Chief of Staff
About The Position
The Chief of Staff for the Office of the CEO is responsible for ensuring the CEO’s time, priorities, and operating rhythm are aligned with the strategic needs of the organization. Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer, this role provides orchestration, structure, and clarity across executive priorities. This role serves as a central point of coordination for the CAO on matters intersecting with the Office of the CEO—ensuring information flows efficiently, decisions move forward, follow‑ups are closed, and the Leadership Team operates with shared focus. The Chief of Staff is also a key partner to Corporate Strategy, Corporate Communications, Finance, Legal, and the Corporate Secretary’s office to ensure that the CEO’s internal and external commitments are well prepared, high‑quality, and aligned with Northern Trust’s strategic direction. Given Northern Trust’s global scale and regulatory environment, the role requires fluency in board governance, enterprise risk standards, and coordination across a matrixed operating model.
Requirements
- 7–10 years of experience in financial services (e.g., investment banking), management consulting, corporate strategy, or a comparable executive‑level environment.
- Demonstrated ability to manage senior‑level operating routines, navigate complex organizational dynamics, and drive cross‑functional execution at scale.
- Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex data, generate insights, and produce decision‑ready recommendations.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft concise, compelling narratives for CEO, Board, and enterprise audiences.
- Experience preparing high‑impact executive communications and large‑scale internal events; ability to translate complex topics into clear messages.
- Proven ability to manage multiple, competing priorities under tight deadlines and operate effectively amid changing circumstances.
- High emotional intelligence, discretion, and the ability to influence without authority.
- Bachelor’s degree required
Nice To Haves
- advanced degree preferred
Responsibilities
- Lead Northern Trust’s operating routines, including agenda setting, materials preparation, and action‑item management.
- Ensure topics are appropriately prioritized and that decisions and follow‑ups are clearly communicated and tracked to completion.
- Participate in meetings, as required, to understand strategic context and translate discussions into clear follow‑up actions.
- Partner with Corporate Strategy to manage Quarterly Operating Reviews (QORs) and enterprise performance routines, synthesizing insights into CEO‑ready narratives, metrics, and dashboards that clearly reflect performance against strategic priorities.
- Lead ad‑hoc analyses to refine performance metrics, challenge existing assumptions, and ensure measures are fit for purpose through cross‑team collaboration.
- Work across teams to ensure metrics are appropriately cascaded into Board and Committee materials and performance scorecards.
- Anticipate issues, remove obstacles, and create the conditions for the Leadership Team to operate with clarity and forward momentum.
- Partner with the Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, and Head of Corporate Strategy to shape and deliver CEO‑driven internal communications, including town halls, EVP forums, and partner messages.
- Ensure the CEO is fully prepared for each engagement with high‑quality talking points, decks, and briefing materials, supplementing with data and analysis as needed.
- Support select CEO external engagements by preparing follow‑up correspondence.
- Partner with the Chief Administrative Office and Corporate Secretary’s office to prepare for Board and Committee cycles.
- Coordinate all aspects of Board engagement logistics, including agenda sequencing, visit itineraries, director communications, seating plans, and event coordination.
Benefits
- retirement benefits (401k and pension)
- health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability)
- paid time off
- parental and caregiver leave
- life & accident insurance
- other voluntary and well-being benefits
- discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Executive
