European Digital
Sovereignty Strategist

Build the practice, not just the deck

We are looking for a European Digital Sovereignty Strategist to design and lead one of our most strategic new service offerings: helping European brands and institutions reduce their dependency on non-EU technology providers, migrate to compliant stacks, and build sovereign-first digital experiences from the ground up.

This is a senior, cross-functional role sitting at the intersection of EU policy, enterprise consulting, and applied technology. You will translate a fast-moving regulatory landscape (AI Act, DMA, DSA, NIS2, Data Act, GDPR) into concrete client roadmaps, while shaping Wise Pirates’ point of view on what “European by design” means for marketing, data, and AI.

A distinctive part of the role is funding: you will also lead applications to EU Digital Europe Programme, Horizon Europe, and adjacent grants, work that can partly fund the practice itself and create co-investment opportunities with clients and partners.

What you will actually do

• Service DesignDefine and continuously evolve Wise Pirates’ Digital Sovereignty offering: audits, migration roadmaps, governance frameworks, and “sovereign-first” experience design.
• Sovereignty AuditsLead structured assessments of client dependencies on US-based infrastructure, SaaS, AdTech, and AI providers, mapping risks and viable EU alternatives.
• Migration StrategyBuild phased roadmaps to EU-compliant stacks (e.g., OVHcloud, Scaleway, Mistral, Aleph Alpha, Outscale, IONOS) with realistic cost, risk, and capability trade-offs.
• Regulatory AdvisoryTranslate the AI Act, DMA, DSA, NIS2, Data Act, and GDPR into practical implementation playbooks for marketing, data, and martech teams.
• Sovereign-First Brand ExperiencesPartner with our creative, data, and AI squads to design customer journeys, data flows, and AI use cases that are sovereign by design.
• EU Funding & GrantsLead applications to Digital Europe Programme, Horizon Europe, CEF Digital, and national co-funding instruments. Build consortia with partners, research centres, and clients.
• Ecosystem EngagementRepresent Wise Pirates within GAIA-X, EUCS, EU Cloud Code of Conduct, and relevant industry working groups.
• Thought LeadershipProduce points of view, frameworks, and public content that position Wise Pirates as a reference in digital sovereignty across Southern Europe.

Technical & platform skills

Experience

3+ years of relevant experience in strategy consulting (Big4 or equivalent), EU policy, digital regulation, or institutional affairs.

EU regulation

Solid command of EU digital regulation: AI Act, DMA, DSA, GDPR, NIS2, Data Act, Data Governance Act.

Sovereignty frameworks

Fluency in sovereignty frameworks: GAIA-X, EUCS, EU Cloud Code of Conduct, PCEI-CIS, and the broader European cloud and AI ecosystem.

EU funding

Hands-on experience writing successful grant applications to Horizon Europe, Digital Europe Programme, or equivalent EU instruments.

EU tech landscape

Working knowledge of the EU technology landscape: cloud, AI, data infrastructure, and martech alternatives to US providers.

Stakeholders

Comfort engaging C-level stakeholders, public institutions, and consortium partners.

Languages

Excellent written and spoken English. Working French, German, or Spanish is a strong plus.

Behavioral skills

Strategic Vision

Ability to connect long-term policy shifts to concrete, fundable client roadmaps.

Comfort with Ambiguity

Energy to build a new practice from scratch, not just to operate an existing one.

Stakeholder Influence

Strong presence with executives, regulators, and partner ecosystems.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Works naturally with technologists, creatives, legal, and finance, translating across domains.

Kindness

At Wise Pirates we promote and admire kindness, independently of rhythm, intensity and efficiency.

Analytical Mindset

Capable of putting data first and obsessed with insight building, always with client satisfaction and business results in mind.

AI Readiness

Interest and nativeness in using AI as a partner to deliver efficient value, respecting security and privacy regulations.

Innovation Lover

Someone seeking permanent growth and desiring to be part of innovative solutions.

Results-Oriented Zeal

An unwavering commitment to the client’s bottom line, pushing boundaries to deliver maximum value in every interaction.

Vendor Neutrality

You stay focused on what each client actually needs and on regional compliance, without ideological attachment to any vendor, origin or geography. Wise Pirates works with both EU-native and international providers, and you should be naturally comfortable recommending whichever stack genuinely serves the client.

Not required. Noticed.

• Previous engagement with EU institutions, national digital agencies, or industry consortia.
• Published thought leadership on digital sovereignty, EU tech policy, or data governance.
• Track record of leading successful Horizon Europe or Digital Europe Programme proposals as coordinator or lead writer.
• Experience working with regulated sectors (finance, health, public sector, telco).
• Background in or close exposure to martech, AdTech, or AI vendor landscapes.