Chief of Staff

Chief of Staff

Arlington VA (Rosslyn) – Onsite 5 days a week

DHA - Defense Health Agency

240k-250k/year

The Chief of Staff to the Deputy PEO DHMS is a senior, director-level leader responsible for managing front-office operations, supporting integration between DHMS and the broader DHA organization, and ensuring effective coordination across technical, operational, and governance functions. The role serves as a key advisor and execution lead to the Deputy PEO, translating leadership priorities into coordinated actions, aligning cross-program activities, and maintaining clear, timely, and consistent communication across the organization. The position requires sound executive judgment, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to operate independently in a complex, senior government environment, including close coordination with the Prime Contractor and other external consulting and transformation partners.

The Chief of Staff supports informed decision-making, ensures coordination across DHMS program offices, contributes to Workforce 3.0 transformation efforts, and reinforces the operational effectiveness of the front office. Responsibilities include matrixed oversight of staff and stakeholders, direct management of executive workflows and taskers, and maintaining disciplined governance and follow-through on leadership priorities. This role enables the Deputy PEO to focus on strategic leadership while ensuring day-to-day execution remains organized, aligned, and responsive, in partnership with internal teams and the Prime Contractors supported initiatives.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

Organizational Integration & Transformation

• Coordinate across technical, programmatic, and operational teams, aligning messaging, priorities, deliverables, and leadership rhythms to ensure cohesive execution during ongoing DHA/DHMS integration and modernization efforts
• Support ongoing transformation initiatives by producing clear, actionable communications that distill technical and procedural updates for diverse audiences

PEO DHMS Front Office Operations

• Partner with Executive Assistants and senior front-office personnel to manage and deconflict the Deputy PEO's schedule and priority engagements
• Draft, consolidate, and coordinate high-quality responses to Front Office Taskers, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timely delivery
• Oversee the Return-to-In-Person Work workstream, including workforce tracking, office space coordination, and alignment with DHA policy

Governance, Meetings, and Leadership Support

• Ensure meeting environments (physical and virtual) are prepared to professional standards, including AV/tech validation and room readiness
• Capture clear, structured notes during governance and leadership meetings, highlighting decisions, action items, risks, and ownership
• Maintain centralized tracking of all commitments, taskers, deadlines, and dependencies to ensure sustained follow-through and accountability
• Prepare and distribute executive-level pre-reads, meeting packets, and briefing materials, ensuring alignment with leadership narratives and messaging expectations

Enterprise Alignment & Matrixed Leadership

• Serve as a front-office liaison across DHMS, DHA stakeholders, FEHRM partners, and Workforce 3.0 teams to ensure clear communication, aligned execution, and timely flow of information
• Provide matrixed oversight to analysts, contributors, and workflow owners across DHMS, ensuring high-quality inputs and performance discipline without direct supervisory authority

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Identify and resolve systemic bottlenecks, strengthen governance processes, and enhance organizational readiness through improved reporting, visibility, and performance rhythms
• Sustain a predictable and professional front-office operating rhythm, including leadership meetings, reporting cadences, dashboards, and workflow standards

BASIC JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Minimum 7-10 years of experience supporting senior executives or leading front-office, PMO, Chief of Staff, or high-complexity integration functions in government, defense, consulting, or health IT environments
• Proven experience advising senior executives (SES/Flag-level) and coordinating cross-functional teams within large-scale federal transformation environments, exercising sound judgment, political acumen, and discretion
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with challenging senior stakeholders while maintaining professionalism and clarity
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex workflows, competing priorities, and multiple simultaneous initiatives in a fast-paced, politically sensitive environment
• Must be able to work onsite in Rosslyn, Virginia five days per week

KEY COMPETENCIES:

• Strong stakeholder engagement and matrix leadership capability, able to drive alignment and accountability across senior leaders, vendors, and cross-functional teams without direct supervisory authority
• Proactive, outcomes-oriented mindset with a fixer orientation, able to anticipate issues, navigate ambiguity, and resolve complex cross functional challenges
• Exceptional written communication skills, including the ability to produce clear, compelling executive materials and visually polished slide decks
• Strong verbal communication and interpersonal skills, with demonstrated ability to influence and align diverse technical, operational, and leadership stakeholders
• Advanced critical thinking and problem-solving capability, able to synthesize complex issues, develop actionable recommendations, and guide leaders toward informed decisions
• Expert-level coordination and organizational skills, with a track record of managing complex executive workflows, competing priorities, and high-pressure operating rhythms
• Strong governance and operational management acumen, including meeting facilitation, decision documentation, and maintaining disciplined executive workflows
• High emotional intelligence, political awareness, and executive presence, enabling effective navigation of sensitive issues and representation of senior leadership in complex environments
• Deep understanding of federal decision-making processes and the unique operational dynamics of the public sector
• Executive presence with the ability to represent senior leadership, engage with authority, and navigate high-level stakeholder dynamics

Preferred certifications (not required but highly advantageous):

• PMP (Project Management Professional)
• PgMP (Program Management Professional)
• SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework Certification)
• Prosci Change Management Certification (ADKAR Model), or equivalent transformation and governance certifications

Marathon TS is committed to the development of a creative, diverse and inclusive work environment. In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals, employment decisions at Marathon TS will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. Marathon TS does not discriminate against any person because of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age or any other characteristic protected by law (referred to as "protected status").