Confidential Non-Profit

A confidential New Jersey-based nonprofit seeks a Chief of Staff to help its leadership team manage the organization’s day-to-day administration.

The Position:
The Chief of Staff (COS) is part of the executive team and will report directly to the Executive Director. The Chief of Staff will increase collaboration and accountability across departments, facilitate strategic thinking, and develop management systems and procedures. The Chief of Staff will serve as an advisor to the Executive Director as well as a collaborative and strategic thought partner to the senior leadership team. They will also oversee administration, operations and infrastructure, and human resources functions as well as work closely with the senior executive team.

The Chief of Staff will be a strong problem solver, diplomatic change agent, and an expert in understanding organizational dynamics while helping to create structures and processes that address challenges that are inherent in a diverse organization. The Chief of Staff plays a critical role across all departments in helping to ensure the organization achieves its mission and embodies its values. This includes working closely with the organization’s management and staff in the day-to-day affairs of the organization and special projects. The Chief of Staff provides support at every level, serves as a trusted advisor and resource, and fosters communication and knowledge sharing throughout the organization.

The Chief of Staff will manage strategic planning, special projects, and other change initiatives at the direction of the ED; will build collaboration and communication across functional and departmental lines; and will ensure operational effectiveness through the organization’s human, fiscal, technology and physical resources. The COS must understand the dynamics of fundraising and support, and have the ability to review and comprehend the organization’s financials. They will also serve as a liaison with the organization’s HR, finance, and IT consultants.

The ideal candidate will handle complex situations and multiple responsibilities simultaneously, mixing long-term projects with the urgency of immediate demands. They must also have the demonstrated ability to deal with confidential information and act as a liaison between the Executive Director and other constituencies, both internal and external. They must exhibit the skills to collaborate with and achieve actionable results through others, the ability to build strong and sustainable relationships and the capability to interact within all levels of the organization.

The COS must be a highly intelligent self-starter who demonstrates commitment to the organization’s core mission. This individual must be able to understand, clearly articulate, and implement the Executive Director’s ideas, thoughts, and perspectives as they relate to the organization’s internal purpose and objectives. They should have proven ability to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion; manage growth; demonstrate significant accomplishments and past successes; be a strategic thinker and a hands-on planner and problem solver; and be comfortable leading and sustaining change.

Excellent communication and negotiation skills are critical. They must be able to work closely with the active and engaged Board as well as with an experienced and committed staff. The COS must communicate in a transparent and honest fashion that promotes inclusiveness, cooperation, and teamwork. In addition, they will be fast learners, diplomatic, analytical, of the highest integrity, and possess sound judgment as well as a sense of humor.

Specific Responsibilities include:

• Oversee all internal operational, and administrative functions of the organization, freeing up the ED to focus on external matters.

• Provide a strong day-to-day leadership presence for all staff, and create systems and effective processes to bridge regional operations and improve communication and coordination among the different programs.

• Oversee the preparation and presentation of written administrative, operational, and programmatic reports.

• Maintain, develop, and update operating and administrative policies and procedure manuals and assure learnings across the organization.

• Work closely with the program staff including doing assessments in each area to
assure proper staffing, efficient operations and the establishment and implementation of accurate systems and departmental goals and objectives.

• Manage and oversee all human resources matters, including developing and refining performance appraisal criteria and related hiring and retention processes with a focused eye on assuring that all staff, including the senior leadership team, are operating with the requisite urgency, efficiency, and accuracy in their respective areas and that each area is appropriately staffed.

• Work closely with the finance team to ensure that the annual budgeting process is conducted in the most effective and efficient way and ensure that, at all times, the Executive Director has all the information needed relating to budgeting, program fund allocation, fundraising, and resource allocation.

• Work closely with the Grants Manager on the implementation and reporting for grant funders.

• Work with the executive and senior team to review the current fundraising and development, programs, marketing, and technology infrastructure and recommend changes as determined to be necessary to support the organization’s growth.

• Work to instill a human capital culture within the organization by establishing a clearer system for defining respective job functions, delineating job descriptions, and reporting lines, clarifying the reporting and organizational chart, and establishing a more rigorous adherence to processes for intra-organization communication, recruiting, hiring and termination.

Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field; advanced degree (e.g., MBA, MPA, MPH) preferred.
• Minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in large, multifaceted public and/or non-profit institutions
• Collaborative working style with demonstrated ability to work with colleagues to balance program and administrative concerns and perspectives in fashioning solutions.
• Knowledge and nuanced understanding of social, medical, economic, and legal issues affecting the community.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal skills with the ability to present the organization’s mission in a compelling and effective manner.
• Commitment to communicating in an open, engaged, and responsive manner.
• A high degree of emotional intelligence and the ability to interact effectively with the senior management team, Board members, program staff, and external stakeholders including funders.
• Deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Creativity and flexibility
• Computer proficiency
• Commitment to the mission and goals of the organization and a demonstrated commitment to public service

Other information:

• The anticipated salary is $140,000 to $150,000 per year, plus benefits.

All positions at the organization are filled without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, HIV/AIDS status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. All are encouraged to apply.