Chief of Staff

Application Deadline: Friday, July 31st, 2026, 11:59pm

Job Summary

The Chief of Staff is primarily responsible for building strong working relationships across all levels within the organization, while sustaining a positive working culture within Give Merit and affiliated programs. This role will serve as a strategic thought partner and trusted advisor to the executive team.

The Chief of Staff will also oversee, develop, and advise the director level roles within the organization, while also serving as the gatekeeper to ensure project and decision-making milestones are met.

FLSA: Exempt, Salaried

Reports To: Executive Director

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES

General

• Develop a deep knowledge of Merit’s/Give Merit’s history, purpose, and goals to create platforms for young people to create the future 
• Work toward the organization’s shared vision by being mission-driven and operating with a growth mindset
• Seek, be accepting of, and adjust to regular feedback to improve performance
• Ensure that our youth are at the center of all planning and decision making
• Serve as an organizational culture champion both internally and externally
• Spearhead the implementation of an organization-wide strategic plan and clearly communicate its objectives
• Grow program recognition and thought leadership opportunities
• Actively participate in organizational workshops and/or events as requested

ED/Senior Leadership Support

• Serve as a strategic thought partner and trusted advisor
• Prepare for and follow up on meetings
• Oversee internal and external communications
• Strategically manage executive director's time and act as internal gatekeeper to ensure involvement in project or decision-making processes take place at key times where most needed
• Effectively collaborate with executive team to determine and prioritize business strategies
• Manage government grant submissions, reimbursements, and reporting
• Provide board administrative support as needed

Team Oversight

• Build strong working relationships with team members across the organization
• Maintain bird's-eye view across departments to evaluate and impact organizational practices and systems
• Support day-to-day organization operations including general office management
• Manage organization Director-level positions
  • Ensure staff remain informed and inspired so they understand and remain aligned in how their day-to-day work connects with the organization's mission, vision, and values
  • Coach direct reports for accountability and exceptional performance (oversee ~8-10 indirect reports)
• Comfortable maintaining and growing a culture of continuous feedback
• Serve as vendor liaison for key contracts (HR, Technology, and others as needed)
• Oversee internal HR responsibilities including hiring for FATE vertical roles
• Perform other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college
• At least 5 to 7 years of experience in a business or executive level role, with at least 3 years management experience
• Experience planning and leading strategic initiatives
• Energetic, flexible, and strategic thinker
• Passion for serving the Detroit community, especially youth; Drive to impact change
• Personal understanding and knowledge of the demographics, challenges, and changing landscape of Detroit
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Must exhibit strong leadership and problem-solving skills
• Strong decision-making skills
• Demonstrated ability with managing multiple projects with time sensitive deadlines
• Ability to interact with a broad cross-section of stakeholders: staff, board, community, youth
• Highly organized with a strong attention to detail
• Must exhibit a high sense of integrity and handle confidential information in a professional manner
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and Google (Gmail, Calendar, Google Drive)
• May be required to work some evenings or weekends as needed

WORKING DEMANDS

This position primarily functions in an office setting and an individual must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time. The person in this role may need to occasionally move about inside the office to access office machinery, office files, and etc. The person in this role must have finger dexterity to frequently operate a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as copier or printer. The person in this role frequently communicates and will need the ability to talk and hear. May need to lift up to 10lbs. Some travel may be required.