Director, Chief of Staff

Overview Director, Chief of Staff

The ideal candidate will have an exceptional track record of building strong business partnerships, demonstrated success in critical thinking and problem solving, experience with complex analysis, and ability to balance critical priorities across a wide range of responsibilities. The Chief of Staff should have experience in developing executive-ready presentations and telling a compelling story through data.

About the AI Foundations Team

At Capital One, we believe the future of banking is being written by AI. Our AI Foundations team sits at the frontier of AI and research, translating state-of-the-art breakthroughs into transformative financial solutions for millions of customers. Our investments in technology infrastructure and world-class talent — along with our deep experience in machine learning — position us to be at the forefront of enterprises leveraging AI. 

We aren't just applying existing tools; we are actively advancing the field through our own proprietary research in LLMs, agentic systems, and responsible AI. We operate with a "science-first" mindset—valuing intellectual candor, rigorous experimentation, and the pursuit of AI that is not only powerful but safe and human-centric.

As part of this team, you will work alongside world-class scientists and engineers, helping to bridge the gap between deep-tech innovation and meaningful, real-world impact. As Chief of Staff, you will enable and drive operations and strategy across the organization, ensuring it runs smoothly and flourishes, with a focus on high-level strategic enablement and delivery.

Key Responsibilities:

Stakeholder Management & Problem-Solving

• Serve as a Trusted Executive Partner: Serve as a trusted advisor to stakeholders and leaders across the enterprise, regularly utilizing strong business judgment, leadership, and integrity.

• Proactively Solve Complex Problems: Demonstrate a deep understanding of prioritization and delivery roadmaps, identifying cross-tower dependencies to systematically resolve impediments and keep teams moving forward.

• Influence & Align Matrixed Teams: Influence matrixed stakeholder teams to cohesively advance organizational growth, leveraging strong facilitation, negotiation, and mediation skills.

• Navigate Complexity Autonomously: Quickly get up to speed on key topics, navigate the broader enterprise, and manage complicated, sensitive assignments with little direction.

Talent, Labor Strategy & Finance Management

• Drive Strategic Programs & Planning: In partnership with key stakeholders, lead the development and implementation of short- and long-term strategic programs, aligning labor strategies with organizational goals.

• Optimize Financial & Operational Processes: Drive scalable organizational processes and resource allocation that enable long-term operational success and financial efficiency.

• Evaluate Program & Resource Feasibility: As new projects arise, partner with leadership to determine project feasibility, resource implications, and implementation plans.

• Deliver Operational Excellence: Execute complex, cross-functional organizational initiatives with both meticulous organizational skills and follow-through.

Associate Engagement & Experience

• Champion Culture & Collaboration: Inspire an organization built on open exchange, continuous engagement, and active collaboration across all associate levels.

• Amplify Team Impact & Brand: Partner with communications resources to enhance the Line of Business or team brand, highlighting the impact of strategic initiatives and celebrating associate achievements.

• Advocate for Associate-Centric Ideas: Serve as a champion for constructive, even unpopular ideas to ensure associate experience is prioritized—including pushing back with senior leaders when necessary.

• Lead Human-Centric Change: Drive organizational change and operational improvements with a clear focus on elevating team morale, engagement, and working conditions.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree

• At least 7 years of experience in project management, process management, or program management 

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in strategy development

• 5+ years of experience in budgeting and labor strategy

• 6+ years of experience driving organizational change and operational excellence

• 3+ years of experience partnering with engineering and product teams

At this time, Capital One will not sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization, or offer any immigration related support for this position (e.g. H1B, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, F-1 CPT, J-1, TN, E-3, and O-1, or any other forms of work authorization that require immigration support from an employer).

The minimum and maximum full-time annual salaries for this role are listed below, by location. Please note that this salary information is solely for candidates hired to perform work within one of these locations, and refers to the amount Capital One is willing to pay at the time of this posting. Salaries for part-time roles will be prorated based upon the agreed upon number of hours to be regularly worked.

McLean, VA: $230,400 - $263,000 for Director, Chief of Staff

Richmond, VA: $209,500 - $239,100 for Director, Chief of Staff

San Francisco, CA: $251,400 - $286,900 for Director, Chief of Staff

Candidates hired to work in other locations will be subject to the pay range associated with that location, and the actual annualized salary amount offered to any candidate at the time of hire will be reflected solely in the candidate’s offer letter.

This role is also eligible to earn performance based incentive compensation, which may include cash bonus(es) and/or long term incentives (LTI). Incentives could be discretionary or non discretionary depending on the plan.

Capital One offers a comprehensive, competitive, and inclusive set of health, financial and other benefits that support your total well-being. Learn more at the Capital One Careers website . Eligibility varies based on full or part-time status, exempt or non-exempt status, and management level.

This role is expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days.

No agencies please. Capital One is an equal opportunity employer (EOE, including disability/vet) committed to non-discrimination in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Capital One promotes a drug-free workplace. Capital One will consider for employment qualified applicants with a criminal history in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable laws regarding criminal background inquiries, including, to the extent applicable, Article 23-A of the New York Correction Law; San Francisco, California Police Code Article 49, Sections 4901-4920; New York City’s Fair Chance Act; Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Records Screening Act; and other applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding criminal background inquiries.

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Capital One Financial is made up of several different entities. Please note that any position posted in Canada is for Capital One Canada, any position posted in the United Kingdom is for Capital One Europe and any position posted in the Philippines is for Capital One Philippines Service Corp. (COPSSC).