Chief of Staff

Vannin Chief of Staff • Washington, DC

9d • Hybrid

About The Position

Vannin Chief of Staff has been retained by a fast-growing quantitative investment management group based in Washington, D.C. to identify a Chief of Staff. Our client is one of the leading financial participants in wholesale electricity markets, buying and selling futures contracts across multiple U.S. regional exchanges. The firm operates with a deeply collaborative, intellectually demanding culture where every team member codes, every idea is stress-tested, and the ambition is to be the best investment team in the space. The firm is in an aggressive growth phase, targeting significant revenue and headcount expansion over the next one to three years.

The Chief of Staff reports directly to the Head of Firm and is responsible for building and running the operational infrastructure that will carry the firm through its next phase of growth. This person owns the delivery of cross-functional projects, establishes the firm’s operating cadence, and works directly with leadership to translate priorities into clear plans with defined owners and deadlines. The role spans a wide range, from designing project management frameworks to getting into the details when a project demands it, and requires someone who is comfortable operating at both ends of the spectrum.

The leadership team is experienced, ambitious, and moving fast. The firm prizes intellectual rigor and a team-first approach. The ideal candidate is direct, confident without being rigid, and has a track record of earning trust with technical and non-technical colleagues alike. They are as comfortable in a whiteboard session with engineers as they are preparing a leadership readout.

This is a full-time, hybrid, exempt position based in Washington, D.C.. Travel is minimal.

Requirements

• 5 to 10 years of experience in an operational role in a fast-paced, high-ownership environment; startup or scaling company experience strongly preferred
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, cross-functional projects with technical components
• Genuine comfort working alongside software engineers and technical teams; able to understand how technical work gets done and the tradeoffs involved
• Strong interpersonal skills; builds credibility quickly and works effectively with engineers, investment analysts, and executives alike
• Active engagement with AI tools in day-to-day work
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to write a tight one-page summary, present an effective slide deck, and run a productive meeting
• Moves forward decisively when information is incomplete and knows when to escalate versus when to resolve
• Must be authorized to work in the US, in-person on a hybrid schedule (three days per week) in DC office

Nice To Haves

• Background in science/computer science, technology, engineering, mathematics or a similarly quantitative field
• Experience building operational infrastructure in an environment where it did not previously exist
• Genuine curiosity about how things work and satisfaction from solving problems that do not have obvious answers
• Collaborative by default; puts the team’s success ahead of individual credit
• Operates independently and holds projects accountable without needing direction on every decision

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and run a project management framework providing a clear, shared view of priorities, timelines, and ROI across all major initiatives
• Own end-to-end delivery of cross-functional projects, coordinating across investment teams, engineering teams, and firm leadership to keep work on track
• Drive the operating rhythm from standups, readouts, retrospectives, and annual planning, ensuring accountability without adding bureaucracy
• Identify and lead process improvements that reduce friction and create leverage across the firm
• Gather and organize information from across the firm so leadership can make faster, better-informed decisions with less time spent on status-tracking.
• Work closely with the Head of Firm and leadership team on priorities, planning, and decisions that cut across the organization
• Support annual planning and play a hands-on role in building management capability across a growing leadership bench
• Serve as a collaborative partner to our internal team (General Counsel, Head of Finance, Head of People) through direct project engagement and collaboration
• Coordinate among stakeholders across leadership, engineering, and investment teams to drive accountability and project progress
• Prepare executive communications, readouts, and firm-wide presentations as needed

Benefits

• 100% employer-paid healthcare with no out-of-pocket premiums for any plan (including platinum PPO with HSA)
• 401(k) with 4% company match and immediate vesting
• 25 paid vacation days plus seven federal holidays
• Remote work setup budget
• Commuter benefits
• Gym benefit
• Nonfiction book stipend
• Annual firmwide summit

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed