Columbia University Chief of Staff

The Leadership Opportunity:

Reporting directly to the President, Columbia University seeks an exceptional Chief of Staff to serve as a trusted advisor and strategic partner during a consequential moment in the institution’s history. As one of the world’s leading research universities and a globally recognized academic enterprise, Columbia offers a rare opportunity to operate at the intersection of higher education, government, industry, healthcare, philanthropy, and public life.

The Chief of Staff will help the President navigate institutional complexities, align stakeholders around key priorities, and drive effective execution across the University’s diverse ecosystem.

The Chief of Staff will ensure that priorities translate into action and that the Office of the President operates with focus, discipline, and impact. The role requires a leader who can provide candid counsel, exercise sound judgment in high-pressure situations, and mobilize senior leaders around shared objectives. The Chief of Staff must possess the credibility and confidence to challenge assumptions, offer thoughtful advice, and foster accountability while building strong relationships across a highly decentralized institution.

The successful candidate will serve as a key liaison between the President and a wide range of stakeholders, including trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumni, government officials, industry leaders, and community partners, helping ensure Columbia remains a visible, thoughtful, and engaged presence in the city and beyond. Another distinctive aspect of this opportunity is the ability to strengthen Columbia’s engagement with New York City and the broader external environment.

The Chief of Staff will foster a culture and effectiveness of the President’s Office, leading a high-performing team while ensuring operational excellence and seamless coordination of day-to-day activities. The ideal candidate will be a steady and grounded presence during moments of complexity, combining professionalism, discretion, emotional intelligence, and resilience. They will influence through relationships rather than authority alone and demonstrate the ability to lead with both conviction and humility.

The Chief of Staff must be strategically sophisticated and institutionally minded, execution driven, and able to support the President’s goals while also directly advancing complex projects. They will help clarify, prioritize, and maintain momentum around the President’s priorities and commitments; coordinate across teams; ensure follow-through on key decisions; and manage high-level communications and stakeholder alignment. The role requires sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to move work forward with speed while maintaining the integrity and quality of the work, especially when managing multiple complex projects and competing priorities at once.

Columbia University is at a defining moment. Under the leadership of President Jennifer L. Mnookin, the University is uniquely positioned to build on its extraordinary strengths as one of the world’s foremost centers of scholarship and research while charting an ambitious and confident path forward. Columbia’s combination of academic distinction, global reach, a world-class medical enterprise, and a deep connection to New York City gives it an unparalleled capacity to advance knowledge and improve lives.

President Mnookin’s tenure marks an inflection point for the institution—one that calls for aligning Columbia’s exceptional talent, resources, and capabilities around a shared vision for the future. As Columbia advances its academic, research, and clinical missions while elevating the student experience, the President’s senior leadership…