Chief of Staff

Position Summary

Project Hospitality seeks a highly accomplished, strategic, and exceptionally organized Chief of Staff & Senior Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer to serve as a trusted executive partner, senior advisor, and extension of the Office of the CEO.

This role will function as both a strategic counselor and operational leader, serving as the CEO's right hand in advancing organizational priorities, strengthening executive alignment, managing critical relationships, and ensuring disciplined execution across the organization.

As Project Hospitality enters a historic period of leadership transition and organizational opportunity, the Chief of Staff & Senior Advisor will play a central role in supporting the CEO and Executive Leadership Team in building organizational cohesion, strengthening systems, advancing strategic priorities, and positioning the organization for its next chapter of impact and growth.

The ideal candidate is a highly skilled executive leader who possesses sound judgment, exceptional political and organizational acumen, strategic thinking capabilities, operational discipline, and the ability to navigate complexity with professionalism, discretion, and confidence.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Advisor to the CEO

• Serve as a trusted senior advisor and thought partner to the CEO on organizational priorities, strategic opportunities, leadership matters, and emerging issues.
• Provide executive counsel on organizational dynamics, stakeholder engagement, institutional risk, strategic initiatives, and cross-functional priorities.
• Anticipate challenges and identify opportunities that support organizational growth, executive effectiveness, and mission advancement.
• Serve as a sounding board and confidential advisor to the CEO on sensitive matters requiring discretion and executive judgment.
• Support the CEO in translating vision into executable strategies and measurable organizational priorities.

Executive Office Leadership & CEO Partnership

• Serve as the CEO's primary strategic and operational partner, ensuring the Office of the CEO functions with excellence, efficiency, and alignment.
• Manage the CEO's calendar, strategic priorities, speaking engagements, travel, board responsibilities, donor meetings, stakeholder engagements, and key relationships.
• Protect and prioritize the CEO's time and attention, ensuring focus on highest-value organizational priorities.
• Prepare executive briefing materials, talking points, reports, presentations, correspondence, and strategic meeting preparation.
• Track commitments, action items, decisions, and deliverables across the CEO's portfolio.

Organizational Strategy & Enterprise Project Leadership

• Drive execution of CEO priorities and enterprise-wide strategic initiatives.
• Coordinate cross-functional projects involving operations, finance, development, compliance, human resources, programs, and external partnerships.
• Monitor implementation progress and establish systems for accountability and performance management.
• Identify barriers, facilitate problem-solving, and support organizational alignment.
• Support strategic planning efforts and implementation of organizational priorities.

Executive Team Coordination & Organizational Alignment

• Serve as a liaison and connector across the Executive Leadership Team.
• Coordinate executive meetings and retreats, including agendas, materials, action tracking, and follow-up.
• Strengthen organizational communication and alignment across departments and initiatives.
• Promote transparency, accountability, collaboration, and operational excellence.
• Support leadership team development and change management efforts.

Board Relations & Governance Support

• Serve as the primary liaison between the CEO and Board of Directors, coordinating board communications, meetings, agendas, materials, and follow-up actions.
• Partner with the CEO and Board Chair to support effective governance, board engagement, committee operations, and compliance with bylaws and governance policies.
• Prepare board reports, presentations, dashboards, and executive summaries that communicate organizational performance, strategic priorities, and key initiatives.
• Track board decisions, strategic priorities, and action items to ensure timely execution, accountability, and alignment across the organization.
• Support board recruitment, onboarding, development, and governance best practices to strengthen board effectiveness and organizational stewardship.

External Affairs & Executive Relations

• Serve as a representative of the CEO's Office, cultivating and maintaining relationships with key external stakeholders, including government officials, funders, community partners, board members, and strategic allies.
• Coordinate executive-level engagement activities, meetings, briefings, speaking opportunities, and stakeholder communications on behalf of the CEO.
• Support the development and execution of external relations strategies that advance organizational visibility, partnerships, advocacy efforts, and mission impact.
• Prepare correspondence, presentations, briefing materials, and talking points for the CEO's interactions with external audiences and leadership groups.
• Monitor and manage high-priority stakeholder relationships and strategic initiatives, ensuring timely follow-up, alignment, and positive organizational representation.
• Coordinate relationships and engagements involving government leaders, funders, elected officials, philanthropic partners, community stakeholders, and strategic partners.
• Assist with media opportunities, public presentations, advocacy efforts, and external communications.
• Support preparation for speaking engagements and high-level meetings.

Executive Operations & Special Initiatives

• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the CEO in the development, implementation, and monitoring of organizational strategic planning priorities.
• Coordinate strategic planning process, ensuring alignment between organizational goals, departmental objectives, and operational activities.
• Monitor progress towards strategic goals and key performance indicators (KPIs), providing regular updates and recommendations to the CEO and executive leadership team.
• Create and maintain systems that strengthen CEO office operations and executive workflow.
• Lead special projects and time-sensitive initiatives on behalf of the CEO.
• Ensure timely movement of priorities requiring executive oversight.
• Manage confidential information with the highest standards of professionalism and discretion.
• Develop operational systems that improve efficiency and strengthen organizational execution.

Job Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree strongly preferred in Public Administration, Business Administration, Nonprofit Management, Social Work, Communications, Organizational Leadership, or related field.
• Minimum 10+ years of progressively responsible executive leadership or senior-level experience supporting C-suite executives.
• Significant experience in nonprofit, public-sector, healthcare, philanthropy, government, or complex mission-driven organizations strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience serving as a strategic advisor, executive project leader, or senior executive partner.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational awareness and political acumen.
• Demonstrated ability to manage highly confidential information.
• Experience with Board governance and executive communications.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities with professionalism under pressure.
• Strong technology proficiency and executive systems experience.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• A trusted counselor and executive advisor
• A strategic thinker and systems leader
• A disciplined operator and exceptional project manager
• A politically savvy and emotionally intelligent leader
• A bridge-builder across teams and stakeholders
• A proactive problem-solver who anticipates needs
• A highly organized professional with exceptional judgment
• A mission-driven leader committed to dignity, compassion, justice, and service