CEO Associate | Business Operations

IS-Wireless; Warszawa; On-site; PLN 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Direct CEO work

Broad operating experience

International exposure

Path to Chief of Staff

Job summary

IS-Wireless in Warsaw is seeking a hands-on CEO Associate to help run cross-company initiatives. You will work directly with the CEO, taking ownership of practical business projects, coordinating colleagues across functions, and driving actions through to completion.

Two-thirds of the role focuses on execution—organising work, removing blockers, improving processes, and keeping priorities on track. The remainder involves analysis, financial modelling and forward planning to support strategic

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of selected business projects from defining steps to implementation and completion.
• Turn CEO decisions into clear actions with owners and deadlines, and follow up until commitments are fulfilled.
• Coordinate cross-functional work across Sales, Product, Technology, Finance and Operations; manage dependencies and blockers.
• Manage and improve business processes, building practical operating systems and applying continuous improvement (TQM, Kaizen).
• Prepare the CEO for key meetings, negotiations and external engagements; join selected meetings and handle follow-up.

Job description

About IS-Wireless

IS-Wireless is a European deep-tech and dual-use company developing software-defined mobile networking technologies for resilient, secure and efficient communications. With offices in Poland and the Netherlands, we are a NATO DIANA company and a member of the Dutch 6G Future Networks Services programme.

The Role

We are looking for a hands-on CEO Associate to help run cross-company initiatives and improve how work gets done at IS-Wireless. Working directly with the CEO, you will take ownership of practical business projects, coordinate colleagues across functions and follow through until agreed actions are completed.

Around two-thirds of the role will focus on operational execution: organising work, resolving blockers, improving processes and keeping priorities on track. The remaining part will involve analysis, financial modelling and forward planning to support business decisions.

You should enjoy taking a topic from an initial discussion through to implementation, including doing the practical work yourself where needed. This is a business operations position, not an executive assistant role.

The role could suit someone with experience in startup or scaleup operations, business projects or a CEO or founder’s office. Consulting, advisory and investment experience is also relevant where it includes implementation or hands-on work with businesses.

You do not need to arrive as a ready-made Chief of Staff. The role offers the potential to grow towards Chief of Staff and broader operating leadership responsibilities as your contribution and company needs evolve.

Key Responsibilities

• Take ownership of selected business projects, from defining the next steps to implementation and completion.

• Turn CEO decisions into clear actions, owners and deadlines, and follow up until commitments are fulfilled.

• Coordinate cross-functional work across Sales, Product, Technology, Finance and Operations, managing dependencies and resolving blockers.

• Manage and improve business processes, building practical operational systems and applying continuous improvement principles, including Total Quality Management (TQM) and Kaizen.

• Coordinate company-wide planning, budgeting and other activities that require input and follow-through across teams.

• Maintain a clear view of company priorities, milestones and execution gaps, raising issues early and helping resolve them.

• Prepare the CEO for key meetings, negotiations and external engagements; join selected meetings and take responsibility for follow-up and implementation.

• Prepare financial models, budgets and business cases to support decisions and forward planning.

• Conduct focused analysis of customers, partners, investors, competitors and markets, translating findings into concise recommendations and decision materials.

What We Expect

• Experience taking ownership of business projects or operational processes and seeing them through to completion. You can explain what you personally implemented and what changed as a result.

• Relevant experience in business operations, cross-functional project delivery, a CEO or founder’s office, or another hands-on business role. Consulting, advisory or investment experience with practical implementation responsibility is also relevant.

• Strong organisation and follow-through: you can break an unclear task into manageable steps, coordinate others and keep work moving without constant reminders.

• A practical approach to problem-solving and the willingness to handle detailed execution as well as planning.

• The ability to work across functions, clarify responsibilities and raise issues constructively when priorities compete or progress stalls.

• Excellent communication skills, including speaking, writing and presenting.

• Excellent written and spoken English.

• Excellent financial modelling skills, including preparing budgets and business cases.

• The ability to understand unfamiliar business and technology topics quickly, ask useful questions and seek input when needed.

• Initiative, discretion and confidence working with senior executives, customers, investors and partners.

• Availability to work regularly on site with the CEO in Warsaw.

• Interest in deep-tech, telecom, defence, dual-use technology or critical infrastructure is a strong advantage.

IS-Wireless DNA

We value commitment, team spirit and honest communication. We look for people who take initiative, help colleagues and follow through on agreed actions. Be open about what you know, ask when you need context and raise problems early. A genuine “How can I help?" attitude means taking useful action and seeing it through.

What Success Looks Like

• Agreed initiatives reach completion, with clear ownership and fewer unresolved dependencies.

• Teams spend less time chasing updates because actions, deadlines and progress are visible.

• Processes become easier to follow, and improvements continue to work after they are introduced.

• The CEO can delegate selected topics to you with confidence that you will organise the work, address problems and follow through.

• Analysis and financial models help the company make decisions and translate them into practical next steps.

• You take increasing responsibility for projects and operating activities as you learn the business.

What We Offer

• Direct work with the CEO and exposure to the strategic decisions of a European deep-tech company.

• Responsibility for practical projects and improvements that affect how the company operates.

• The opportunity to broaden your operating experience across business functions, with increasing ownership as you develop.

• Practical learning across customers, finance, technology, investors and company building.

• A potential path towards Chief of Staff and broader operating leadership responsibilities, based on performance and company needs.

• International work across Poland, the Netherlands and the wider European defence and technology ecosystem.