päällikköä

Päällikkö is a Finnish noun meaning a person who is in charge of a unit, department, or function within an organization. In English it is commonly translated as chief, supervisor, or head of a division. The term is neutral in tone and can refer to a range of supervisory roles, from operational team leaders to heads of larger units, depending on context.

Etymology: The word combines pää meaning "head" with the agent-noun suffix -llikkö, yielding "a person who is at the head." It has been in use in Finnish for centuries and remains productive in contemporary terminology. The plural is päälliköt and the genitive is päällikön.

Usage: In public administration, "päällikkö" designates the head of a department, office, or equivalent unit. In law enforcement and emergency services it is often used for the commanding or senior supervisory position, e.g., police päällikkö (police chief) or päällikkö of a fire station. In the private sector it is common for team or section supervisors to be titled päällikkö; however, many organizations prefer the term johtaja for strategic leadership.

Comparison to related terms: "johtaja" generally denotes a leader with broader managerial responsibilities, sometimes at the organizational level; "esimies" or "johtajan alainen" are more generic supervisory terms. The exact scope of a päällikkön role depends on the organization's structure and language conventions. The term is widely understood in Finnish and is used in official and administrative contexts.