Chief of Staff

Job Description

Job Description

Job Summary

• Build or Own lightweight systems for internal reporting and communication so the team stays aligned.

• Assist with incubating new business functions, partnerships, or product expansions until they are mature enough to hand off to a dedicated full-time hire. Establish and maintain contractor relationships for both internal and external applications.

• Select, deploy, and manage the startup’s core software stack and establish a central knowledge management wiki (e.g., Notion, Confluence).

• Assist with updating financial models and analyzing market trends.

• Own company-wide goal tracking (OKRs), prepare agendas for leadership meetings (in the future), and organize All-Hands to keep everyone aligned.

Education and Experience

• Core Experience: Experience in program management, project controls, master scheduling, or operations.

• Systems & Controls: Proven track record of designing and implementing operational controls, such as milestone tracking, OKR dashboards, budget monitoring, or risk management frameworks.

• Timeline Ownership: Experience managing multi-stakeholder schedules, identifying critical path bottlenecks early, and ruthlessly prioritizing resources to hit deadlines.

• Translating Structure to Chaos: The ability to take formal project management or scheduling methodologies and adapt them into lightweight, high-speed execution frameworks that fit a startup's culture.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent, demonstrable practical experience in project management).

• Bonus: Familiarity with modern operational tech stacks (e.g., Notion, Airtable, Jira, Asana) to build the startup's internal operating system.

SkillsGeneral Skills

• Active Learning- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

• Active Listening- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

• Critical Thinking- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

• Learning Strategies- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

• Mathematics- Using mathematics to solve problems.

• Monitoring- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

• Reading Comprehension- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

• Science- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

• Speaking- Talking to others to convey information effectively.

• Writing- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Social Skills

• Coordination- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

• Instructing- Teaching others how to do something.

• Negotiation- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.

• Persuasion- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

• Service Orientation- Actively looking for ways to help people.

• Social Perceptiveness- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Complex Problem Solving Skills

• Complex Problem Solving- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Technical Skills

• Equipment Maintenance- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

• Equipment Selection- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.

• Installation- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.

• Operation and Control- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

• Operations Analysis- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.

• Operations Monitoring- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

• Programming- Writing computer programs for various purposes.

• Quality Control Analysis- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

• Repairing- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.

• Technology Design- Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.

• Troubleshooting- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

Systems Skills

• Judgment and Decision Making- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

• Systems Analysis- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.

• Systems Evaluation- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.

Resource Management Skills

• Management of Financial Resources- Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.

• Management of Material Resources- Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.

• Management of Personnel Resources- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.

• Time Management- Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Work Context

• Pace & Time Pressure: Fast-paced with frequent context-switching. You will frequently face strict deadlines, urgent ad-hoc requests from the founders, and the need to prioritize tasks with competing urgencies.

• Interpersonal Dynamics: Requires constant communication across all levels of the company. You will regularly navigate productive conflict, hold senior team members accountable, and act as a trusted sounding board for the founders.

• Work Setting: Hybrid. The founders believe in active, direct communication to execute our mission, while also recognizing the quality of life benefits of working from home.

Primary Job Duties

• Direct and coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with the production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products.

• Review financial statements, sales or activity reports, or other performance data to measure productivity or goal achievement or to identify areas needing cost reduction or program improvement.

• Direct administrative activities directly related to making products or providing services.

• Prepare staff work schedules and assign specific duties.

• Monitor suppliers to ensure that they efficiently and effectively provide needed goods or services within budgetary limits.

• Direct or coordinate financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency.

• Establish or implement departmental policies, goals, objectives, or procedures in conjunction with board members, organization officials, or staff members.

• Perform personnel functions, such as selection, training, or evaluation.

• Plan or direct activities, such as sales promotions, that require coordination with other department managers.