COO

Fastned is a fast-growing scale-up developing and operating fast charging stations across Europe with a mission to accelerate the transition to sustainable mobility by giving freedom to electric drivers. The Chief Operating Officer leads the expanding operations, continuously improves the company’s structure and processes, and brings the organization together to succeed in the next growth phase.

About Fastned

In April 2012, entrepreneurs Bart Lubbers and Michiel Langezaal went all-in on the first Dutch public allocation procedure for electric charging stations and won 201 out of 245 lots. They had a vision: the electric revolution would only take off when electric driving became hassle-free. Drivers need a comprehensive network of fast charging stations so they can charge their cars quickly and conveniently wherever they are. Today, Fastned operates 1,700 chargers in three hundred locations across eight European countries and has won awards in several countries for its customer experience. The stations’ solar tree design is uniquely Fastned, built to be sustainable, user-friendly, and highly effective with the newest generation of fast chargers delivering 400 kW. By 2030, the company aims to build a network of a thousand stations in high-traffic locations across Europe.

Fastned is at the forefront of the fast charging market, which is projected to grow by fifty percent per year. The company has doubled in size in less than two years to over 250 employees and is expected to continue its rapid trajectory. The network of charging stations is expanding fast, with developments underway in Italy and Spain and short-term expansion planned in Luxemburg, Ireland, and Poland. Fastned helped drivers avoid almost 100,000 tons of CO2 emissions in 2023 through chargers fueled by local sun and wind energy and is on track to grow that number exponentially as the company expands.

“In 2023, 1.5 million new electric cars have been registered in Europe, and this number will grow exponentially in the coming years. Fastned’s winning concept of large fast charging stations at high-traffic locations, providing the best charging experience for our customers, is designed for this growth. To further scale up our organization we are now looking for a COO.” – Michiel Langezaal, co-founder and CEO

Vacancy: Chief Operating Officer

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) prepares Fastned for the next phase of commercial and organizational growth through effective processes that further integrate the different teams in the organization, improved performance management, and inspiring leadership. They translate the CEO’s strategic vision into measurable objectives and strengthen the company’s structure while navigating rapid growth and the changing environment.

The new role is driven by the fast expansion of the company and will be based out of the headquarters in Amsterdam with travel in Europe. The COO reports to CEO Michiel Langezaal, is part of the management board together with the CEO and CFO, and participates in the stock option plan.

Scaling and strengthening Fastned’s operations
The Chief Operating Officer brings people and processes together to realize Fastned’s 2030 ambition of a thousand stations in high-traffic locations in Europe. They improve the integration and effectiveness of key strategic processes in the company, specifically the transition from winning a tender to planning and executing the build, and efficiently taking care of the maintenance and day-to-day operation of charging stations. The COO continuously improves Fastned’s operations to maintain the highest level of quality, efficiency, effectiveness, and predictability.

The COO continues to build Fastned’s solid foundations to enable further rapid scaling. They identify which structures and processes need to be strengthened and focus on building a robust performance management system with KPIs that inform the organization’s strategy.

Building Fastned’s future through people
In a company of pioneering problem-solvers, the COO is the pivotal integrator across teams, functions, and countries. They strive to have the right talent in the right structure and nurture the fulfilling and fun work environment Fastned has developed as the company grows. The COO leads the heads of Operations, Construction, Location Design, and People Teams, as well as the local Country Managers.

This is an exciting opportunity for an entrepreneurial leader with knowledge of supply chain management who gets fired up by both operations and the people who run them. Their collaborative, empathetic leadership helps them drive change in the flat organization. The COO thrives in Fastned’s rapidly changing environment and is keen to accelerate the transition to sustainable mobility by giving freedom to electric drivers.

Interested?

Fastned is working with Top of Minds to fill this vacancy.
To express your interest, please contact Annelijn Nijhuis at annelijnnijhuis@topofminds.com