Chief of Staff

Alliance for Justice•Washington, DC

2d•$175,000 - $20,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The President of the Alliance for Justice/ AFJ Action is seeking a Chief of Staff who will oversee and advance the effectiveness and impact of the Office of the President and serve as the trusted right hand to the President. The Chief of Staff will work closely with the President to coordinate, align, and build cohesion across the organization and to advance the organization's priorities. The Chief of Staff will also support the President in working and communicating effectively with all internal and external stakeholders, including staff, volunteers, board members, donors, and partners, ultimately ensuring that the President is maximizing her time and meeting near and long-term goals, priorities, and objectives, particularly as it pertains to organizational culture, external communications, and development. The Chief of Staff will join the Alliance at an exciting moment of strategic building as the historic organization deepens its impact through its next chapter and 50th anniversary.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required; juris doctorate degree strongly preferred.
At least 10 years of experience in nonprofit, public policy, government, or mission driven organizations.
Leadership experience at a nonprofit advocacy organization or in a position conducting AFJ mission-aligned work highly preferred.
Management experience not required by strongly preferred.
Demonstrated success advising top executives and managing conflicting priorities with little supervision required.
Proven ability to operate with discretion, influence outcomes, and navigate ambiguity.
Track record of roles where you have had to utilize acumen and finesse to handle complex situations and multiple responsibilities, and simultaneously mix long-term projects with the urgency of immediate demands.
Demonstrated ability to think strategically and serve as a strategic thought partner to the President.
Strong interest in the social justice mission of Alliance for Justice.

Nice To Haves

Exceptional judgment and communication skills: ability to - collaborate with and achieve actionable results through others; interact within all levels of the organization; and engage with members, donors, and stakeholders.
Results-focused project manager: knows how to set clear timelines and drive projects to completion with a sense of urgency and knowing how to get things done.
Collaborative people person: As one of the main public faces for the President, friendly, kind, collaborative, and professional
Clear communicator: Direct and concise. Speak and write eloquently and with a situation-appropriate tone, whether over the phone, in person, e-mail, memos, PowerPoint, snail mail, or social media channels.
Politically savvy: possess a recognition of the political landscape and the intersection of the organization’s work in relation to the executive branch, the judiciary, and dynamics of the progressive nonprofit sector. Remain engaged in and aware of relevant news cycles, and 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.
Process and implementation: possess the skills to take ideas and turn them into implementable projects and enjoy advancing and implementing strategic programs and policies.
Trustworthy: handle confidential and sensitive information with humility, professionalism, and discretion.
An interest in, and commitment to, expanding analysis and knowledge of the role that structural racism plays in our society and the institutions that are working to prioritize racial equity.

Responsibilities

Maintain continuous lines of communication with all AFJ functional areas, keeping the President informed of all critical issues and disseminating policies, processes and ideas across departments on behalf of the President.
Work closely with all Vice Presidents and all direct reports to the President, acting as both a liaison to the President when needed and executive team partner.
Work closely with both the President and Vice President of Strategy as a strategic thought partner and driver of organizational programmatic strategy, including by: translating strategic decisions into operationalized work plans; assisting in the systems-design supporting cross-team initiatives, campaigns and multi-year strategies; spotting opportunities to strengthen alignment of programs with strategic plan, build on existing program priorities, and/or issue-spot potential challenges; monitoring information across functional teams to inform high level program decisions and allocation of program resources; facilitating effective communication and workflows across program teams; and developing operational systems as needed to track shared priorities and strengthen collaboration.
Work closely with the Operations team, including the budget, administrative, technology, general counsel and human resources functions for the organization.
Work collaboratively to lead strategic planning processes, as needed. Support the building and implementation of the organization’s next strategic plan that will carry it into its 50th anniversary.
Maintain a critical eye to ways the organization’s impact can be deepened by formally and informally assessing systems in place and implementing new ways to improve processes.
With support from the Senior Manager of Executive Operations and in close collaboration with the President and Board Chair, support the planning and preparation of Board meetings and Board committee meetings; including oversight of materials shared with the Board, meeting planning and logistics, and quality assurance of all statutory requirements for Board efforts, including collection, approval and archival of minutes, changes to by-laws and directives.
Occasionally travel with and staff the President at events, meetings and speaking engagements.
Monitor cross-team processes to ensure appropriate preparation and staffing for the President’s external engagements.
Assist with the President's internal and external communications, both written and spoken, and support the drafting and timeliness of external communications, as necessary.
Own behind-the-scenes preparation to make President meetings, both internal and external, successful, including the tracking, monitoring, and execution of action items that stem from these meetings, as well as attending many of them.
Structure recommendations on decisions for the President by clarifying objectives, options, risks, and tradeoffs across mission impact, financial sustainability, reputation, and organizational capacity, integrating perspectives from research leadership, finance, administration, legal, development, communications, and external affairs into clear, decision-ready materials.