Chief of Staff

Chief of Staff
Lakewood, NJ (On-Site)
$175K-$225K+ DOE
Job Description
About the Opportunity

Rapidly growing wholesale distribution company seeking an exceptionally capable Chief of Staff to serve as a trusted extension of the CEO.

The CEO is highly entrepreneurial and constantly identifying new revenue streams, markets, investments, and strategic opportunities. This individual will work closely alongside him to take those ideas from the initial concept through full execution.

This is not an administrative or traditional executive assistant role. The Chief of Staff will manage complex, high-level initiatives, conduct research, coordinate with outside professionals, establish new processes, and ensure that important projects continue moving without requiring the CEO's involvement in every detail.

The ideal candidate is highly intelligent, resourceful, organized, and trustworthy, with the judgment and ownership mentality to handle confidential and high-stakes matters.
Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted extension of the CEO across company initiatives, outside investments, and special projects.
• Join the CEO in important meetings and translate discussions and decisions into clear action plans.
• Take ownership of complex projects from initial concept through implementation.
• Conduct research, gather information, evaluate options, and present thoughtful recommendations.
• Coordinate with attorneys, banks, government agencies, vendors, logistics providers, consultants, and other external partners.
• Build the processes, workflows, documentation, and relationships needed to launch new business opportunities.
• Follow through on open items and ensure that deadlines, commitments, and next steps are completed.
• Manage sensitive and confidential information with excellent judgment.
• Help review and manage the CEO's email flow, independently responding to or delegating matters that do not require his personal attention.
• Identify which issues require the CEO's involvement and which can be handled independently.
• Draft communications and represent the CEO professionally with senior business contacts.
• Support projects across multiple businesses and investments, including wholesale distribution, international trade, real estate, and other entrepreneurial ventures.
• Challenge ideas constructively, anticipate potential issues, and help the CEO make stronger decisions.
• Create structure around new initiatives before transitioning ongoing responsibilities to the appropriate internal team.
• Hire or coordinate additional project support when needed.

Ideal Candidate

• Exceptionally intelligent, resourceful, and quick to learn.
• Proven ability to take an unclear or complex assignment and independently figure out how to complete it.
• Strong execution skills with relentless follow-through.
• Comfortable managing several unrelated, high-priority projects at once.
• Able to understand legal, financial, operational, and logistical information without needing to be a subject-matter expert in every area.
• Strong research, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with little tolerance for missed deadlines or unanswered communication.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfortable communicating with attorneys, bankers, government contacts, executives, vendors, and internal employees.
• Trustworthy, discreet, and mature.
• Confident enough to offer thoughtful pushback without being confrontational.
• Humble, personable, and able to fit into a warm, down-to-earth company culture.
• Entrepreneurial mindset and strong sense of ownership.
• Comfortable working closely with the CEO and adapting to changing priorities.
• Willing to be highly engaged and available when important matters arise.

Experience

The company is more focused on intelligence, judgment, execution ability, and character than on a specific industry background or prior title.

Relevant backgrounds may include:

• Chief of Staff
• Founder's Associate
• Business Operations
• Strategic Projects
• Entrepreneurial or startup leadership
• Management consulting
• Small-business COO or operator
• Executive-level project management
• High-level executive support with significant project ownership

Wholesale or consumer-products experience is helpful but not required.