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 employees

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

Related roles

Roles this description compares with Chief of Staff, or that compare themselves with it.

COO
The organization's second-ranking executive, responsible for running day-to-day operations and carrying out the CEO's plans.
Chief Administrative Officer
Directs an organization's administrative functions, such as office services, facilities and internal operations.
Chief Strategy Officer
Directs an organization's strategic planning and the work of carrying out its strategy.
Director of Planning / Strategy
Directs an organization's strategic and operational planning.
Office Manager
Manages the day-to-day administration of an office, including facilities, supplies, vendors and the support team.
VP of Strategy
Directs an organization's strategic planning and strategy initiatives.

See what this role pays

Median reported total compensation, nationally: $196,000. Based on 4,145 IRS Form 990 filings, fiscal years 2021–2025.

This median spans organizations of every budget size and sector, so it will not match a benchmark for one organization.

State pay pages for this role: California, Colorado, District of Columbia, New York, Wisconsin.

Benchmark pay for this role

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