Chief of Staff (Job ID: 2026-3846)

The Brookings Institution • Washington, DC

5d • Onsite

About The Position

Join one of the most influential, most quoted, and most trusted think tanks! The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to equip decisionmakers with nonpartisan research and policy strategies to create a more prosperous and secure country and world. To advance our mission, we are committed to the following four goals: Develop economic growth strategies for a changing world Expand economic and social opportunity for all Revitalize U.S. democratic institutions Advance peace and security worldwide At the core of our mission is the quality, independence, and impact of our research. We are dedicated to finding bold, pragmatic solutions for societal challenges through open-minded inquiry, diverse perspectives, and holding ourselves to the highest standards of scholastic rigor. Beyond the pursuit of excellence and intellectual rigor, Brookings places immense value on creating a supportive and collaborative environment where every individual can do their best work, learn, and grow. Because of this, Brookings has been at the forefront of public policy for more than a century. Executive Office: The Executive Office (EO) moves the Brookings mission forward by supporting and guiding the research programs, external affairs, and business operations of the Institution. The EO consists of the President’s office and the President's support team and aims to communicate regularly and transparently with Brookings staff about what’s happening at the institutional level. Position Location : This position requires five days a week of in-person work onsite in our Washington, DC office with flexibility depending on the needs of the office.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S.
• Significant senior level experience in complex nonprofit, public policy, academic, or mission driven organizations.
• Deep understanding of the Washington D.C. policy environment, with the ability to navigate complex institutional, political, and stakeholder dynamics and to apply that understanding in support of senior leadership decision‑making.
• Must also understand U.S. regional and internal policy environments or demonstrate the ability to quickly assimilate information about them to inform decisions about time and resource allocation.
• Demonstrated success advising top executives and managing conflicting priorities without direct authority.
• Exceptional judgment, analytical ability, and written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven ability to operate with discretion, influence outcomes, and navigate ambiguity.
• Strong commitment to Brookings’ mission of nonpartisan research and public impact.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in public policy, public administration, political science, communications, business administration, or a related field strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Partner closely with the President to shape priorities, anticipate challenges, and support effective leadership across the institution.
• Work with the Executive Assistant to ensure the President’s calendar, engagements, travel, and preparation reflect institutional priorities and are appropriately sequenced and advanced.
• Ensure the President is consistently prepared for meetings and engagements through high‑quality briefings that synthesize context, objectives, recommended paths forward, and risks/tradeoffs as applicable.
• Serve as a trusted thought partner on emerging issues, opportunities, and institutional challenges.
• Serve as the central steward of information flow into and out of the Executive Office, ensuring the President receives timely, relevant, and well‑synthesized inputs.
• Oversee how the president’s perspective is reflected in information, analysis, and written materials that are circulated by the Executive Office to support leadership effectiveness and institutional coherence.
• Provide strategic input into internal communications, ensuring consistency between presidential priorities, leadership decisions, and institution‑wide messaging.
• Ensure decisions, context, and follow‑up are communicated clearly, reducing ambiguity and duplication, including the successful communication of institutional-wide projects to employees and stakeholders.
• Filter, prioritize, and synthesize inputs from across the institution to distinguish what requires presidential attention versus what can be delegated, sequenced, or resolved elsewhere.
• Structure decisions for the President by clarifying objectives, options, risks, and tradeoffs across mission impact, financial sustainability, reputation, and organizational capacity.
• Integrate perspectives from research leadership, finance, administration, legal, development, communications, and external affairs into clear, decision‑ready materials.
• Reinforce norms on decision discipline – that decision are calls to action and that operational authorities and expectations are clear.
• Work closely with the President to design and facilitate effective Executive Leadership Team meetings, retreats, and working sessions that reinforce shared goals, trust, and disciplined execution.
• Establish and steward leadership‑team norms around decision‑making, accountability, collaboration, and information sharing.
• Serve as connective tissue across senior leaders, ensuring alignment and early identification of risks or misalignment.
• Manage and curate information exchange among members of the Executive Leadership Team, promoting clarity, alignment, and disciplined decision‑making.
• Chair the Brookings Management Team, comprised of the vice presidents’ deputies, which focuses on information sharing and advising on operational shifts.
• Along with the Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, oversee executive searches for Vice Presidents and other strategic hires working closely with the President.
• Partner with the Director of Board Relations (DBR) to provide strategic direction and coordination for Board and committee relations, ensuring alignment between governance engagement, institutional priorities, and the President’s agenda.
• Attend Trustee and Committee meetings to support the President as a Board leader and work with the President and the President’s staff to develop objectives, messaging, and talking points for the President’s communications with the Board.
• Partner with the President, DBR, Board leadership, and relevant executives to design effective Board and committee agendas, meetings, retreats, and governance processes.
• In coordination with DBR and Vice President and Chief Development Officer, serve as a key point of coordination between the Executive Office and trustees, exercising sound judgment, discretion, and professionalism in advancing institutional priorities.
• Ensure strong follow‑through on Board decisions, requests, and commitments in collaboration with the Director of Board Relations and executive leadership.
• Lead and develop the Executive Office team, including direct supervision of the Executive Assistant, Research Assistant, Executive Office Lead Writer, and Director of Board Relations, fostering a high‑performing, inclusive, and service‑oriented culture.
• Set clear priorities, workflows, and quality standards for the Executive Office to ensure consistent excellence in interaction between the Office and the rest of the institution and key external stakeholders.
• Model integrity, discretion, judgment, and organizational stewardship in handling sensitive or confidential matters.
• Plan and direct the operations, staffing, and budget for the Executive Office.

Benefits

• Brookings provides a generous benefit package that is comprehensive and includes both traditional benefits and unique offerings.
• Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision benefits, generous time off, and workplace flexibility.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees