Chief of Staff / Business Ops

Description

Global supply chains move 80% of world trade and almost none of it accounts for its climate impact. Searoutes builds the data infrastructure that lets freight forwarders, shippers, and carriers measure and cut their CO2 footprint. We're a ~20-person SaaS team headquartered between Marseille and Nice, backed by Breakthrough (a US venture platform), and growing fast with enterprise logistics clients across the globe.

We're looking for a Chief of Staff to become the CEO's right hand and the operational engine of the company as we scale, someone who thrives on turning strategic priorities into flawless execution, and who wants a front-row seat (and real influence) on how a European climate-tech scale-up is built.

WHY THIS ROLE IS DIFFERENT

• Direct line to the top. You'll work shoulder-to-shoulder with the CEO and sit in the room for every major decision, no layers, no filters.
• Real scope, real ownership. This isn't a coordination-only or admin-only role. You'll own the board rhythm, shape internal reporting, and run special projects end-to-end.
• A bridge between two worlds. You'll be the connective tissue between a lean European startup and a US shareholder, a rare vantage point most operators only get years into their career.
• Impact you can see. With ~20 people, your work doesn't get lost in a hierarchy. What you fix, ships. What you build, gets used.

WHAT YOU'LL OWN

• Board & shareholder rhythm Own the full cadence with our shareholders:  board decks, pre-reads, action tracking, and follow-through, so nothing slips between meetings
• Leadership operating system Run the agenda, follow-ups, and accountability loop for leadership meetings. The person who makes sure decisions turn into action, not just notes.
• Reporting & analytics Build and maintain pipeline dashboards (HubSpot), KPI tracking, and management/investor reporting that leadership actually relies on.
• CEO partnership Support the CEO on communications, meeting prep, and represent them in operational forums when needed.
• Special projects Lead cross-functional initiative:  process improvements, tool rollouts, scaling projects with real autonomy to design and execute.

Requirements

• 3–5 years in business operations, strategy consulting, or a Chief of Staff–type role, SaaS or logistics/supply chain experience is a strong plus
• A builder's mindset: organized, detail-obsessed, and allergic to dropped balls
• Comfort with data: HubSpot, spreadsheets, dashboards, and slide decks are your natural habitat
• Fluent French and English, written and spoken
• Genuine ease working across cultures, you'll be in daily contact with US-based teams
• A proactive streak: you spot what's needed before anyone has to ask
• Startup energy,  you're energized by ambiguity, not slowed by it

NICE TO HAVE

• Experience working with US shareholders or inside a subsidiary structure
• Familiarity with Notion, PandaDoc, Basecamp, or HubSpot
• A genuine interest in sustainability, logistics, or the maritime industry
• Experience helping a company professionalize through a scaling phase

Benefits

• A high-impact seat at the leadership table, from day one
• Exposure to both European startup culture and US corporate governance
• A fast-paced, no-BS environment; your work matters immediately, not eventually
• Competitive fixed salary + performance bonus
• Mutuelle, and standard French benefits (Syntec collective agreement)
• Two company-wide offsites a year
• A mission worth showing up for: helping decarbonize global trade

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