Our client is a U.S. defense technology company building compact radar systems for autonomous drone interception. The company is now launching its Ukrainian operations in Kyiv to partner directly with local interceptor manufacturers and integrate its technology into their platforms. We are looking for a Chief of Staff who will be the CEO’s right hand in Ukraine and take the lead in building the company’s local operations from day one. This is a hands-on leadership role: you will set things up, run them, and own the outcome. That includes partner relationships, field tests, logistics, hiring, and the operational backbone of the Kyiv team. As the operation scales, the role is designed to grow into running the company’s Ukrainian organization.
What you’ll own:
Act as the CEO’s key partner in Ukraine: drive priorities, key communications, and follow-through on decisions.
Build and run the Kyiv office and its operational processes from scratch.
Own relationships with Ukrainian interceptor manufacturers and other strategic partners, and make sure commitments on both sides are delivered.
Plan and coordinate engineering field work and flight tests together with technical teams and partners.
Oversee logistics, procurement, equipment, and hardware shipments, including cross-border deliveries.
Lead hiring for the Ukrainian team: sourcing support, interviews, and onboarding.
Manage local legal, accounting, and administrative matters with external providers.
Act as the bridge between the U.S. and Ukrainian teams so that information, decisions, and context move fast in both directions.
Keep a clear picture of all ongoing projects, deadlines, owners, and blockers, and remove obstacles before they slow the team down.
Step in on unexpected operational issues and resolve them independently.
Remain hands-on with executive support (scheduling, meetings, follow-ups) while the team is small.
What we’re looking for:
Proven experience owning operations, projects, or cross-functional initiatives end to end.
Strong organizational and communication skills, and the ability to bring structure where there is none.
High personal ownership: you treat problems as yours until they are solved.
Ability to juggle several unrelated priorities and keep all of them moving.
Sound judgment in ambiguous situations and confidence in making decisions with incomplete information.
Equal comfort with detailed execution and higher-level operational thinking.
Confidence working with engineers, executives, external partners, and government or military stakeholders.
Based in Kyiv and ready to work fully on-site, 5 days a week, in the office on the Right Bank.
English: B2+/C1 You will work with the CEO and U.S. team in English every day. You should be able to run meetings, calls, negotiations, correspondence, and follow-ups in English on your own, both spoken and written.
Strong advantages:
Background in Ukrainian defense tech or the UAV/drone industry.
Understanding of the Ukrainian defense ecosystem: manufacturers, military units, key stakeholders.
Experience as Chief of Staff, Head of Operations, COO-office, or a similar role.
Startup operations experience, ideally from an early stage.
Project or program management background.
Experience working directly with a founder or CEO.
Hands-on experience organizing technical field tests.
Experience with recruiting and building teams.
Knowledge of procurement, logistics, contracting, or company setup in Ukraine.
Who will thrive here: Your week may combine aligning the CEO’s agenda, organizing a flight test with a manufacturer, unblocking a stuck hardware shipment, interviewing a future teammate, and closing an open question with lawyers. If you enjoy taking a vague problem, figuring out what needs to happen, bringing the right people together, and seeing it through, this role is for you. As the company’s Ukrainian operation grows, so does your scope, with a clear path to running the organization in
