Chief of Staff, Office Executive Vice President of Programs

At The Obama Foundation, our mission is to inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world. We seek to build an active democratic culture where people are equipped and motivated to make change in the communities where they live, work, and play. Right here on the South Side of Chicago, we’re building a home for this vision, a global center for change with a range of opportunities - coordinated programming, community outreach events, educational moments, and more - that invite visitors from down the block or across the globe to turn hope into action.

Achieving our ambitious goals starts with an exceptional team built on our Hope to Action Values - Courage, Empathy, Integrity, Accountability, Community, Inclusivity, Pragmatism, Resilience, Imagination, and Hope. A Framework that anyone, anywhere, can use to build trust, activate participation, and expand opportunity in their community.

The Chief of Staff (COS), Office of the Executive Vice President (EVP) of Programs will partner with the EVP of Programs as a strategic and administrative operator to ensure the EVP’s time and attention are aligned with the objectives of the Foundation’s Programs department. The EVP of Programs is a member of the Foundation’s Executive Leadership Team and is a highly visible principal whose role is cross functional and collaborative with Executive Office & Strategy, People, Legal, Finance, Development, OPC, and External Affairs partners.

The COS will work closely with the Vice President of Program Operations to help drive operational excellence for the Programs department. This position serves as a critical member of the Program Operations Leadership table, managed by the Vice President of Program Operations.

• EVP project management & decision making
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  Maintain the submission form and tracker of all memos and materials requiring the EVP’s awareness, feedback, and / or decision making. Proactively communicate with all stakeholders the protocols for engaging with the EVP, and work closely with the Vice President of Operations to respond to incoming inquiries pertaining to the full Programs department. Serve as a strategic thought-partner to the EVP to support decision-making and improve operating culture, and serve as the EVP’s proxy when not present.

• Scheduling and meeting support
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  Ensure that the EVP is fully prepared for all meetings with agendas, bios, talking points, briefings and background reading. This includes preparing meeting materials such as agendas, memos, and presentations, as well as tracking and communicating meeting takeaways and next steps. When appropriate, staff the EVP in meetings to document and track next steps. Facilitate the weekly Programs Leadership Team meeting.
  
  Coordinate with the Vice President of Program Operations to orchestrate department-wide meetings and retreats, on behalf of the EVP.

• Manage department-wide processes and communications
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  In close partnership with the VP of Program Operations, support the EVP with a regular cadence of communication to all Programs staff, on email and during quarterly Program Town Halls. Serve as the Program lead for routine enterprise-wide operations. Support EVP in communication with and management of direct reports and lines of business in her portfolio. Design and improve processes and systems for communication and cross-team collaboration.

• Manage external speaking requests
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  Organize and prioritize all external speaking requests for the EVP in collaboration with the Foundation’s Marketing and Communications team. This includes managing the external intake form, liaising with the Foundation’s Marketing and Communications team and the requestor, scheduling prep calls as needed, scheduling…