A Unique Opportunity for Future Engineering Leaders

Female Leader Engineer is an exclusive talent program for female* engineering students in their final years, tailored for those who aspire to take on leadership roles in their future careers. Through partnerships with top companies—Fortum, Stora Enso, Boliden, and The New Leadership—participants gain valuable insights into leadership, career development, and personal growth.

Running from September 2 to October 23, this program includes both in-person meet-ups and digital sessions. Designed to build confidence, expand professional experience, and provide a strong foundation for future leadership, it also offers access to an influential network of top industry professionals. Participation in the program is completely free of charge.

As an added highlight, one outstanding participant will be awarded the prestigious title of 'Female Leader Engineer of the Year', and will receive a personalized self-leadership program with The New Leadership.

*The program is for everyone who identifies as a woman and those who are subjected to or are affected by female-coded norms or experiences. This includes both cis women and non-binary people who identify with this description.

Why should you apply?

Explore Career Opportunities: Open doors to potential recruitment with top-tier partner companies.

Expand Your Network: Connect with influential leaders and professionals from some of the most impactful companies in the Nordics.

Elevate Your Leadership Skills: Strengthen your ability to lead both yourself and others, gaining the confidence and tools to navigate complex challenges in your future career.

Join a Supportive Community: Build lasting connections with like-minded engineering students who share your ambitions.

Become Part of CoGig’s Network: Access career support, network events, and a community of female engineers.

(P.S. Even if you aren’t selected, we keep your profile for future opportunities—so why not take the chance and apply?)

Program Schedule

June 12 - Digital Meeting: Welcome to Female Leader Engineer
Kick off the program with a virtual meeting on Teams. Get familiar with the schedule, meet fellow participants, and have the opportunity to ask any questions before the program really begins.
📍 Teams Meeting
⏰  Approx. 1 hour in the evening

September 2 - Assessment Day + Kick-off AW
The program officially begins! Work together in small groups with fellow participants on a case exercise, where you'll have the chance to showcase your problem-solving and leadership skills in front of representatives from our partner companies. Followed by a kick-off AW with all participants!
📍 Central Helsinki
⏰  30 min case during the day + a couple hours AW in the evening

September 3 - Leadership Workshop
Guided by leadership expert Anna Landegren from The New Leadership, this workshop will provide practical tools for self-leadership and personal development—essential building blocks for developing your leadership style.
📍 Central Helsinki
⏰  3,5 hours during the day

September 4 - October 9 - October 10 - Partner Company Visits
Visit each partner company for half-day sessions where you'll get a closer look at their work, meet industry professionals, and gain useful insights into leadership and engineering in practice. Accommodation will be provided when necessary.
📍 Kokkola (4th), Helsinki (9th) and Espoo (10th)
⏰ 5 hours/visit during daytime 

September-October - Interviews with CoGig and the Partner Companies
You will both get the opportunity to practice competence based interviews with someone from CoGig. The interview will focus on self-reflection and how to present yourself in interview settings for future jobs. 
You will also get one-on-ones with some of the partner companies. An opportunity to strengthen the professional relationships and explore potential future paths for you.
📍 Digital meetings (approx. 3 in total adapted to your schedule)
⏰  30-45 minutes/meeting

October 15 - Jury Day
At the end some of the participants will be named the finalists, based off of their performance during the program. The finalists will pitch their leadership to a jury of company representatives, reflecting on key questions about leadership and personal growth. The jury will then collectively decide who will be awarded the 'Female Leader Engineer of the Year' title.
📍 Central Helsinki
⏰ 30 min during the day

October 16 - Female Leader Engineer Gala
End the program with a special evening celebrating your journey! Enjoy dinner, sparkling wine, connect with company representatives and simply wrap up the this experience together with fellow participants. At the end of the evening we will announce this year's 'Female Leader Engineer of the Year'.
📍 Central Helsinki
⏰  In the evening

October 23 - Digital Meeting: Reflections and CoGig’s Business Network
Wrap up the program with a final digital Teams meeting. Reflect on your experience and what you would need in your next career step, receive valuable career insights, and get introduced to CoGig's Business Network for continued professional support.
📍 Teams Meeting
⏰  Approx. 1 hour in the evening

Who Can Apply?

Female engineering students at a Finnish university or higher education who: 

• are in their final years of studies (4th or 5th year if you're in a 5 year program, and 3rd year if you're in a 3 year program). 
• aspire to be a leader and are eager to develop their leadership skills for the future.
• want to connect with and explore opportunities within our partner companies.
• have leadership experience from school, work, or extracurricular activities.
• are proficient in both spoken and written English (the program welcomes both Finnish and international students studying in Finland).

How to Apply:

Submit your application by answering the questions on the next page and attaching the following documents:

• Your resume (PDF)

• A professional photo (JPG)—This photo will be used internally by CoGig and partner companies during program events for identification. You will also be offered a LinkedIn-kit with profile picture etc (see example and instructions below).

• A description of a leadership experience—preferably from work or extracurricular activities rather than school projects. Ideally, this should be a formally assigned leadership role.

• Your vision for the future: Where do you see yourself in 3-5 years? This could include an industry, or a societal challenge you’re eager to tackle or a company that you are interested in.

• Personality & Logic test:  When we have received your application, you will receive an email with a link to complete Logic and Personality tests. These must be completed within the application time frame, so please let us know if you have not received it in time.

Application Deadline:

Submit your full application by May 21, 2025
We review all applications after the deadline. We strongly recommend not waiting until the last minute, but we encourage you to focus on submitting thoughtful, high-quality responses. You can expect feedback within two weeks of the application period closing.

Practical Information:

Participation is entirely free of charge.
CoGig covers travel and accommodation costs within reasonable limits for scheduled activities during the Female Leader Engineer program. 

More Information:

Learn more about Female Leader Engineer Finland and CoGig at https://www.cogig.se/femaleleaderengineer-finland and cogig.se.

For any questions, contact Project Manager Mikaela Östlund at mikaela.ostlund@cogig.se.