Chief of Staff

Erika’s Lighthouse: A Beacon of Hope for Adolescent Depression is a non-profit organization committed to raising awareness about mental health, depression and suicide in grades K-12 at no cost to schools. Erika’s Lighthouse works to eliminate the stigma surrounding depression and empower young people to take ownership of their mental health. Visit erikaslighthouse.org for more information.

Erika’s Lighthouse has grown substantially over the past five years. The organization has more than quintupled its annual revenue, with increases across every fundraising campaign, from $500k/year to over $2.5M. The organization’s strategic plan, Impact 2030, calls for a continued approach with substantial increases in revenue. By 2030 Erika’s Lighthouse will be an $6M+/year organization. This position has the opportunity to significantly impact growth and drive Erika’s Lighthouse as an even more prominent national thought-leader.

The Chief of Staff is a dynamic, creative, and driven individual in a leadership position, with a direct reporting relationship to the Executive Director. The Chief of Staff serves as a strategic and integrative partner to the Executive Director and leadership team. This role supports overall organizational effectiveness by providing human resources administration, strategic marketing oversight, special projects and administrative support for board governance. Designed to enable rather than oversee, the Chief of Staff works alongside leadership peers to foster collaboration and integration while honoring and preserving the functional autonomy and leadership authority of existing department team members. This position plays a pivotal role in the continuing growth and success of a leading national organization.

The ideal candidate should have a passion for the mission of mental health education. Benefits are provided with a salary range of $100,000-130,000, 3% of salary retirement match, health insurance, and competitive time off. A clear set of metrics is provided to earn annual raises up to 7.5% annually.

Core Competencies

• Fostering Teamwork: As a team member, the ability and desire to work cooperatively with others on a team; as a team leader, the ability to demonstrate interest, skill, and success in getting groups to learn to work together.
• Managing Performance: The ability to take responsibility for one’s own or one’s employees’ performance, by setting clear goals and expectations, tracking progress against the goals, ensuring feedback, and addressing performance problems and issues promptly. 
• Results Orientation: The ability to focus on the desired result of one’s own or one’s unit’s work, setting challenging goals, focusing effort on the goals, and meeting or exceeding them.
• Initiative: Identifying what needs to be done and doing it before being asked or before the situation requires it.
• Strategic Thinking: The ability to analyze the organization’s competitive position by considering market and industry trends, existing and potential customers (internal and external), and strengths and weaknesses as compared to competitors.

Responsibilities

Operational Collaboration & Special Projects (50%)

• Support cross-functional integration between departments without interfering in day-to-day program decisions.
• Execute high-priority executive initiatives and organizational projects.
• Partner with the Director of Operations to develop and implement internal processes that streamline organization-wide collaboration.

Human Resources & Team Support (25%)

• Oversee core HR administrative duties, including benefits support, personnel file maintenance, and compliance workflows.
• Coordinate hiring logistics, recruitment outreach, and onboarding experiences for new team members.
• Support professional development opportunities and foster inclusive, positive internal team culture.

Marketing Management & Support (15%)

• Collaborate with an experienced Marketing Manager to foster outreach, digital collateral, and brand campaigns.
• Provide strategic and supportive oversight to the marketing department, aligning messaging with organizational priorities.
• Serve as a bridge between marketing initiatives and key initiatives across Education, Development, and Operations.

Board Logistics & Administrative Support (10%)

• Provide high-level administrative and logistical coordination for the Executive Director and the Board of Directors.
• Organize meeting schedules, assemble and distribute board decks, and record governance action items.
• Lead the Governance Committee of the Board to ensure alignment and compliance.
• Facilitate routine communication between executive leadership and board members to ensure seamless info-sharing.

Experience/Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred, but experience will be more heavily considered.
• At least 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, particularly leadership and/or Human Resources.
• Erika’s Lighthouse offers a hybrid work environment with on-site work two-days a week Monday through Thursdays. Candidates must be able to work on-site two days a week.
• Knowledge of technology including HubSpot and Google Workspace is a plus.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with volunteers, staff, community groups and other related agencies and stakeholders.
• Ability to work strategically within a team structure as well as independently.
• Dependability, good time management and organizational skills, and attentiveness to detail.
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written, with an infectious enthusiasm for the mission and the ability to engage and inspire others.
• Experience and interest in internal communications and collaboration.
• Must be able to pass a background check.