Chief of Staff at National Council on Aging in Arlington, Virginia

Job Description:

We believe every person deserves to age well. That’s why we’re on a path to improve the lives of 40 million older adults by 2030. Come join an awesome team and learn about the work we do, the people we serve, and why equitable aging matters now more than ever. At NCOA, we represent the interests of the aging population across the nation, while striving to live out our core values of equity, excellence, and innovation. This is meaningful work where we put “people first” and our employees can learn and grow, where work/life balance is prioritized, and have a flexible hybrid work schedule while being part of a dynamic, collaborative team.

We are interested in growing our team with passionate, committed, and innovative individuals. The Chief of Staff will join NCOA at a time of dynamic growth.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Chief of Staff (COS) is a high-visibility strategic partner that supports the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with effective decision-making, project management, and execution of strategic initiatives across all business functions. The Chief of Staff sets and provides the organizational and communication framework for partners, employees, and the leadership team to implement the CEO’s vision and achieve annual goals. The Chief of Staff lives in the future and focuses on long-term planning and projects to ensure the growth of the organization and the success of the CEO.

Positions at this level are top leaders in the organization and require advanced knowledge and experience as well as advanced management capabilities. Incumbents are required to exercise independent judgement on decisions that impact the organization and hold their direct reports accountable for the execution of functional and operational strategy. Incumbents generally have fifteen or more years of experience in their discipline and a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent, as well as substantive experience at this level. Graduate level degrees may be considered in lieu of experience.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Build and lead the daily operations of the Executive office.
• Build and run cadence for leadership meetings, board meetings, and leadership offsites, including structuring and helping to deliver organization-wide communication.
• Lead cross-functional strategic initiatives, facilitate special projects, and ensure action items are executed on behalf of the CEO.
• Operate at a tactical, strategic, and operational level, handling the oversight of projects that do not neatly fit within the organizational chart or that fall between departments or leadership areas of responsibility.
• Acts as an extension of the CEO and information funnel, filter, and facilitator with internal and external stakeholders.
• Assess all inquiries directed to the CEO, determine priority and the proper course of action.
• Act as the point of contact for the CEO’s direct reports. Triage all incoming requests for the executive’s time and work collaboratively with the CEO’s executive assistant to ensure their calendar is aligned with the priorities of the organization.
• Proactively follow up with the CEO’s team if and when goals are not being achieved to determine why objectives are not being met. Provide actionable recommendations for improvement.
• Promote team integration as well as cross-functional communication and collaboration.
• Manage key relationships and build a process to track and nurture key stakeholders, funders, and partners.
• Track high priority initiatives for the CEO to identify any potential obstacles.
• Serve as a thought partner and strategic advisor to CEO, standing in on meetings, challenging ideas and offering a different perspective, and following up on action items with the team accordingly.
• Provide analysis, recommendations, and options to the CEO regarding high impact decisions.
• Manage the CEO’s brand & reputation.
• Other duties as required.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field, with 10+ years of experience in executive or management role.
• At least 6 years of experience supporting strategy development or advising executive-level leaders on high-level initiatives; experience at a political or issue-focused nonprofit or a company undergoing rapid growth preferred.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, synthesizing and articulating the views of others in addition to your own perspectives when advising the Chief Executive Officer.
• Strong complex problem-solving skills with the desire to brainstorm big, bold ideas.
• Track record of balancing the coordination of fast-paced daily priorities with important, longer-term strategic efforts.
• Exceptional project management and organizational skills, including proactively executing tasks.
• Experience creating materials and slide decks to advance donor and partner engagement preferred.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Frequently required to sit or use a standing desk.
• Occasionally required to walk.
• Occasionally required to reach with hands and arms.
• Frequently required to talk or listen.
• Occasionally required to bend, lift or climb stairs.
• Occasionally required to lift light weights (less than 25 pounds).

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

SELECTION PROCESS

We only accept applications that follow the electronic process. No phone calls please. This position is subject to background screening. Qualified applicants should submit a cover letter with salary requirements and resume to the Chief of Staff job posting:

https://www.ncoa.org/page/careers

NCOA offers generous benefits, including:

• Medical, Dental, Vision, STD, LTD insurances
• Paid vacation, sick, and other types of leave
• 403(b) Retirement plan
• Hybrid remote work options
• And more!

NCOA is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion

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