Chief of Staff

POSITION OVERVIEW

Title: Chief of Staff

Company: Groundwork Collaborative

Reports to: Executive Director

Oversees: Executive Assistant to the ED and Operations Team

Location: Washington D.C. This a hybrid workplace, with Mondays and Wednesdays in the office and three days remote, as well as the occasional need to work in person for events and special projects.

Overtime Status: Exempt

ABOUT GROUNDWORK COLLABORATIVE

Launched in 2018, the Groundwork Collaborative is driven by the idea that We Are The Economy: when all of us are doing well, that is when our economy thrives. We fight for progressive economic policy and narrative change that builds accountable public power, breaks up concentrations of private power, and affirmatively centers people too long left out of prosperity. We understand that taken together, these actions will lead to a stronger and more resilient economy.

Groundwork’s unique structure – part strategic communications, part think tank, and part issue advocacy organization – allows us to drive narrative and policy change with credibility, expertise, and impact. We work with four core audiences – the media, policymakers, economic policy experts, and grassroots organizations. We use targeted policy campaigns, timely research and messaging to build a community across the progressive movement to advance a truly inclusive economic worldview.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Chief of Staff will serve as a key partner to the Executive Director (ED), optimizing time management, enhancing team culture, and driving strategic initiatives. This role is crucial in ensuring that the ED's time is focused on high-impact activities, strategic priorities and Groundwork’s future. Working closely with the Executive Assistant, the Chief of Staff will act as a gatekeeper, anticipating needs, managing workflows, and stepping in as a proxy when appropriate. Additionally, the Chief of Staff will foster a collaborative environment, aligning team efforts and improving information flow to keep decision-making and execution on track. This individual will be both a strategist and an executor, translating high-level vision into practical steps and delivering results that advance the ED’s goals.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Chief of Staff’s responsibilities will encompass three primary areas:

Ensure the ED's highest and best use of time

• Attend meetings and events alongside or on behalf of the Executive Director, ensuring timely follow-up on all action items
• Provide consistent and relevant briefing information to Executive Director
• Anticipate the Executive Director’s needs and proactively prepare solutions
• Lead and develop the EA to align closely with the Executive Director’s priorities
• Review and ensure quality standards are met before work reaches the Executive Director
• Ensure "quality control" of information and communication to reduce reactivity

Operations Oversight

• Champion the organization's culture, fostering a positive, collaborative environment
• Manage the day-to-day operations, ensuring smooth and efficient functioning
• Foster a collaborative and tightly-knit team that is aligned on goals and strategic objectives
• Introduce necessary structures, processes, and tools to improve alignment and facilitate information sharing
• Connect the dots across initiatives and projects, ensuring that relevant information reaches the right people and that key stakeholders are included in important conversations. Serve as a central knowledge resource for the leadership team
• Act as a communication bridge, clarifying and reinforcing the Executive Director’s messaging to ensure clear, two-way information flow between the Executive Director and the team
• Oversee the hiring process, ensuring alignment with organizational culture and values, and work closely with teams to attract, evaluate, and onboard top talent effectively

Deliver results on behalf of the Executive Director

• Translate the Executive Director's visions into actionable steps, secure stakeholder buy-in and manage strategic projects to completion without direct Executive Director involvement
• Implement and teach a standardized decision-making process to foster consistency and clarity in decision-making
• Drive strategic execution across the organization
• Conduct research and monitor industry innovations and emerging trends
• Analytical – demonstrates a strong ability to leverage data and information for problem solving and decision making

KEY QUALIFICATION

• 10-15 years of professional experience, with a background in both supporting a senior executive and managing teams
• Experience on Capitol Hill, in legal, and/or in human resources is a plus, but not required
• Process Improvement – Skilled in designing, refining, and knowing when to introduce process changes
• Project Management – Effective in planning, coordinating, and overseeing cross-departmental projects to meet objectives
• Strategic Planning – Proficient in developing and implementing initiatives aligned with organizational goals
• Human Resources Management – Experienced in hiring, performance management, and team development
• Communication Tools – Proficient with platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Asana, and Trello to ensure smooth communication and collaboration
• Emotional Intelligence – Builds strong relationships and navigates communication effectively to drive initiatives forward with diverse stakeholders
• Time Management – Works to protect the Executive Director’s time by synthesizing information, anticipating needs, enhancing efficiency, delegating, and acting on her behalf as needed
• Humility – Embraces a supportive, behind-the-scenes role, focused on assisting the Executive Director
• Stamina – Maintains high enthusiasm and resilience, prioritizing quality and values even in ambiguity, setting pace and focus for the organization

Salary

Salary Range of $175,000 - $200,000 + Generous Benefits Package including five weeks of vacation and personal leave, two week-long office closures, additional time off for floating and federal holidays, zero-premium health insurance, a generous HRA, a retirement match of up to 6%, up to 16 weeks parental leave, and health club and cell-phone reimbursements, among other benefits. We are a hybrid workplace, with two days a week in the office and three days remote, as well as the occasional need to work in person for events and special projects. Groundwork is a unionized workplace and is represented by the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU). This position is not in the bargaining unit.

E-Verify

NVF participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with employees’ Form I-9 information to confirm authorization to work in the United States. Job candidates and employees authorized to work may not be discriminated against on the basis of national origin or citizenship status.

New Venture Fund Careers

Groundwork Collaborative is a project of the New Venture Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public-interest projects and grant-making programs. The New Venture Fund is committed to attracting, developing and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding, and enables each of us to realize our potential. The New Venture Fund’s work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working.