Arena Careers

Chief of Staff and Director of Strategic Initiatives

Location: Remote | Anywhere within the 48 contiguous United States

Salary Range: $179,102 - $196,816

Who we are:

We are a blend of consultants, strategists, issue area experts, facilitators, and operations professionals who partner with foundations, corporations, nonprofits and other changemakers united by a vision of a world where social group identities no longer predict life outcomes.

Our work is grounded in respect, curiosity, a humble learner stance, and a commitment to being in relationship with the problem and the people and community it impacts. We work alongside our partners and create impact through influence and curating safe and generative spaces that unleash creativity, potential, and the answers that lie within. We progress productive dialogue into tangible action and positive outcomes.

While we seek to shift systemic conditions, we also continue our own journey at FSG to live into this vision of the world internally—working each day to get one step closer. We hope every new hire will help advance us on this journey.

The role:

Reporting directly to the CEO, the Chief of Staff (CoS) and Director of Strategic Initiatives will be an integral member of the senior leadership team, acting as a strategic thought partner, integrator, internal communicator, enabler, and confidant. The CoS and Director will provide leverage and support to the CEO, organizational leadership, and staff across the firm, serving as a central node for information synthesis and process improvements that facilitate leadership decision-making and management of organizational time and resources.

The CoS and Director will provide oversight of the following functions to ensure alignment with FSG’s overall strategy and that the functional leaders who are responsible for day-to-day operations have the guidance of a strategic thought partner:

• Finance
• Contracts, Compliance and Risk Management
• IT and Systems Security

Who you are:

You are a collaborative and thoughtful leader who thrives on enabling complex organizations to succeed and understands the importance of advancing and operationalizing a shared vision to maximize an organization’s impact. You feel comfortable flexing your leadership style to suit the situation and can effectively lead mainly from the side and back. You are a natural connector, able to synthesize complex information, and surface the choices that need to be considered by leadership. You take pride in being discreet, objectively sharing the work of others, facilitating discussions with internal stakeholders to clear outcomes, and being an influencer. You have strong managerial experience including leading other people managers, strong strategic acumen, solid financial acuity, and have been a leader of multiple functions–functions where you may not yourself have deep expertise. You are a proven leader in a remote environment and can work across diverse, global cultures. You are able to build a followership not based on your title but because of how you lead.

What you’ll do:

As a key thought partner to the CEO and senior leaders across the firm, you’ll spend 60% of your time driving transformative initiatives, serving as the central node for information synthesis, and championing process improvements that align with the firm’s mission. You will provide backbone support for key leadership bodies and serve as Clerk (AKA “Secretary”) for the FSG Board of Directors (upon Board approval), helping to drive alignment across leadership groups, enable effective decision-making, and monitor organizational progress and impact.

The other 40% of your time will focus on guiding and empowering high-functioning teams across three key departments (Finance, Compliance and IT). Specifically, you’ll be responsible for managing three direct reports (2 in the U.S and 1 in Turkey). You will provide strategic advice, foster collaboration, and create an environment where innovation thrives. You’ll leverage your ability to influence and build relationships to act as a trusted advisor and galvanize excitement to achieve organizational goals.

Cross-Unit Leadership

• Engage key leadership constituencies and facilitate decision processes
• In collaboration with internal stakeholders, organize the Business Oversight Committee content, agendas, and logistics
• Drive and plan the management of FSG’s Business Oversight Committee meetings (bi-weekly)
• Organize special projects that require senior leader engagement and work effectively across Impact Units and functions to collaboratively drive towards firmwide outcomes
• Offer additional sensing capacity to the CEO by regularly engaging with leaders and other employees and by synthesizing external trends and issues

Strategic Enablement

• Work with CEO and Business Oversight Committee (FSG’s firmwide leadership body) to set strategic, financial and operational priorities that activate the organization’s vision and values, establish clear targets and timelines for completion, develop dashboards to monitor progress, and adjust as necessary to meet objectives
• Strategically advise on CEO’s time and priorities, working in collaboration with administrative staff and others to ensure key issues, projects, and decisions are raised and addressed in a timely and efficient manner
• Maintain FSG’s “organizational calendar” for the year, tracking against key decision points, deliverables, and meetings to shape content and structure for cross-firm engagement throughout the year
• Drive and plan the management of Firm Development Meetings (quarterly) and Town Halls (quarterly)
• Act as a key thought partner, brainstorming & identifying solutions to challenges.
• Serve as a central connection point with broader FSG staff to provide perspectives to leadership and lead select “special projects” on an as-needed basis

Board Stewardship

• Partner with CEO to develop and execute annual plan for recruitment and ongoing engagement of Board of Directors
• Ensure Board functioning in compliance with Bylaws and governance recommendations
• Partner with CEO and Business Oversight Committee to prepare materials for all Board meetings
• Serve as the Board Clerk and maintain Board calendar, minutes for all Board meetings and records for all Board business, including adoption of resolutions
• Drive and plan the management of Board of Directors and Committee meetings (quarterly; includes at least one in-person meeting)

Operational Leadership

• Provide guidance and mentorship to Department Leaders of the following key functions:
• Finance department
• Contracts, Compliance and Risk Management
• IT and systems security
• Support professional growth by conducting regular performance evaluations, setting clear goals, offering feedback and recognizing achievements
• Act as a sounding board, offering guidance and constructive feedback
• Identify opportunities for optimization within workflows, structures, and processes to improve efficiency and outcomes
• Serve as a liaison between CEO and Department Leaders, ensuring clarity and alignment on priorities and initiatives
• Oversee the execution of key projects, ensuring milestones are met and stakeholders are supported
• Oversee facilities in the U.S. (current offices: Boston, Washington D.C., Seattle (though 2/2025)

How you’ll do your work:

We expect all our staff to do their work with the following orientation:

Prioritize our Mission

• Treat every component of your work as a means to get one step closer to FSG’s mission of creating a more equitable world
• Act as an FSG ambassador, displaying curiosity, humility, integrity, and good judgment
• Handle confidential data responsibly

Apply Equity and Inclusion Principles

• Recognize that place, history, and context always matters
• Center perspectives of people directly and disproportionately impacted by a particular social issue; respect the lived and learned experiences of others

What you bring:

• 10+ Years of relevant experience
• 8+ Years of experience directing or advising people managers and cross-functional teams
• Experience working in non-profit organizations or the consulting industry
• Demonstrated success in a project management role
• Ability to travel on occasion

Competencies and skills you possess:

• DEI Lens: A genuine commitment to equity and an appreciation for different perspectives, experiences, and traditions; passionate about contributing to an organizational culture that reflects equity, diversity, and inclusion in action
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to listen, synthesize, and adapt to communicate in different voices and approaches
• Confidentiality: Proven ability to handle and maintain sensitive/ confidential information at senior levels within an organization and to build relationships and keep confidence of employees sharing feedback
• Operational Mindset: Experience translating ideas into action and supporting processes. Strong project management and oversight skills
• Leadership Influence: Experience in preparing for/interfacing with senior leaders and knowing when to escalate matters and engage leadership; high emotional intelligence
• Authentic Leadership: Ability to lead with integrity and align decisions with core values. Ability to empower and support team members, providing them with a clear path forward and guiding them towards success
• Collaboration and Relationships: Proven ability to work effectively with others by building trust, fostering open communication, and leveraging diverse perspectives to achieve shared goals
• Financial Acumen: Proven ability to understand and apply financial information to help inform decision making
• Strategic Acumen: Proven ability to oversee an enterprise planning process where content is being created by P&L owners and integrated by this leader in partnership with the CEO and BOC

The following qualifications are a plus:

• Bachelor’s degree and/or advanced degree in nonprofit management, business administration, or related field
• Experience with budget oversight and accountability
• Experience with risk management, compliance, and legal matters

What we offer:

• Competitive compensation and health benefits
• A commitment to and investment in employee wellbeing through generous leave policies and ample paid time off including an annual weeklong holiday closure for rejuvenation
• A collaborative environment where everyone is passionate about creating social change and making a difference
• An inclusive culture that encourages everyone to show up as their authentic self, celebrates diversity, and invites all perspectives

We regret that for this role we are unable to file petitions with USCIS for sponsorship.