Interim Chief of Staff - 9 to 12 months contract

Current AI•New York, NY

6d•$110,000 - $150,000

About The Position

Current AI is a first-of-its-kind global public-private partnership that brings together governments, foundations, and the private sector to build public interest AI at scale. Launched at the AI Action Summit in Paris in 2025, the organisation has already raised hundreds of millions through partnerships with the French government, AI Collaborative, and other leading governments, philanthropic, and industry partners. If AI is the transformative revolution we perceive it to be, it needs to serve the public interest today and tomorrow. At Current AI, our goal is to help build a collaborative, collective, and global vision for AI, not one governed by a specific country or a company. Role Overview As Chief of Staff, you will serve as a strategic partner and force multiplier to the CEO, helping translate vision into clear priorities, high-quality decisions, and focused execution. Working alongside the COO, who leads operational infrastructure, you will concentrate on strategic alignment, leadership team effectiveness, and CEO leverage. Your role is to sharpen focus, prepare critical decisions and engagements, and ensure the organisation’s top priorities move forward with clarity and accountability. This is not a conventional Chief of Staff position. It operates at the intersection of strategy, communication, design, and relationship management, and demands genuine excellence across all four.

Requirements

7+ years of professional experience, including in a Chief of Staff position, management consultant, or a highly demanding strategic/operational role, preferably supporting a senior executive in a fast-paced environment.
You write well and fast (in English and French): executive memos, briefing docs, talking points, internal comms
You have genuine design skills: not just "visual sense" but the ability to make things (decks, layouts, event concepts) that look and feel considered
You know how to use AI tools to move faster and produce better output (and you're already doing this)
Strong judgment about people and relationships — you know when to push, when to hold, and how to make someone feel genuinely valued
High discretion; strong initiative and comfort operating in ambiguous early stage environments
You've worked across cultures and are comfortable in international, multilingual environments
Proven experience in strategic planning, project management, and driving complex, cross-functional initiatives to completion
Exceptional organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills; able to quickly grasp complex issues and develop practical solutions.
Strong interest for public interest AI
Strong proficiency with strategic and operational tools (e.g., Google Workspace, Slack, Notion, Airtable etc.)

Nice To Haves

Experience in philanthropic or mission-driven organizations, public sector, international organizations, or high-growth start-ups.
Familiarity with governance, Board relations, or internal finance/HR processes.
Product management instincts: you think in systems, roadmaps, and user needs, not just tasks
You've produced or supported events where the details reflected a specific aesthetic point of view
An understanding of the AI ecosystem and its impact on society, technology, and global governance.

Responsibilities

Translate short conversations, voice notes, and half-formed directions into crisp memos, polished decks, and actionable roadmaps, fast and without hand-holding
Act as a trusted thought partner: sharpen ideas, stress-test assumptions, and help determine where the CEO's attention is best directed each week
Support board preparation and strategic materials in coordination with the COO and relevant leads.
Prepare high-quality briefing materials that frame decisions, highlight trade-offs, and synthesise complex information into clear options.
Track progress against top-level priorities and surface emerging risks, tensions, or misalignment early.
Maintain a living map of key relationships in partnership with the EA (funders, partners, government contacts, ecosystem figures) with context on who they are, what they care about, and how to nurture them
Brief the CEO before every significant interaction: who's in the room, what they need, and what she should remember
Follow up where it matters and flag when a relationship needs attention before it needs repair
Join meetings, identify opportunities to follow up, partner, share information with members of the team, or get additional clarity
Bring genuine design sensibility to every CEO-associated output: events, presentations, website updates, and partner-facing materials. When representing the organisation at hosted events (whether dinners, convenings, or launches) you bring a considered aesthetic sensibility that reflects our standards.
Translate ideas and concepts into tangible prototypes and visual outputs, using tools such as Canva, Figma, or equivalent design platforms.
Work with the Head of Comms to identify which conversations, stages, and global moments Current AI needs to be in, and prepare the CEO to show up well-prepared
Draft and structure talks, remarks, and key messages, with the judgement to know what resonates with each audience
Read the AI news cycle and surface what matters: policy shifts, ecosystem moves, events, moments worth reacting to or weighing in on
Increase the CEO’s effectiveness by ensuring meetings, engagements, and commitments are purposeful, well-prepared, and followed through.
Design and manage leadership team meetings to ensure clarity of decisions, accountability, and follow-through.
Drive cross-functional alignment on strategic initiatives, working alongside the COO to ensure collaboration and effective communication.
Lead select high-priority, cross-cutting projects that require CEO-level sponsorship but do not sit squarely within one function.
Help codify decision-making norms and ways of working in partnership with the COO.
Build and maintain roadmaps for cross-cutting organisational priorities: not just tracking tasks, but understanding dependencies, sequencing, and trade-offs
Identify gaps, propose structures, and lead select high-priority initiatives that don't sit cleanly inside any one function