California YIMBY: Chief of Staff

Chief of Staff

California YIMBY is a statewide housing advocacy organization dedicated to ending the housing shortage and making California an affordable place for everyone to live, work, and raise a family. Founded in 2017, California YIMBY has redefined the national housing debate by proposing transformative state-level housing policy and helping draft and pass dozens of bills that break down exclusionary barriers and will enable millions of new homes to be built.

California YIMBY is looking for a Chief of Staff to help lead and scale our growing organization. This is a pivotal leadership role for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment and wants to play a central role in solving California's housing crisis.

We're seeking a candidate with either:

• A strong political background, including experience coordinating multi-disciplinary teams to pass ambitious, politically complex legislation, or
• A high-performing program or operations leader with less policy experience but a strong track record of driving results, managing diverse teams, and keeping complex projects on track in dynamic environments.

This role is an opportunity to work directly with the CEO to implement the most ambitious pro-housing agenda in California history—policy change that would improve the lives of tens of millions of people.

Key Responsibilities (Listed in order of priority):

1. Operational Oversight

• Oversee day-to-day operations across the organization.
• Manage and support directors across functional areas to ensure they meet their goals and work efficiently together.
• Identify and resolve operational bottlenecks and drive organizational success.

• Staff Management

• Provide leadership and mentorship across the team.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous learning, and excellence.
• Ensure strong internal communication and alignment across departments.

• Project Management

• Lead and oversee various projects, ensuring they are delivered on time and aligned with strategic goals.
• Establish and refine systems for tracking progress, evaluating success, and adapting quickly when needed.

• Strategic Planning & Execution

• Partner with the CEO to develop and execute organizational strategy.
• Help create durable systems for institutional memory, goal setting, learning, and long-term planning.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Deep commitment to ending California's housing shortage.
• Strong leadership and management skills, including experience in setting goals and tracking progress at the individual, team, and organizational level.
• Excellent communication skills—both written and interpersonal.
• High emotional intelligence, sound judgment, and strong analytical skills (including quantitative reasoning).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of housing policy and California's housing challenges.
• Experience passing legislation in California, or comparable political or campaign experience.