Chief Operating Officer (COO) – Saab Danmark A/S, Sønderborg

Be the driving force behind operational transformation.
Saab Danmark A/S is entering a new phase of its journey – one that requires vision, structure, and the ability to lead people through complexity. We are now looking for a Chief Operating Officer (COO) who will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our operations and transforming the way we deliver customer value.

In this role, you will own the company’s operational governance and contribute actively to both day-to-day execution and long-term development. Your key task is to align operational structures and capabilities with business objectives by working closely with your management peers. Through strong cross-functional collaboration, you will ensure that operations remain coordinated, scalable, ambitious and strategically driven.

Your mission
You will be responsible for the full spectrum of operational performance – from process design to execution. More than ensuring stability, your role is to drive transformation, strengthen collaboration, and create a scalable, data-driven operating model.

Saab Danmark A/S is in the process of transitioning from a project-based engineering company to a modular, product-based business. This is a fundamental shift in how we think and deliver – and you will act as the Change Champion behind it. Our functions are evolving constantly, adjusting workflows and interfaces. Your task is to bring clarity to operational complexity and ensure that cross-functional cooperation works seamlessly and efficiently – always with a view to long-term scalability and adaptability.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and develop Saab’s operational governance model across all business functions
• Drive company-wide process optimization initiatives and ensure successful adoption
• Align operational execution with strategic objectives through structured planning and KPI management
• Enhance workflows and processes to support scalability, productization, and customer value
• Promote operational efficiency while ensuring organizational clarity during ongoing changes
• Oversee the quality function, ensuring compliance, performance, and ongoing improvement
• Drive ICT development to support digital transformation and scalable operations
• Manage facility operations across multiple sites, ensuring alignment with business needs and effective collaboration environments
• Maintain the security framework, covering physical, data, and personnel aspects
• Establish strong performance management practices through data and feedback
• Support the shift from project-based deliveries to modular product offerings
• Foster a culture of ownership, continuous improvement, and structured execution

Key success criteria

• Establish operational clarity and consistency across evolving workflows and functions to ensure stable, efficient day-to-day execution
• Drive company-wide process optimization and modularization, enabling the transition from project-based to scalable product-based delivery
• Foster a culture of structured collaboration and accountability, ensuring alignment across teams while actively driving continuous change and improvement

Who you are
You are a strong and mature operations leader with a passion for progress and clarity. You understand the nuances of organizational change and how to balance direction with adaptability. You are both strategic and hands-on, comfortable making tough decisions while building alignment and trust across the company.

With experience from complex, cross-functional environments – ideally including Business-to-Government (BtG) – you know how to turn fragmented efforts into coordinated execution. You lead with confidence, humility, and a deep sense of responsibility for the organization’s overall success.

You are the kind of leader who:

• Brings structure without rigidity
• Understands when to push, and when to listen
• Builds relationships that create results
• Moves between big-picture thinking and daily execution with ease
• Challenges the status quo, but always with people in mind

Qualifications

• Proven leadership experience in operations, transformation, or cross-functional business roles
• Strong background in process optimization, performance frameworks, and scalable operating models
• Experience from BtG/defence sectors is an advantage
• Strategic thinker with a hands-on, execution-focused leadership style
• Strong communicator and natural collaborator
• University-level education in a relevant field
• Fluent in English (written and spoken)
• Eligible for security clearance by the Danish Defence Intelligence Service (minimum 7 years of residence in NATO/EU countries)

What we offer
At Saab Danmark A/S, you will become part of a company undergoing purposeful transformation. You’ll join a committed and ambitious leadership team and have the mandate to shape how we operate – both today and for the future. Your role will be central to realizing our business plans and setting the course for how Saab delivers value moving forward.

Ready to lead the transformation?
Please apply by sharing your CV via the apply-button below. We are reviewing applications continuously and will move forward as soon as the right candidate is identified. For questions about the position, feel free to contact Flemming Klovborg on +45 43 14 42 02 or Preben Svendsen on +45 40 44 14 93.

About Saab Danmark A/S
Saab in Denmark is part of the Saab Group with headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. At the same time, Saab Danmark is an independent legal company with a flat organisational structure. Our main business area is delivering integrated communication solutions to military markets in Denmark and abroad.

You can find further information about our integrated communication solution TactiCall, at www.saab.com/naval.