Chief of Staff, Global Strategy & Communications

Constructor University Bremen has appointed Prof. Sir Kostya Novoselov — Nobel Laureate in Physics (2010), FRS — as its President. In this strategic, part-time capacity, Prof. Novoselov provides intellectual direction, institutional prestige, and global scientific vision while retaining his primary commitments at NUS and IFIM. The Chief of Staff (CoS) reports exclusively to the President and exists to amplify his impact, protect his time, and translate intellectual strategy into institutional momentum. This is the single point of coordination between the President's agenda and the University's executive, academic, and administrative functions. This is a role for someone who thrives on complexity, operates with total discretion, thinks three moves ahead — and finds genuine satisfaction in making an exceptional mind more effective. DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES Presidential Time & Agenda Architecture * Own and orchestrate the President's calendar end-to-end — strategic prioritisation, preparation, and protection of deep work time * Manage all inbound requests (academic, institutional, media, VIP) — filter and triage with sound independent judgement * Prepare briefing materials, pre-reads, and context packs for every meeting and engagement * Ensure every commitment has a clear purpose, defined outcome, and proper follow-through Strategic Programme Execution * Translate the President's academic architecture vision into a tracked programme of University-wide initiatives * Coordinate cross-functionally with academic leadership and executive management to advance presidential priorities at pace * Monitor progress against strategic milestones; surface blockers early and resolve them proactively * Maintain the President's initiative register and drive accountability without creating bureaucracy Board & Stakeholder Liaison * Prepare materials and briefings for Board interactions; ensure presidential inputs are ready, timely, and impactful * Serve as a trusted interface between the President and the University's senior leadership team * Build and maintain relationships with key external partners: NUS, IFIM, CQT, QuEra, and global scientific networks * Manage Board member relationships on the President's behalf where appropriate Communications & Correspondence * Draft and manage high-level correspondence, academic communications, and institutional letters on behalf of the President * Ensure tone, precision, and intellectual calibre of all communications reflect the President's standing * Manage the President's representation at events where direct presence is not possible International Travel & Logistics * Plan and manage all travel end-to-end: itinerary design, transfers, accommodation, visa, briefings, connectivity * Coordinate with NUS/IFIM counterparts on scheduling and joint trips * Maintain a 10-hour rest buffer standard; optimise travel for productivity and recovery * Ensure full calendar sync and briefing packs mirrored for every trip Academic Initiative Support * Support recruitment of world-class faculty and postdoctoral talent aligned with the President's academic vision * Coordinate logistics of hybrid scientific collaboration model with global research groups * Prepare agendas and outcomes documentation for academic working groups chaired or attended by the President * Assist in building Constructor Labs concept — connecting academic programme to research infrastructure Operational Infrastructure * Oversee and coordinate the supporting administrative team engaged on President-related activities * Implement SOPs and tracking systems to ensure nothing is missed across parallel workstreams * Manage office-readiness, connectivity, and equipment procurement at Bremen and during travel * Handle confidential matters — institutional, personal, and strategic — with absolute discretion QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE Essential Experience * 5+ years as Chief of Staff, Senior EA, or Strategic Advisor supporting world-class scientific or academic leadership * Proven track record managing complex international schedules across multiple time zones and institutions * Experience in academic, research, or science-driven organisations strongly preferred * Demonstrated ability to manage sensitive, high-stakes situations with calm and sound judgement Competencies & Character * Proactive mindset Anticipates needs before they arise; acts without waiting to be asked * Intellectual curiosity Engages genuinely with the President's scientific and academic world — not just the logistics around it * Operational excellence Implements systems and SOPs to eliminate error at high pace * Precision under pressure Detail-obsessive even when volume is high and changes are rapid * Judgement & discretion Trusted with sensitive institutional, personal, and strategic matters * Adaptive resilience Calm in fast-changing environments; stress-resistant, not avoidant * Communication finesse Writes and speaks at a level appropriate for Nobel Laureate correspondence and Board engagement Practical Requirements * Fluent English (written and spoken); German and/or Russian a significant advantage * Willing and able to travel internationally at short notice * Comfortable with a 6-day operational environment and rapid response expectations * Proficient with Outlook, Zoom, project tracking platforms, and AI productivity tools SUCCESS CRITERIA At 90 days: * Full operational command of the President's calendar and communication flows * Briefing systems, travel SOPs, and stakeholder directory established * Key relationships built with NUS/IFIM counterparts, Constructor executive team, and Board At 12 months: * The President's time is consistently protected and directed toward highest-value activities * Academic architecture programme has advanced materially — visible milestones achieved * The President describes the CoS as indispensable * Zero missed commitments, zero preparation failures, zero communication surprises   ABOUT CONSTRUCTOR UNIVERSITY & THE PRESIDENT Constructor University Bremen is an English-language private research university in Germany, building a world-class physics-centred academic ecosystem inspired by the traditions of MIPT, Landau, and leading global institutions. The tagline is simple: Constructing the future. Prof. Sir Kostya Novoselov FRS is a Nobel Laureate in Physics (2010), awarded jointly with Andre Geim for the discovery of graphene. He holds a Royal Society Research Professorship and is a leading figure at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Institute for Functional Intelligent Materials (IFIM). His appointment as President brings world-class scientific credibility and an ambitious vision for Constructor University's academic future. The Chief of Staff will work at the intersection of Nobel Laureate-level science, institutional strategy, and global academic network-building. It is a rare and extraordinary opportunity.

About Us  Hawk is the leading provider of AI-supported anti-money laundering and fraud detection technology. Banks and payment providers globally are using Hawk’s powerful combination of traditional rules and explainable AI to improve the effectiveness of their AML compliance and fraud prevention by identifying more crime while maximizing efficiency by reducing false positives. With our solution, we are playing a vital role in the global fight against Money Laundering, Fraud, or the financing of terrorism. We offer a culture of mutual trust, support and passion – while providing individuals with opportunities to grow professionally and make a difference in the world.  Your Mission As Chief of Staff to the CEO, your mission is to multiply the CEO’s impact across everything that matters most to Hawk. You will run the operating rhythm that keeps the executive team aligned and moving, lead strategic initiatives from definition through to delivery, and make sure that the CEO’s priorities translate into the company’s actions. This is a role for someone who thrives on ambiguity, knows how to bring order to chaos without losing speed, and wants to be at the center of building a category-defining company in the fight against financial crime. You’ll do all of this as an AI-native operator – treating AI as the default first move, building agents and workflows, automating anything that can be automated. Key Responsibilities * Own the executive rhythm: design and run the cadence of leadership meetings, strategic reviews that keep the exec team coordinated and decisions moving * Lead special projects directly with the CEO. Taking a priority from a rough idea to a structured plan to measurable outcomes, often across multiple functions and without a dedicated team underneath you * Track and drive OKRS and CEO strategic priorities, resolve blockers before they become problems. Ensure impactful communication of strategy & progress * Prepare high-quality materials for decision making – synthesizing complex information into clear narratives that drive the right conversations * Serve as a trusted thought partner to the CEO & leadership. Pressure-testing ideas, flagging blind spots, and occasionally being the person in the room willing to say what others won’t * Work closely with the full executive team – not as a coordinator, but as a peer who can hold a thread across finance, product, engineering, sales, and operations and know when something needs escalating * Orchestrate the CEO's external advisor bench – bankers, consultants, board advisors, communications partners, and topic experts. Scope the work, brief them, hold them to deliverables, integrate their output back into the company * Proactively hunt for gaps, friction, and emerging problems across the company - in execution, the operating model, team performance, or external dependencies - and don't just surface them. Take ownership, and drive the fix yourself Your Profile * 5+ years of experience in a top strategy consulting firm, ideally in technology transformation or financial services * 3+ years of experience in a high-growth startup post Series B – as an operator, Chief of Staff or founder. You’ve seen a company scale, and you know what breaks when it does * You're comfortable being handed a vague but important problem and turning it into a plan you execute. Ambiguity doesn't paralyze you – it's where you do your best work * You have a sharp eye for what's broken or about to break, and you don't wait to be asked. You go and find the problems no one is owning yet, and then you fix them - rolling up your sleeves rather than writing a memo about who should * Exceptional written and verbal communicator. You can write a crisp exec briefing, run a tight leadership meeting, and adapt your style from the board to the engineering team without losing the thread * You know how to move things forward without direct authority. You influence through clarity, relationships, and follow-through – not hierarchy * AI is the operating system of how you work, not a tool you reach for occasionally. You use it across research, drafting, analysis, and decision support every day, and you're fluent enough to design prompts, build agents, and chain tools together to solve real problems * Genuinely curious about what AI means for financial services, compliance, and the future of companies like Hawk. You don’t need to be an engineer, but you want to be close to where the industry is going