Chief of Staff to the President
About The Position
The Chief of Staff to the President at Barnard College will serve as a strategic partner, execution driver, and integrator, ensuring the President’s vision, priorities, and commitments translate into aligned, coordinated action across the College. This role operates at the intersection of strategy, leadership, and execution, bringing clarity, structure, and follow-through to a complex and fast-moving environment. The Chief of Staff will enable the President to operate in her strengths – setting direction, building relationships, and leading the institution – while ensuring priorities are clearly defined, effectively communicated, and executed with discipline and consistency. In addition, the Chief of Staff will play a critical role in strengthening alignment, communication, and trust across key stakeholders, including the Board of Trustees, leadership team, other staff, faculty, and alumnae.
Requirements
- 7+ years of professional experience
- Ideally with 3+ years in a leadership or "second-in-command" capacity.
- Bachelor's degree required
Nice To Haves
- Master’s degree preferred
- Experience in strategy, operations, consulting, or senior-level leadership support.
- Experience working closely with leader and executives in complex organizations (higher education, nonprofit, or corporate).
- Strong communication, synthesis, and stakeholder management skills.
Responsibilities
- Partner with the President to clarify, sequence, and operationalize institutional priorities.
- Translate high-level vision into clear initiatives, goals, and success metrics.
- Ensure the President’s time and attention are focused on the highest-leverage areas.
- Act as a rigorous filter, helping the President avoid overextension and unnecessary detail.
- Drive progress on key strategic initiatives, ensuring accountability across teams.
- Track progress against priorities and proactively address risks, gaps, or delays.
- Coordinate cross-functional efforts where multiple stakeholders are involved.
- Ensure decisions made by the President and leadership team are implemented effectively and consistently.
- Ensure consistent, proactive communication between the President and trustees, alumnae, and other key stakeholders.
- Translate priorities, decisions, and updates into clear, timely, and accessible messaging.
- Reduce ambiguity and prevent misalignment by maintaining strong communication cadence and follow-through.
- Support preparation of high-stakes communications, including board materials and institutional updates.
- Prepare the President for key decisions, meetings, and engagements with synthesized insights and recommendations.
- Provide perspective on trade-offs, risks, and organizational implications.
- Serve as a trusted thought partner, helping refine thinking and sharpen priorities before broader communication.
- Offer direct, candid feedback to strengthen decision-making and leadership effectiveness.
- Lead or support high-priority, time-sensitive initiatives on behalf of the President.
- Step in to manage complex or ambiguous projects requiring senior-level coordination.
- Ensure initiatives move from concept to completion with clarity and momentum.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
