(Chief of Staff) Director, Strategy Execution

National Kidney Foundation • New York, NY

3h • $149,800 - $262,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Chief of Staff leads the Office of the CEO and exists to multiply the capacity, focus, and reach of NKF’s Chief Executive Officer. Serving as project leader, advisor, and trusted extension of the CEO, this role converts the CEO’s vision and the Board’s strategic plan into disciplined execution, so that the CEO and Senior Leadership Team (SLT) can concentrate on NKF’s highest-value priorities. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief of Staff works in close partnership with the SLT to drive the enterprise operating rhythm, advance the work of the National Board, strengthen interdepartmental collaboration, and ensure that decisions made at the top of the organization translate into measurable results. As NKF enters a new chapter of leadership and ambition, this role is central to taking the organization to its next level of impact.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Minimum eight years of progressively responsible experience in strategy, operations, governance, or executive leadership, ideally within a mission-driven national nonprofit or healthcare organization
• Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional initiatives from strategy through execution
• Direct experience working with a Board of Directors, volunteers, and executive leadership at a governance level
• Exceptional project- and program-management discipline, with a track record of building systems and driving continuous improvement
• Superior written and verbal communication; able to distill complexity into clear recommendations for executive and Board audiences
• Sound judgment, political acumen, and unimpeachable discretion in handling confidential and sensitive matters
• Fluency with modern collaboration, presentation, data, and board-management tools

Nice To Haves

• advanced degree (MBA, MPA, MPH, JD, or related) preferred

Responsibilities

• Translate the CEO’s vision and the Board-approved strategic plan into a sequenced, measurable execution agenda, and hold the organization accountable for delivering it
• Own the enterprise operating rhythm—fiscal-year planning, quarterly business reviews, goal and target setting, and progress tracking—partnering with senior leadership to keep priorities visible and on pace
• Drive a portfolio of cross-functional initiatives end to end, clearing obstacles, reconciling competing priorities, and ensuring decisions convert into outcomes
• Build the systems, dashboards, and cadence that give the CEO and SLT a single, reliable view of organizational performance and a culture of continuous improvement
• Serve as the principal staff architect of National Board and Committee meetings, shaping agendas and content, advancing Board initiatives, and ensuring post-meeting commitments are executed
• Steward NKF’s governance practice: bylaw review, Board recruitment and onboarding, affiliate relationship management, and the standardization of Board policies, materials, and minutes
• Safeguard the fiduciary and regulatory standards that govern Board decision-making, ensuring documentation supports sound governance and withstands legal and audit scrutiny.
• Partner with the CEO and Board Chair to strengthen the Board–management relationship and elevate the quality of governance over time.
• Act as a trusted advisor and independent, data-driven thought partner to the CEO, developing well-reasoned points of view on the issues facing NKF
• Prepare the CEO for high-stakes meetings, decisions, and external engagements with concise briefings, options analysis, and clear recommendations
• Maintain an enterprise “no-surprises” radar, surfacing risks, tensions, and opportunities early so the CEO can act ahead of them
• Represent the CEO’s priorities and decisions across the organization, extending the reach of the office without displacing the leaders who own the work
• Lead or sponsor initiatives that require coordination across departments, building the interdepartmental partnerships and strategies that break down silos
• Partner with the CFO on matters involving NKF Affiliates, ensuring National resources and services are coordinated, responsive, and aligned to Affiliate needs
• Support the negotiation and clear drafting of renegotiated Affiliate agreements so they are mutually beneficial and serve the broader NKF mission
• Convene staff and leaders to build shared resources for Affiliates in priority areas such as planned giving and patient programs
• Lead the Office of the CEO as a high-trust, high-performing unit, directing the work of the Executive Assistant and any Office of the CEO staff or interns
• Serve as integration lead for executive transitions and leadership onboarding (including the incoming CEO’s entry, immersion, and first-year priorities.)
• Steward the CEO’s staff-engagement commitments, ensuring leadership presence translates into trust, follow-through, and a closed accountability loop
• Model NKF’s values and protect the confidentiality, judgment, and discretion on which the Office of the CEO depends

Benefits

• compensation will be determined based on the selected candidate’s experience, qualifications, and other relevant factors

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director