Role: Chief of Staff

Location: Chicago, IL (Hybrid, 3 days on-site

About our client:

Our client is a leading laboratory in the functional medicine space, providing advanced biochemical testing that helps practitioners address the root causes of mental health conditions.

They serve practitioners across more than 20 countries with proprietary biomarker testing focused on brain health optimization. Their mission is to empower functional and integrative medicine doctors to treat conditions such as depression, ADHD, and anxiety through targeted nutrient therapy rather than pharmaceuticals.

The company generates over $6M in annual revenue, is CLIA-certified, and holds more than two decades of brand equity. With strong market traction and clear growth opportunities, they are scaling toward their next phase of expansion.

Position Overview:

This is not a traditional Chief of Staff role. The selected candidate will progress to General Manager within 6–12 months, owning full responsibility for product, operations, and financial performance while the CEO focuses on sales, marketing, and strategic initiatives.

The role is hands-on and execution-driven — ideal for someone who enjoys driving measurable results through operational excellence, vendor optimization, product improvement, and business development.

Key Responsibilities:

• Drive Strategic and Operational Execution
• Take ownership of product and operational performance across business units.
• Lead vendor negotiations to optimize cost structure and strengthen key partnerships.
• Drive implementation of operational systems, technology improvements, and process enhancements.
• Ensure strategic initiatives (“rocks”) are executed efficiently and on schedule.
• Manage cross-functional priorities to align execution with company growth objectives.
• Execute High-Impact Projects
• Insurance Program Launch: Develop and roll out a coverage program enabling patients to use insurance for testing services.
• Direct-to-Consumer Optimization: Elevate the premium consumer testing experience through practitioner network development, customer journey redesign, and improved service delivery.
• Core Product Expansion: Strengthen adoption of core mental health testing products within existing practitioner networks through education, onboarding, and customer success optimization.
• Technology Modernization: Oversee selection or management of technology development partners to upgrade the company’s digital infrastructure.
• Drive Business Development and Revenue Growth
• Identify and build strategic partnerships across functional medicine and longevity health networks.
• Close partnership opportunities directly — not through delegation — to generate new revenue streams.
• Translate practitioner and customer insights into actionable growth initiatives.
• Scale and Lead the Team
• Support team expansion from ~20 to 50+ employees as the company scales.
• Implement operational frameworks (e.g., EOS) to improve execution accountability.
• Coach managers and develop leadership capabilities across the organization.
• Elevate company culture toward high performance and ownership.
• General Management Transition (6–12 Months)
• Assume full P&L responsibility, overseeing budgeting, forecasting, and profitability.
• Manage coordination with finance, operations, and executive leadership.
• Drive execution of strategic objectives and performance metrics.
• Serve as the operational leader responsible for daily business management and company performance.

Qualifications:

This role is built for an analytical operator ready to step into full business ownership. You’ve mastered execution in smaller environments, connect strategy to measurable outcomes, and are energized by operational transformation.

✅ You likely fit if you:

• Have 6–10 years of experience blending strategy, analytics, and hands-on operations.
• Started in consulting, investment banking, or corporate strategy, then transitioned to a smaller, fast-moving company where you owned results.
• Have direct experience leading projects end-to-end — not just advising.
• Excel in vendor negotiation, business development, and partnership execution.
• Bring strong financial and operational acumen — can model, forecast, and make trade-off decisions independently.
• Thrive in ambiguous, high-accountability environments where speed and ownership matter.
• Are motivated by equity and long-term value creation, not just cash compensation.
• Have genuine interest in functional medicine, mental health, and healthcare innovation.

❌ This role is not for you if you:

• Have only worked in large, structured organizations.
• Need extensive infrastructure, staff, or direction to operate effectively.
• Prefer strategic oversight to hands-on execution.
• Are uncomfortable with resource constraints or rapid iteration.
• View this as a short-term stop rather than a long-term ownership path.

What they offer:

• Base Compensation: $175K–$240K total comp (depending on experience and track).
• Equity: 5–7% ownership upon GM transition.
• Direct Path to General Manager: Structured 6–12 month progression or immediate hire path.
• Mentorship and Development: Work directly with an experienced operator in a high-performance environment designed to accelerate leadership growth.
• High-Impact Role: Direct operational ownership and measurable influence on company success.
• Mission-Driven Work: Opportunity to transform mental healthcare through functional medicine innovation.
• Equal Opportunity Employer: Committed to building a diverse and inclusive team.

Interested?

If you’re reading this thinking “this is exactly me”, please DM me on LinkedIn!🔗