Leadership role
Chief of Staff
Coordinates priorities, communications and follow-through for an organization's leadership.
Reporting and scope
Reports to the Executive Director / CEO or President. Authority comes from the CEO's office, usually with a small team and no large departments.
Core responsibilities
- Manages the CEO's agenda and priorities
- Coordinates the executive team and tracks decisions
- Prepares board meetings and materials with the board chair and CEO
- Leads special projects assigned by the CEO
- Handles sensitive internal and external communication for the CEO
- Serves as a link between the CEO and staff
How it differs
The COO manages operations with direct reports, whereas the Chief of Staff works through influence. The Chief Administrative Officer runs support functions.
By organization size
The role is more common in large organizations and universities. In smaller ones an executive assistant or deputy covers similar work.
Filings from the last five years mapped to this role commonly report titles such as: Chief of Staff; VP & Chief of Staff; VP and Chief of Staff; EVP, Chief of Staff; Chief of Staff & Secretary; Secretary/Chief of Staff