Chief of Staff to the CEO

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Chief of Staff to the CEO based in Canada.

In this strategic leadership role, you will act as a trusted advisor and key partner to the CEO, helping translate organizational priorities into meaningful outcomes. You will strengthen executive alignment, drive cross-functional initiatives, and ensure that critical decisions are made efficiently and effectively. Working closely with the Executive Leadership Team, you will provide strategic guidance, anticipate organizational challenges, and maintain visibility over the organization's most important priorities. You will also support high-level relationships with Board members, funders, partners, and other external stakeholders. This position offers the opportunity to influence organizational direction within a mission-driven, globally distributed nonprofit environment. It is ideal for an experienced strategic leader who combines exceptional judgment, discretion, communication, and the ability to influence without formal authority.

Accountabilities:

• Serve as the CEO's strategic thought partner, helping develop, challenge, refine, and communicate organizational priorities based on internal performance, executive insights, and external developments.
• Translate the CEO's strategic vision into clear organizational objectives, actionable priorities, and measurable outcomes that guide executive decision-making.
• Establish strong working relationships with members of the Executive Leadership Team, understanding their priorities, responsibilities, challenges, and working styles.
• Ensure executive priorities remain aligned by monitoring progress, identifying competing demands, and proactively addressing gaps in resources, attention, or strategic direction.
• Manage the flow of information and decisions reaching the CEO, filtering requests and escalating significant strategic matters, material risks, and major organizational decisions with relevant context, options, and recommendations.
• Represent the CEO in internal discussions and make decisions on their behalf within clearly delegated authority, escalating matters requiring further approval when necessary.
• Facilitate effective collaboration across executive functions, helping resolve cross-functional challenges and ensuring that important decisions, commitments, and initiatives are followed through.
• Prepare the CEO for high-stakes engagements, including Board meetings, fundraising discussions, strategic partnerships, public appearances, and other external activities through concise briefings and relevant organizational insights.
• Identify important external opportunities and ensure that commitments made by the CEO are translated into clear internal actions and organizational follow-through.
• Partner with the Executive Program Manager to ensure the CEO's time, strategic priorities, and commitments remain aligned.
• Collaborate with the Investment Committee and its technical and strategic advisors to keep evaluations focused on organizational priorities and facilitate efficient decision-making around funding opportunities.
• Anticipate upcoming strategic challenges and decisions over short-, medium-, and long-term horizons, helping the CEO and executive team prepare proactively.
• Promote transparent decision-making by documenting key decisions, their rationale, and agreed actions while encouraging constructive communication and accountability across teams.

Requirements:

• Significant and demonstrable experience working as a strategic partner to a CEO or senior executive team, with a proven ability to lead high-impact initiatives and turn complex or ambiguous situations into structured action plans.
• Strong experience driving complex, cross-functional projects from strategic conception through execution, including defining objectives, ownership, milestones, and decision-making processes.
• Experience working across multiple legal entities or organizational structures is considered an asset, particularly where coordination, stakeholder alignment, and influence across different entities are required.
• Exceptional judgment, discretion, and integrity, with the ability to manage confidential information and navigate sensitive executive relationships.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders without formal authority, build trust across departments, and provide constructive feedback while maintaining strong professional relationships.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information into clear executive briefings, strategic recommendations, presentations, and decision-ready documents.
• Strong analytical and strategic problem-solving capabilities, with the ability to identify critical questions, challenge assumptions, evaluate information, and recommend practical solutions.
• Excellent prioritization and organizational skills, with the flexibility to balance long-term strategic objectives against urgent operational and organizational matters.
• Direct experience supporting Board governance, fundraising activities, investment decisions, or other high-level external stakeholder relationships.
• A collaborative and mission-oriented approach, with the ability to work effectively behind the scenes and measure success through the achievements of the CEO and broader leadership team.
• Demonstrated commitment to building an open, accessible, trustworthy, and inclusive internet.
• Ability to collaborate across international time zones and occasionally work outside standard business hours to support Board meetings, major events, and urgent organizational priorities.
• Willingness and ability to travel for Board meetings, leadership gatherings, and significant organizational events.

Additional experience that will help you stand out includes:

• Previous senior-level experience within nonprofit, philanthropic, technology, or public-interest organizations.
• Experience supporting or advising investment committees, grantmaking bodies, or funding decision-making groups.
• Familiarity with organizational governance, strategic planning, and executive-level stakeholder management in globally distributed environments.

The ideal candidate will also demonstrate the following working principles:

• Strategic courage: Willingness to address difficult issues early, challenge assumptions, and provide honest, actionable recommendations.
• Curiosity and continuous learning: Staying informed about organizational developments, industry trends, and emerging opportunities to provide relevant strategic context.
• Transparency: Encouraging open communication and documenting decisions to strengthen accountability and organizational alignment.
• Execution and accountability: Maintaining focus on the most important priorities and ensuring decisions and commitments translate into results.
• Adaptability: Responding effectively to changing circumstances while remaining aligned with strategic objectives and organizational values.
• Empathy and collaboration: Building strong relationships, respecting individual responsibilities, and addressing challenges constructively and directly.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary: Annual starting salary ranging from CAD 356,400 to CAD 400,948.65 for candidates based in Canada.
• Private medical insurance: Access to private healthcare coverage.
• Retirement benefits: Employer contributions to a retirement savings plan.
• Paid time off: 20 days of annual leave, in addition to sick days and a paid day off for your birthday.
• Company holidays: Additional company-recognized holidays and an end-of-year office shutdown.
• Extended sick leave: Additional support during periods of illness.
• Employee assistance: Access to a global Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Wellness support: Dedicated wellness budget to support personal health and well-being.
• Professional development: Dedicated budget for training, learning, and career development.
• Family support: Enhanced pregnancy and parental leave programs.
• Remote flexibility: Fully remote working arrangements for eligible candidates based in Canada.
• Meaningful impact: Opportunity to contribute to a mission-driven organization focused on building a more open, accessible, and trustworthy internet.
• Global collaboration: Work alongside an international team of professionals, advocates, developers, and technology innovators.

How Jobgether works:

We use an AI-powered matching process to ensure your application is reviewed quickly, objectively, and fairly against the role's core requirements. Our system identifies the top-fitting candidates, and this shortlist is then shared directly with the hiring company. The final decision and next steps (interviews, assessments) are managed by their internal team.

We appreciate your interest and wish you the best!

Why Apply Through Jobgether?

Data Privacy Notice: By submitting your application, you acknowledge that Jobgether will process your personal data to evaluate your candidacy and share relevant information with the hiring employer. This processing is based on legitimate interest and pre-contractual measures under applicable data protection laws (including GDPR). You may exercise your rights (access, rectification, erasure, objection) at any time.

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