Chief Operating Officer (COO)

The Digital Hub; Dublin; Hybrid; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Codema, Dublin’s energy agency, seeks a Chief Operating Officer to oversee day-to-day operations as the CEO’s trusted partner. The role drives structure during rapid growth, aligns project delivery with central Finance and HR, and champions efficient, scalable processes across the organisation.

The ideal candidate brings 5+ years in senior operational leadership, strong financial literacy, and a proven ability to influence diverse teams and external stakeholders.

Qualifications

• More than five years in a senior operational leadership role (COO/Operations Director).
• Excellent financial literacy and understanding of governance, budgeting and forecasting.
• Outstanding communication and ability to influence cross-functional teams and external stakeholders.
• Proficient with project/resource management tools and comfortable using AI/automation for reporting.

Responsibilities

• Provide reliable operational oversight as a strategic partner to the CEO.
• Instill structure, workflows and scalable processes across a fast-growing organisation.
• Prepare operational reports and present KPI, risk and performance updates to the Board.
• Oversee risk management and implement smart mitigation strategies.
• Lead capacity planning and collaborate with HR to forecast resource needs.

Skills

Senior operational leadership

Financial literacy

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder management

Strategic risk management

Tools

AI & automation tools

Job description

Codema are currently hiring for a Chief Operating Officer to join their team.

About The Role:

As Codema continues to expand its impact and drive multi-million-euro energy projects, our CEO is seeking a trusted “right-hand person” to assume oversight of day-to-day operations.

This is primarily a cross-functional leadership role focused on driving alignment, to bring structure to rapid growth, streamline internal workflows, and mitigate operational stress points. You will act as the vital strategic bridge linking our on-the-ground project delivery teams with our centralised Finance and HR functions.

This is a senior, high-impact leadership role requiring a values-aligned executive who can hit the ground running, make decisive calls under pressure and confidently champion Codema’s operations at the Board level. The role will be supported by appropriate operational and administrative resources, following an assessment of requirements.

Key Responsibilities:

Operational leadership and governance

• Act as a close strategic partner and trusted advisor to the CEO, providing reliable operational oversight.
• Instill operational structure, clear workflows and scalable processes into a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Confidently prepare operational reports and present directly at Board of Directors meetings, providing clear updates on organisational KPIs, risks and performance.
• Oversee risk management frameworks across the organisation, demonstrating a healthy tolerance for risk while ensuring smart mitigation strategies are in place.

Cross-functional translation (Projects to Finance & HR)

• Serve as the central connection point between project teams on the ground and internal corporate functions (Finance and HR).
• Translate fluid project variables, scopes and timelines into structured, relevant financial and resource inputs, ensuring timely and accurate financial information is provided for reporting, forecasting and grant compliance.
• Monitor project performance metrics, tracking variances such as under/overruns, delays and scope adjustments, and ensure these are properly accounted for in organisational budgets and cash-flow forecasting.
• Promote financial accountability and informed decision-making across operational teams.
• Lead capacity planning across the project portfolio, maintaining a clear view of resource requirements and collaborate closely with HR to forecast and plan resource allocation, identifying talent gaps based on project pipelines.

Cross-team collaboration and culture

• Provide supportive, high-leverage leadership to an established, highly-technical team of energy engineers, planners, and project managers.
• Nurture a collaborative workspace, utilising exceptional communication and interpersonal skills to build trust, manage change smoothly and resolve friction points.

Ideal Candidate:

• Structure catalyst
• Decisive and risk-tolerant

Skills and Experience:

• More than five years experience in a senior operational leadership role (e.g. COO, Operations Director, Head of Operations).
• Excellent financial literacy; deep understanding of commercial/financial terms, corporate governance, budget management and operational forecasting.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills – a true “people person” capable of influencing cross-functional teams and external stakeholders alike.
• Proficient in project and resource management tools, digitally fluent and comfortable leveraging AI and automation tools to streamline reporting, planning and decision-making.
• Experience with a variety of income streams; EU/national grants, contracts, sales, etc.
• Desirable: Direct experience within the energy, sustainability, utilities or climate action sectors is highly advantageous but not essential.
• Desirable: Experience in operations in a commercial setting.

About Codema:

We are Codema – Dublin’s Energy Agency. We are driven by our vision to positively impact people’s lives locally, while addressing the environmental damage caused by climate change at a global scale. We believe we can do this by improving the way we produce and use energy locally, while benefiting the people of Dublin.