Chief of Staff to the CEO

Partners for Rural Impact

19h•Remote

About The Position

The Chief of Staff to Partner for Rural Impact’s Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer is a senior-level role that expands the CEO’s capacity and provides close exposure to enterprise leadership, Board stewardship, organizational narrative, and executive decision-making. Reporting directly to the CEO, the Chief of Staff serves as a trusted partner, translating the CEO’s vision and priorities into clear decisions, sequenced action, preparation, and follow-through. The role leads the Office of the CEO, provides day-to-day leadership for enterprise brand and message integration, and serves as a senior staff lead and relationship holder for Board governance and stewardship. It supports PRI’s result of putting all rural young people on a path to economic mobility from cradle to career. The position is designated remote/home-office, with regular collaboration across states and time zones. Although work generally takes place during regular business hours, the schedule requires flexibility to accommodate the CEO, Board activities, organizational priorities, and time-sensitive commitments, including early mornings, evenings, and occasional weekends. In-person engagements and regular regional and national travel are required; travel may include frequent overnight stays and schedule adjustments. Remote arrangements are subject to organizational approval, applicable PRI policies, and geographic and operational restrictions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Organizational Leadership, Communications, Education, Nonprofit Management, or a related field.
At least 8 years of progressively responsible professional experience, including significant responsibility for supporting senior leaders, executive priorities, organizational communications, governance, operations, or strategy.
Demonstrated experience as a trusted partner to a senior executive, CEO, founder, or executive leadership team.
Experience translating fast-moving ideas, priorities, and opportunities into structured, executable work.
Experience translating strategy into action through consulting, organizational leadership, executive support, or local or place-based work advancing outcomes for a community, initiative, or organization.
Experience leading a small team, coordinating cross-functional work, or managing work through others in a complex, fast-paced environment.
Experience shaping organizational brand, messaging, executive communications, or narrative, including determining what an organization elevates and how messages are received by different audiences.
Demonstrated experience using AI tools to extend executive capacity through writing, synthesis, preparation, research, workflow design, meeting follow-up, and message development.
Experience exercising discretion and sound judgment with confidential, sensitive, or high-stakes matters.
Exceptional executive judgment, discretion, diplomacy, and political savvy.
Strong emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and communicate across differences with senior leaders, Board members, staff, partners, and external stakeholders.
Ability to move between strategy and execution, translating priorities and ideas into coordinated action.
Ability and willingness to serve as both a strategic advisor and hands-on contributor, executing priority work while directing or coordinating others.
Excellent writing, editing, and verbal communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex ideas into clear executive materials and communications.
Strong organizational discipline and follow-through, with the ability to structure and sequence shifting priorities.
Ability to anticipate emerging needs, identify matters requiring executive attention, and prepare concise recommendations.
Ability to work through ambiguity, rapid changes in direction, and a founder-led environment where priorities and opportunities move quickly.
Strong understanding of brand, messaging, audience, and voice.
Ability to support Board stewardship and governance rhythms with professionalism, preparation, and relationship awareness.
Commitment to PRI’s For Rural, With Rural approach and respect for the knowledge, leadership, and assets within rural communities.
Proficiency and sound judgment in using AI tools, including recognizing when human judgment, relationships, and context must lead.
Access to reliable transportation.
Successfully complete a pre-employment background check.
Ability to perform duties involving prolonged computer use and seated or stationary periods, occasional standing, walking, reaching, bending, and moving lightweight office materials, and regular regional and national travel by air and ground transportation.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Organizational Leadership, Communications, Education, Nonprofit Management, or a related field.
Experience supporting Board governance, Board relations, executive governance, or comparable senior advisory bodies, including meeting preparation, materials development, relationship stewardship, follow-through, and decision-making support.
Experience working with or supporting rural communities.

Responsibilities

Lead the Office of the CEO by managing the flow of priorities, information, decisions, preparation, and follow-through.
Translate the CEO’s vision and priorities into sequenced work with clear owners, timelines, decision points, and next steps.
Supervise the CEO’s project and communications support function and coordinate with the CEO’s administrative support function.
Align the Office of the CEO with the Managing Executive Vice President and leaders reporting directly to the CEO; clarify priorities, prepare decisions, and surface matters requiring CEO attention.
Prepare the CEO for Board work, speaking engagements, funder and partner interactions, convenings, relationship stewardship, and other priority commitments.
Lead the CEO’s executive communications and writing, including speeches, presentations, correspondence, talking points, thought leadership, Board communications, and strategic documents.
Use AI tools to support drafting, synthesis, preparation, research, workflow design, meeting follow-up, and message development.
Lead enterprise brand and message integration so PRI presents a clear, consistent identity across audiences.
Coordinate communications staff across divisions and align messaging across programs, places, partnerships, and executive communications.
Shape and maintain enterprise messaging, talking points, strategic narratives, and executive communications that reflect PRI’s mission, Plan 2030, and For Rural, With Rural approach.
Review and guide external-facing materials, program sub-brands, co-branding, channel priorities, and message decisions for consistency with PRI’s enterprise brand.
Work with the CEO to set media relations strategy, determine what PRI elevates, and support crisis and reputational-risk communications readiness.
Use AI responsibly in brand and message development while preserving judgment, accuracy, and authenticity.
Lead the Board governance and stewardship system on behalf of the CEO, ensuring Board work is prepared, sequenced, and followed through.
Serve as a trusted relationship holder with the Board Chair and individual Board members, alongside the CEO.
Manage Board calendars, agendas, materials, meeting preparation, follow-up, and documentation of Board actions and commitments.
Serve as staff liaison to Board committee chairs and support committee work plans, agendas, materials, decision preparation, and follow-through.
Lead Board stewardship with the CEO by understanding members’ interests, expertise, networks, and opportunities for engagement in PRI’s mission.
Support Board recruitment, nomination, onboarding, development, education, self-assessment, and leadership continuity planning.
Prepare clear, strategic, timely Board communications and materials aligned with the CEO’s priorities and PRI’s long-term direction.
Perform other assigned duties in support of PRI’s mission.