Deputy Chief of Staff

Reports to: Chief of Staff

Days: 239

Pay Grade: 1003

FLSA Status: Exempt

Position Purpose

The Deputy Chief of Staff is the Chief of Staff's right hand: a trusted operator and cross-functional executor in the Office of the Superintendent. The role ensures the right issues, decisions, and analyses surface to the Chief of Staff and Superintendent at the right time, and drives execution against them across the District. The Deputy Chief of Staff turns ambiguous asks into structured workplans, briefs, and deliverables; manages information flow and follow-through within the Office of the Superintendent; and partners with senior leaders across the District to keep priority work moving.

The ideal candidate is a mid-career generalist who is highly organized, attentive to detail, and relational. They plan, drive, and finish work; manage stakeholders above and below their level; and bring calm and follow-through to a high-tempo executive office.

Essential Job Functions

Strategic Administration

• Supports the Chief of Staff in the day-to-day administration of the Office of the Superintendent and execution of initiatives across Cabinet portfolios.
• Keeps the Chief of Staff informed on priority workstreams, pending decisions, and emerging risks across the District.
• Upholds quality and consistency in the products of the Office of the Superintendent: agendas, decision memos, briefing materials, and follow-ups.
  
  

Operating Cadence and Decision Flow

• Builds and maintains the Chief of Staff's operating cadence (agendas, decision logs, briefing materials, follow-ups, review cycles) so the right decisions surface at the right time and key actions are consistently tracked through completion.
• Translates ambiguous directives from the Chief of Staff and Superintendent into structured workplans, briefs, and deliverables; drives them to completion across owners.
• Surfaces decisions to the Chief of Staff with clear options and recommendations; escalates issues when appropriate while managing and resolving matters at the appropriate level before they require Superintendent engagement.
  
  

Strategic Projects and Collaborations

• Leads cross-functional initiatives on behalf of the Chief of Staff that span central office, schools, and governance projects; coordinates Cabinet members, school leaders, and senior staff to deliver shared objectives.
• Conducts qualitative and quantitative analysis; translates complex analyses into clear, executive-ready recommendations.
• Prepares the Chief of Staff and Superintendent for high-stakes engagements (Board of Education meetings, Cabinet, community and partner conversations, press) with crisp briefing guides, talking points, decision memos, and after-action follow-ups.
• Steps in to lead special projects such as new initiatives, cross-functional task forces, or time-sensitive issues.
• Directs special projects and strategic initiatives as assigned.
  
  

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Supports the management and alignment of personnel, projects, and implementation efforts connected to Superintendent priorities and leads collaborative workstreams and supports staff alignment across initiatives.
  
  

Personal Work Relationships

• All Fort Worth ISD employees must maintain commitment to the District's mission, vision, and strategic goals.
• Exhibits high professionalism, standards of conduct, and work ethic.
• Demonstrates high-quality service to internal and external stakeholders; builds rapport across Cabinet, schools, and partners.
• Demonstrates cultural competence in interactions with others; is respectful of co-workers; communicates and acts as a team player; promotes teamwork; responds and acts appropriately in confrontational or high-stakes situations.
• Exercises discretion and sound judgment with confidential matters and executive relationships.
  
  

Other Duties As Assigned

• Perform other duties as assigned by the Chief of Staff or Superintendent, or as necessary for the efficient and effective functioning of the Office of the Superintendent.
  
  

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Highly organized and detail-oriented across many concurrent workstreams; nothing falls through.
• Strong cross-functional instincts; comfortable spanning central office, schools, and governance projects.
• Relational; builds trust quickly with leaders, peers, and direct reports across the District.
• Skill in turning ambiguous problems into structured plans, deliverables, and outcomes without being told how.
• Skill in executive communication: synthesizing complex analyses into crisp, executive-ready recommendations; ability to drill into underlying detail on demand.
• Skill in driving execution and managing stakeholders; ability to mobilize groups toward common and ambitious goals.
• Skill in qualitative and quantitative analysis to generate meaningful insights for executive decision-making.
• Skill in prioritization and self-direction; ensures time is spent on highest-leverage work.
• Knowledge of the operations of a large public school system, or comparable complex public- or private-sector organization.
• Ability to think strategically, anticipate downstream consequences, and act decisively under limited information.
• Ability to hold senior leaders accountable to commitments without holding formal authority over them.
• Ability to manage upward, downward, and laterally; ability to manage and develop direct reports and more junior staff.
• Ability to handle confidential matters and executive relationships with maturity, discretion, and good judgment.
• Ability to work, and keep a team working, in a dynamic, high-tempo environment; sense of humor a plus.
• Ability to communicate effectively in both oral and written forms.
• Ability to use software to access databases, email, create spreadsheets, do word processing, and manage projects.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with others contacted in the course of work.
  
  

Travel Requirements

• Travels to school district buildings and professional meetings as required; occasional out-of-district travel for partner engagements, conferences, or professional development.
  
  

Physical & Mental Demands, Work Hazards

• Tools/Equipment Used: Standard office equipment, including computer and peripherals.
• Posture: Prolonged sitting and standing; occasional stooping, squatting, kneeling, bending, pushing/pulling, and twisting.
• Motion: Frequent repetitive hand motions, including keyboarding and use of mouse; occasional reaching.
• Lifting: Occasional light lifting and carrying (less than 15 pounds).
• Environment: Works in an office setting; occasional evening or weekend work required (e.g., Board meetings, community engagement, time-sensitive issues).
• Attendance: Regular and punctual attendance at the worksite is required for this position; may require occasional irregular and/or prolonged hours, including evenings and weekends.
• Mental Demands: Maintains emotional control under stress; works with frequent interruptions; regularly required to speak publicly or listen intently to other points of view.
  
  

Minimum Required Qualifications

• Education:
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MPP, MPA, JD, M.Ed., or similar) preferred.
• Certification/License: None required
• Experience:
• Seven (7) to ten (10) years of progressive professional experience in roles requiring execution, analysis, and stakeholder management, in K-12 or higher-education organizations, other complex public-sector environments, or comparable settings.
• At least three (3) years of experience leading cross-functional initiatives with multiple stakeholders and/or directly managing staff preferred.
• Demonstrated track record of taking ambiguous problems and turning them into structured plans, deliverables, and outcomes.
• Demonstrated commitment to educational equity and to the students, families, and educators of Fort Worth ISD.
  
  

This document is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job and is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties that may be assigned or skills that may be required.