Chief Of Staff
About the Opportunity
An international non-profit organization focused on community-led development and youth leadership seeks an experienced, mission-driven executive to serve as Chief Of Staff. This is an executive leadership role with delegated authority, functioning as the primary deputy and second-in-command to the Chief Executive Officer.
The Chief Of Staff leads the organization's internal management and directs the executive leadership team, enabling the CEO to focus on strategic vision, fundraising, partnership development, and Board governance. The role oversees organizational performance, annual planning, operational alignment, and capacity building across multi-country operations.
Position Details
Employment Type: Full time, exempt
Location: United States (Remote, with availability during working hours across Africa) or a regional country office, with regular international travel to program offices
Compensation: $240,000 – $260,000 annually, commensurate with experience
Benefits: Comprehensive benefits package including health coverage, retirement benefits, and paid time off
Reporting Structure
Reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer
Direct reports include: Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Program Officer, Director of People and Culture, and two Regional Directors
Key Responsibilities
Second-in-Command to the CEO
Serve as the CEO's deputy and operational thought partner, exercising delegated authority to manage internal operations and acting on the CEO's behalf during travel or absence.
Maintain organizational clarity and leadership discipline to support executive focus on vision, relationships, resource development, and governance.
Prepare and deliver consolidated weekly executive briefings covering operations, finance, programs, development, human resources, and risk.
Ensure critical matters brought to the CEO include complete context, viable alternatives, risk assessments, and diverse perspectives, resolving issues at operational levels when feasible.
Steward decision-rights frameworks and decision trees, guiding leaders on boundaries of autonomy, cross-functional collaboration, and matters requiring CEO or Board review.
Provide objective, constructive feedback and strategic counsel to the CEO.
Evaluate and pressure-test high-impact decisions to confirm rigorous analysis, operational viability, and alignment with organizational priorities.
Leadership Team Management and Development
Direct and facilitate a collaborative executive leadership team accountable for shared goals and organizational performance.
Establish performance benchmarks, responsibilities, and decision rights for direct reports, holding leaders accountable for departmental outcomes and team health.
Coach senior executives through regular feedback, supporting leadership independence and modeling sustainable work-life balance.
Empower functional and regional leaders to design solutions within defined parameters, stepping in directly when performance, compliance, or risk warrants intervention.
Identify and eliminate operational bottlenecks, misaligned priorities, and resource constraints across teams.
Cultivate a culture of transparency, accountability, proactive communication, and continuous learning.
Promote cross-functional and cross-regional alignment so organizational priorities take precedence over departmental interests.
Oversee succession planning and leadership development to ensure business continuity across key roles.
Direct executive-level hiring processes for CEO approval, and approve country leadership appointments and organizational structural changes.
Strategy Execution and Performance Management
Partner with the Chief Operating Officer to guide strategic planning initiatives across the global organization.
Translate strategic priorities into actionable annual operating plans with defined targets, resource allocations, milestones, and governance checkpoints.
Maintain a structured performance rhythm utilizing standardized scorecards reviewed on weekly and quarterly cycles to track progress and mitigate operational risks.
Oversee multi-year organizational optimization initiatives to streamline, document, and standardize policies, operating systems, and workflows across central and regional offices.
Lead high-priority, cross-cutting strategic initiatives from design through execution and operational handoff.
Advance initiatives to strengthen locally led regional leadership, systems, and shared operational services.
Program, Operations, Finance, and Risk Oversight
Oversee program design, quality, training, and monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL) through the Chief Program Officer and Regional Directors.
Oversee day-to-day administrative operations, IT infrastructure, and shared operational systems through the Chief Operating Officer.
Oversee multi-currency budgeting, financial reporting, statutory filings, audits, and financial controls through the Chief Financial Officer; co-present annual operating budgets to the CEO and Board of Directors.
Oversee global human resources policy, compensation structures, employee handbooks, and performance management through the Director of People and Culture.
Approve organization-wide operational policies (including HR, travel, procurement, and safeguarding) and enterprise system selections, establishing delegation-of-authority matrices and financial decision frameworks in coordination with the CFO.
Direct safety, security, and emergency preparedness: maintain incident command structures, approve duty-of-care and evacuation protocols for staff and program participants, conduct scenario trainings, lead crisis response, and escalate severe incidents to executive leadership immediately.
Oversee multi-country legal and regulatory compliance in coordination with external legal counsel.
Direct internal audit activities to verify compliance with operating standards, prioritizing targeted training and resource allocation to address operational gaps.
Required Qualifications
15–20 years of progressive executive leadership experience (such as COO, CEO, Executive Director, Country Director, or an equivalent role) within complex, multi-country, mission-driven organizations.
Direct experience living and working in Africa.
Demonstrated success establishing and leading organizational headquarters operations (finance, HR, IT, legal, and compliance) across multiple African countries, including implementing internationally benchmarked compensation and HR standards.
Strong financial acumen, including multi-entity and multi-currency budgeting, financial forecasting, audit oversight, and executive-level financial reporting.
Demonstrated track record of leading senior executives through coaching, influence, and accountability.
Demonstrated history of developing leaders, strengthening organizational capacity, and creating sustainable operating rhythms and accountability systems.
Proven experience leading volunteer-based or community-led development programs.
Demonstrated experience directing crisis response, emergency management, and duty-of-care protocols for staff and participants in high-risk environments, including incident command and scenario training.
Fluency in English.
Demonstrated alignment with participatory community development, youth leadership, transparency, and accountability.
Preferred Qualifications
Master of Business Administration (MBA) or equivalent advanced degree.
Professional proficiency in French.
Experience serving as a primary deputy or second-in-command to an organizational founder.
Familiarity with the Peace Corps model or similar international volunteer service frameworks.
Equal Opportunity Notice
The organization is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers all qualified applicants without regard to age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, marital status, physical ability, or any other legally protected basis.