Chief of Staff

Chief of Staff

Position Type:
Full Time, Exempt

Reports To:

President and CEO

Work Location:

Silver Spring, MD or Remote

Level of

Travel Required:

Frequent travel based on Board meetings, senior leadership meetings, and organizational priorities.

Job Overview

The Chief of Staff serves as a strategic partner and advisor to the President and CEO of Achieving the Dream and is responsible for the coordination, sequencing, and follow-through of the organization's highest priorities. Reporting directly to the President and CEO, the Chief of Staff works across all divisions to advance organizational priorities, support the Senior Leadership Team, and steward the President's Office.

The Chief of Staff manages ATD's strategic planning process, including the engagement of the Board of Directors, staff, Network colleges, funders, and partners, and the translation of the resulting plan into organizational priorities, measures, and accountability. The position also serves as the primary staff liaison for governance, supporting the Board of Directors and its committees.

The Chief of Staff prepares briefing materials, correspondence, presentations, and remarks for the President and CEO, and ensures consistency of message across the President's internal and external communications.

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Chief of Staff supports coordination and accountability across divisions and holds confidential responsibility on sensitive organizational matters. This position supervises the Executive Assistant to the President and CEO.

Duties and Responsibilities

Executive Partnership and Presidential Support (25%)

• Serve as a strategic advisor and thought partner to the President and CEO, and provide confidential counsel on sensitive organizational matters.
• Support the President in setting priorities, managing competing demands, and protecting time for the organization's highest-value work.
• Prepare briefing materials, talking points, remarks, presentations, correspondence, and background research for the President, and ensure consistency of voice and message across them.
• Draft and coordinate the President's written communications, including letters to Network presidents, staff communications, articles, and external contributions.
• Anticipate issues requiring the President's attention and bring forward options with a recommendation.

Strategic Planning and Organizational Strategy (20%)

• Manage ATD's strategic planning process end to end, including timeline, participation, facilitation, materials, and decision points.
• Coordinate engagement of the Board of Directors, staff, Network colleges, funders, and partners in the planning process.
• Partner with the Vice President of Research and Network Innovation to ensure the plan is grounded in evidence and supported by defined measures of success.
• Translate the approved plan into annual organizational priorities, division-level commitments, and reporting against them.
• Maintain the connection between the strategic plan, the annual budget, and the organization's stated priorities, and identify where they diverge.

Board Relations and Governance (20%)

• Serve as the primary staff liaison for the Board of Directors and its committees.
• Coordinate development of Board agendas, meeting materials, and governance documentation, and manage meeting logistics with the Executive Assistant.
• Partner with the Board Chair and the President to support Board engagement, communication, and committee effectiveness.
• Track Board actions and commitments through to completion, and report status to the President and the Board.
• Support Board recruitment, orientation, development, and governance improvement efforts.

Senior Leadership Team Coordination (20%)

• Coordinate the work of the Senior Leadership Team, including agendas, materials, and the sequencing of decisions.
• Structure Senior Leadership Team agendas so that meeting time is used for decisions, strategy, and cross-functional issues, with routine reporting handled in written and asynchronous formats.
• Monitor progress on organizational priorities and hold follow-through on executive decisions and commitments.
• Identify cross-divisional issues requiring resolution and bring them forward with a proposed path.
• Lead high-priority cross-functional initiatives designated by the President, including initiatives that cross divisions without a natural owner.

President's Office Operations (15%)

• Supervise the Executive Assistant to the President and CEO, and establish clear division of responsibility between the two roles.
• Oversee operations of the President's Office, including correspondence flow, commitments, and internal and external requests for the President's time.
• Establish and maintain systems that support the effectiveness of the President and the Senior Leadership Team.
• Manage confidential records and communications on behalf of the President's Office.
• Maintain records of governance decisions, executive commitments, and institutional history so that continuity is preserved through staff and…