PSI’s President & CEO directs, supervises and coordinates the action of the enterprise, under the authority of PSI’s Board of Directors. The President & CEO leads the Executive Team (C-suite) which oversees all operating elements of PSI. The Chief of Staff works directly for the President & CEO and closely with other members of the Executive Team to ensure smooth operations throughout the organization so strategic objectives are constantly moving full steam ahead. S/he acts as a problem-solver, facilitator, and project manager. S/he drives business priorities from conception to completion and executes special projects on behalf of the Executive Team. In playing a central role in prioritizing and managing a wide scope of projects on behalf of the Executive Team, the Chief of Staff is someone who can work across teams with a broad set of leaders and staff.
The Chief of Staff develops and maintains communications between the President & CEO and key external and internal partners, identifying ways to build and fortify such relationships through regular outreach. S/he keeps the lines of communication open, ensuring the President & CEO is well informed and prepared for meetings, events, and other activities.
The Chief of Staff provides dedicated support to the PSI Board of Directors, under the direction of the President & CEO. S/he manages regular communications with Board members, oversees preparation of Board minutes, develops and maintains Board engagement programs, and serves as an alternate point of contact for Board members with PSI management.
S/he supervises one intern/program assistant and works closely with the CEO’s Executive Assistant and other support personnel of C-suite members to prioritize effective coordination and execution of the President & CEO’s workload including managing the volume of work and ensuring priorities are completed accurately and on a timely basis. The Chief of Staff is required to work on matters of the highest sensitivity and with total discretion. The Chief of Staff represents PSI’s leadership externally in collaboration with other organizations, at the direction of the CEO/President.
Implementation of Executive Team-level strategic priorities
- Drive strategic initiatives, including coordination and collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, to ensure timely and accurate completion;
- Represent the President & CEO’s thinking and guidance in interactions at all levels across PSI;
- Track the progress of complex projects and deliverables for the CEO and other C-suite members;
- Manage PSI’s Risk-based Operations Review process and PSI’s Network Member Database and institutional development documents;
- Manage the preparation and planning of bi-annual senior leadership meetings and Board of Directors trips, developing objectives and agenda, coordinating with EA on logistics;
- Act as a sounding board to the President & CEO for ideas and strategic matters;
Communications development and management
- Lead internal communications across PSI, including building and tracking a communications plan;
- Develop materials (talking points, presentations, information materials) for C-Suite for internal and external audiences as needed;
- Advise other departments as requested on strategy and communications;
- Review and provide quality control on the written work of others seeking action by the C-suite or seeking to communicate externally;
- Assist with special events, media relations, web updates and other public relations duties;
Management of the Office of the President
- Assess inquiries directed to the President & CEO, determine the proper course of action and delegate as appropriate or manage directly;
- Develop meeting agendas and coordinate meeting material preparation for all Executive Team meetings to ensure follow up on all deliverables;
- Support PSI’s Board of Directors, through:
- Preparing briefing materials in advance of each Board meeting;
- Recording the official meeting minutes, acting as de facto Board secretary under the guidance of PSI’s legal counsel;
- Create and manage the annual budgets for the CEO and other budgets as needed.
- Experience. You have 8-10+ years of professional experience. You have lived and worked in a developing country.
- Multi-lingual. You speak French (preferred), Spanish or Portuguese.
- Team Player. You ‘play well’ with others and enjoy seeing the impact of our work as a team.
- Analytic. You know your way around a calculator, have a thorough knowledge of budgeting, programs, and planning processes.
- Initiative. You don’t wait to be told what to do.
- Simplify. You quickly distill complexity to essential and simple concepts and approaches.
- Forward thinking. You will anticipate and try to be one step ahead of any requirements or problems.
- Flexibility. This position will be unpredictable at times with competing priorities. You can adapt to changing environments and work with a diverse set of people from around the world.
- Fire in the Belly. You bring energy and passion to what you do.
- Yin and Yang. You have an inherent restlessness to achieve real results, but are not easily frustrated when they don’t happen on your timeline