner interactions, and support the local CEO in commercial and stakeholder meetings.

• Support the Local Security Officer on facility security and clearance administration logistics.

• Handle Portuguese regulatory items: incorporation paperwork, NIPC, Segurança Social, AT, ANEPC, regional grants administration (SIFIDE II, Portugal 2030 / PRR, IAPMEI).

People - local extension of HQ (until local HR is hired)

• Act as the local contact point for the employee lifecycle — onboarding logistics, payroll queries to the outsourced provider, offboarding — in close partnership with ICEYE Global HR, Payroll and Talent Acquisition, who own the processes and support in process implementation and coordination.

• Partner with Global HR team to localise ICEYE global HR policies into Portuguese law (Código do Trabalho, TSU, IRS, IRC)

• Coach the local CEO and team leads on people matters; resolve employee issues and culture / engagement signals.

• Support local team activities and the office launch event in coordination with HQ Marketing.

Office, vendors & procurement

• Lead the office search, lease negotiation and fit-out (~240 sqm, Class A, Lisbon–Taguspark corridor) jointly with the local CEO.

• Own the day-to-day office: facilities, supplies, security access, reception, visitor management, cleanroom-adjacent space readiness if needed, supported by Global Facilities & Security teams.

• Build and manage the local vendor stack, supported by Global teams where applicable (legal counsel, audit, tax advisory, IT, telecoms, insurance, travel, security, real-estate broker.)

• Own indirect sourcing within the local CEO’s approval limit (€250K per transaction); negotiate framework agreements with preferred vendors; track spend against budget.

What we’re looking for

Must haves:

• 8+ years of Operations, Chief of Staff or General Management experience in Portugal, with 3+ years in a tech / defence / regulated scale-up.

• Working knowledge of Portuguese employment law and payroll fundamentals sufficient to coordinate with external counsel and the global HR function — (deep HR expertise not required; a dedicated HR hire is planned for autumn).

• Hands-on experience standing up or scaling a Portuguese subsidiary - incorporation paperwork, vendor selection, office set-up.

• Strong vendor and procurement instincts: negotiation, contracts, supplier management.

• Ability to operate as part of a global matrix - partner closely with HQ HR / Finance / IT / Legal teams in another time zone (Helsinki).

• Fluency in written and spoken English and Portuguese.

• High ownership, low ego; comfortable with ambiguity and being the second hire on the ground.

Nice to haves:

• Prior experience in defence, aerospace, dual-use, GovTech or any cleared environment.

• Familiarity with Portuguese R&D incentive instruments (SIFIDE II, Portugal 2030, IAPMEI, ESA BIC).

• Experience supporting national security clearance processes (GNS / ANS) and NATO Restricted readiness.

• Network among Lisbon’s commercial real estate, legal, accounting and recruitment communities.

Application Process

• Initial conversation with the ICEYE Portugal CEO (Rui Costa) - fit, mission, ways of working.

• Cross-functional interview round with ICEYE Oy HR / People Business Partner and Operations / Finance leadership.

• Practical case study (e.g. office search shortlist, vendor RFP, payroll go-live plan).

• Final cultural interview with ICEYE leadership.

• Reference checks and offer.

Working at ICEYE

At ICEYE, you’ll join a diverse and highly engaged team united by the ambition to make the impossible possible. As a global scale-up, we combine speed and ambition with the opportunity to take real ownership from day one. Your growth, wellbeing, and success are a priority, with continuous professional development, training opportunities, and a culture where collaboration is how we win.

How We Work (Our Values)

Make the impossible possible : We set ambitious goals and stay calm under pressure. We bring grit, optimism, and ownership when things get hard, and we keep moving until we find a way.

• Be curious : Go deep, ask questions, listen carefully, and think critically. Understand the “why” behind decisions.

• See the big picture: Stay close to what’s happening across the company so you can make better decisions. Consider how your work affects others.

• Drive effective teamwork: Create psychological safety, invite different perspectives, and build inclusive teams. There are no bad questions.

• Act as one team: We win together. We match tasks to the right owner and stay agile as priorities shift.

• Have fun : What we do matters, and it should be enjoyable. Celebrate progress, take pride in results, and share the wins.

Benefits

Our benefits are designed to support your health and wellbeing, at work and beyond. We keep improving them based on employee feedback, and offerings vary by location. Talent Acquisition will confirm what applies for this role and location during the process.

Base salary range for this position is contingent on your experience and will be negotiated individually.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We want ICEYE to be a place where people can be themselves and do great work. Different backgrounds and perspectives make us stronger, which is why we work to create an environment where people feel included, respected, and able to speak up. Whatever your background, we want you to bring your authentic self to the table.

We’re committed to fair, inclusive hiring and equal opportunity. Everyone is welcome to apply. If you need any adjustments or support during the recruitment process, tell us; we’ll do our best to help.

Apply now to start your ICEYE journey, and help us continue to make the impossible possible together. Read more about ICEYE and working with us at iceye.com.