Role: Chief of Staff

Location: Ideally New York, NY or San Francisco, CA (Hybrid; in-office ~3 days/week)

Our client is a global executive search firm specializing in senior technology, product, and design leadership hires for venture-backed, private equity–owned, and public companies. Founded in the early 2000s, the firm operates with a proprietary, data-driven platform to support executive matching, delivering high placement success rates and fast turnaround times for leadership searches.

Position Overview:

You’ll be the Managing Partners’ right hand, force multiplier, and occasionally, their conscience. This is a tactical, hands-on enablement role that will be a driving force in the success of the venture practice. It combines strategic input with heavy ownership of execution, attention to detail, and extensive cross-functional collaboration.

Key Responsibilities:

• Partner with the Venture Managing Partners to define, prioritize, and oversee strategic objectives and initiatives, including identifying areas for continuous improvement
• Own tactical execution on high-impact projects and drive follow-through
• Manage cross-functional project coordination with dependencies across the venture practice and other business units
• Conduct data mining and research to support proactive internal recruiting, business development, and competitive positioning
• Lead executive communications, including leadership offsites, business unit updates, partner presentations, internal announcements, and strategic updates
• Prepare and brief Managing Partners for meetings, key decisions, and external engagements
• Serve as a liaison between the Managing Partners and key cross-functional leaders
• Support the venture team in developing business unit goals and performance metrics
• Foster a culture of collaboration, transparency, and operational excellence

Key Success Factors:

• Strategic Translator: You turn ambiguity into action. When problems emerge, you take ownership, produce analysis, surface options, and drive toward a clear roadmap
• Diplomatic Enforcer: You get things done through people who don’t report to you, balancing credibility, influence, and the willingness to have direct conversations
• Pattern Recognition at Scale: You identify root causes across seemingly unrelated issues and distinguish real business signals from noise
• Builder, Not Just Operator: You don’t just maintain processes — you design scalable systems when something is broken
• Commercial Instinct: You understand this is a business, and every initiative ties back to revenue, margin, culture, or strategic positioning
• Radical Transparency: You tell the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable, and help leadership see reality clearly
• Execution Velocity: You move fast, iterate, and understand which decisions are reversible versus permanent
• Cultural Curator: You preserve what works while pushing thoughtful change, acting as a synthesizer rather than an ideologue

Qualifications:

• 5–8 years of experience in high-intensity, execution-focused roles (Chief of Staff, Business Operations, consulting, or similar)
• You don’t need the title “Chief of Staff,” but you need to have done the work
• Experience in services or client-facing environments where success depended on influencing without direct authority
• Proven ability to take ownership and drive results independently
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking capabilities
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Proficiency in tools such as Excel, PowerPoint, and CRM platforms
• Strong perspectives on AI enablement and experience using AI-native or automation-focused tools
• Personal Characteristics
• Highly organized, self-starter with a results-driven mindset
• Collaborative, adaptable, and comfortable in dynamic environments
• High degree of integrity, discretion, and professionalism
• Exceptional attention to detail, particularly in presentations, written materials, and communications
• Strong pride of ownership in all work produced
• Clear growth mindset
• Working Style Expectations
• Thrives with minimal direction and brief, direct communication
• Defaults to ownership and proactive problem-solving
• Comfortable raising issues when work isn’t on track
• Able to translate high-level input into concrete action plans
• Naturally drives continuity, momentum, and follow-through
• Skilled at maintaining progress without constant leadership oversight

What they offer:

• Base salary: $160,000–$200,000 (senior individual contributor level)
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Supplemental health options
• Wellness program
• Employee assistance program
• Life and disability insurance
• Additional perks and programs