Chief of Staff

Chief Of Staff

The Town of Holly Springs is searching for a Chief of Staff to serve in the Town Manager's Office. The role's core focus areas include organizational leadership, enterprise project management, operational excellence, and execution of strategic priorities. The role is responsible for coordinating departments, driving cross-functional initiatives, improving organizational performance, and ensuring accomplishment of the Town Manager's and Council priorities. Stated another way, the position is a "chief implementation officer" —ensuring strategic initiatives are delivered, organizational change is managed effectively, and internal service/support departments operate effectively to advance public-facing public service departments' business goals within appropriate policy and legal frameworks. This position focuses on internal organizational excellence, while Assistant Town Managers lead operational departments, external public service delivery, and external stakeholder relationships. The Chief of Staff is a member of the Town Manager's Executive Leadership team. Reports to: Town Manager Direct Reports: Finance Director Budget, Innovation & Strategy Director Human Resources Director Chief Information Officer

The Chief of Staff serves as the Town Manager's principal advisor on organizational effectiveness, strategic plan execution, and enterprise operations. The position provides executive leadership for internal service departments while ensuring Town-wide strategic initiatives are successfully implemented through effective project management, organizational alignment, change management, and continuous process improvement. The Chief of Staff serves as the integrator across departments – translating strategic priorities into measurable action, removing organizational barriers, improving operational performance, and fostering collaboration among departments. The position oversees the Town's internal administrative services including Finance; Budget, Innovation & Strategy; Human Resources; and Information Technology while promoting innovation, operational excellence, and a high-performing organizational culture. For a fast-growing municipality such as Holly Springs, the Chief of Staff leadership position focuses on organizational capacity, complementing operational leadership in public service delivery. As growth increases the complexity of finance, workforce planning, technology, and strategic execution, the Chief of Staff becomes the executive responsible for ensuring that internal systems evolve alongside public service demands. The Chief of Staff ensures that major initiatives are executed effectively, enterprise functions remain aligned, and internal operations continuously improve. The work schedule is business hours with occasional evenings and weekends. The anticipated hiring range is $148,545.98-$177,000 depending on qualifications (Grade SLT 2). Please note, this posting will have a max of 50 applicants and will close once capacity is reached.

Essential Responsibilities

Executive Leadership

Serve as a strategic advisor to the Town Manager on organizational priorities.

Lead attainment of Town Council strategic initiatives.

Coordinate enterprise-wide initiatives involving multiple departments.

Monitor progress toward strategic plan objectives.

Ensure accountability for execution of organizational priorities.

Prepare executive analyses and recommendations for the Town Manager.

Council business agenda development

Organizational Effectiveness

Lead efforts to improve organizational performance through:

Business process improvement

Lean government initiatives

Service delivery optimization

Organizational design

Operational assessments

Productivity improvement assessments

Application of AI within the organization and customer-facing engagements

Continuous improvement initiatives

Identify opportunities to eliminate duplication, reduce administrative burden, and improve customer service.

Strategic Initiative Management

Serve as executive sponsor for high-priority initiatives including:

Strategic Plan development and execution

Organizational transformation projects

ERP implementation

Technology modernization and optimization

AI and digital transformation

Process redesign

Organizational restructuring

Cross-departmental initiatives

Develop implementation plans, establish milestones, monitor progress, and resolve organizational obstacles.

Change Management

Lead organizational change by:

Developing change management strategies, including the application of models such as ADKAR

Building organizational readiness

Supporting leadership through transitions

Facilitating communication plans

Monitoring organizational adoption

Reinforcing desired behaviors

Measuring the impact of change management efforts

Internal Services Leadership

Provide executive oversight for:

Finance

Financial stewardship

Internal controls

Financial reporting

Long-range financial planning

Contracting/procurement process streamlining

Budget, Innovation & Strategy

Budget development

Budget analysis

Strategic planning

Performance management

Organizational analytics

Innovation initiatives

Pursuit of grant opportunities

Long-range budget planning

Departmental business planning

Human Resources

Talent strategy

Workforce planning

Leadership development

Employee engagement

Organizational culture

Succession planning

Recruitment

Benefits management

Information Technology

Digital transformation

Cybersecurity

Enterprise systems

Technology investments

AI strategy

Data governance

Executive Project Management

Provide executive oversight of major organizational initiatives by:

Establishing governance structures

Managing executive steering committees

Prioritizing organizational resources

Tracking execution progress

Resolving cross-department issues

Reporting results to executive leadership and Council

Organizational Collaboration

Promote collaboration across departments through:

Cross-departmental leadership teams

Cross-functional working groups

Shared services

Standardized business practices

Knowledge sharing

Enterprise decision-making

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of:

Local government administration

Municipal budgeting and finance

Strategic planning

Organizational development

Change management

Human resources management

Information technology governance

Performance management

Project management methodologies

Continuous improvement methodologies (e.g. Lean Six Sigma, Operational Excellence)

NC municipal government

Conflict resolution strategies

Skill in:

Executive leadership

Strategic thinking

Organizational analysis

Facilitating organizational change

Executive communication

Relationship building

Conflict resolution

Executive decision-making

Process improvement

Data analysis

Public presentations

Team development

Local government budgeting and financial management

Ability to:

Lead without direct authority

Influence executive leaders

Manage competing priorities

Build organizational consensus

Execute complex initiatives

Translate strategy into action

Navigate political environments

Foster innovation

Enhance organizational culture

Develop future leaders

Present effectively to various internal and external audiences

Minimum Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university in Public Administration, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Public Policy, Finance, Management, or related field.

10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience.

At least 3-5 years in executive or senior management.

Experience leading multiple departments or enterprise initiatives

Preferred Qualifications

Master's degree (MPA, MBA, Organizational Leadership, Public Administration, or related field) strongly preferred.

Experience in local government preferred, especially within North Carolina