What are the responsibilities and job description for the Chief of Staff position at NAACP?
POSITION TITLE: Chief of Staff
SUPERVISOR: President & CEO
LOCATION: Baltimore, MD/Washington, D.C./Remote Hybrid
TRAVEL: Moderate
JOB CLASSIFICATION: Exempt
POSITION SUMMARY
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP Empowerment Programs, Inc.), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization for equal rights, seeks a Chief of Staff who is:
- A high-visibility executive leader tasked with accelerating the strategic agenda of the President & CEO on a national and international scale.
- Serving as a "force multiplier," the Chief of Staff ensures seamless alignment between the Executive Office, the Board of Directors, and key external stakeholders. In a climate of rapid social and political change, the Chief of Staff bridges the gap between legacy civil rights advocacy and modern, digital-first impact.
SCOPE OF DEPARTMENTAL OVERSIGHT
The Chief of Staff provides direct strategic leadership and operational management for five (5) core functions (comprising ten (10) direct reports):
- Executive Office: Total management of the Office of the President & CEO and the Board of Directors.
- Events: Oversight of the National Convention, Board Meetings, committee convenings and high-level donor engagements.
- ACT-SO: Scaling the premier youth program to cultivate the next generation of Black excellence.
- Community Partnerships: Managing the ecosystem of grassroots and coalition allies.
- Hollywood Bureau: Driving narrative change and equity within the entertainment industry and providing oversight for the NAACP Image Awards.
EXECUTIVE GOVERNANCE & ALIGNMENT
- Leadership Council Management: Facilitate and lead the weekly convening of the Leadership Council; establish a rigorous cadence and structure for tracking high-level deliverables.
- Executive Accountability: Act as the primary "velocity engine" for the C-Suite, holding the President & CEO and other Chiefs (COO, CFO, etc.) accountable for project milestones and tasks on both a weekly and as-needed basis.
- Strategic Syncing: Ensure that the President is consistently "on track" with long-term commitments, providing the necessary reminders, data, and briefings to prevent operational bottlenecks.
- Rapid Response Coordination: Serve as the central point of contact for off-cycle, urgent projects that require immediate cross-departmental collaboration among the executive leadership team.
RESPONSIBILITIES/DUTIES
Under the direction of the President & CEO, the Chief of Staff will perform the following duties, to include, but not limited to:
- Strategic Leadership & Execution
- Vision Alignment: Partner with the President & CEO to translate his vision into measurable departmental goals.
- Board Governance: Serve as the primary liaison to the National Board of Directors; ensure transparency, high-level briefing materials, and rigorous follow-through on Board resolutions.
- Cross-Functional Integration: Break down silos across all departments association wide to create a unified organizational narrative.
- Operational Advocacy
- Principal Representation: Serve as the President’s designee to external partners, CEOs, and heads of state, moving initiatives forward in the Executive's absence.
- Brand Stewardship: Manage the "brand" of the Executive Office, staying attuned to departmental impact and ensuring internal culture reflects the NAACP’s public mission.
- Crisis Management: In partnership with the Chief Operating Officer (COO), proactively identify risks and "blind spots" that could impact the CEO’s commitments; frame and position solutions to mitigate these risks.
- Administrative & Project Oversight
- Committee Designee: Serve as the President’s representative for various internal committees.
- Flow Optimization: Monitor and prioritize the flow of communications into the Executive Office, ensuring the President & CEO is briefed with data-driven facts for all interfaces.
- Financial Oversight: Work with department leads to prepare and manage budgets for the Executive Office, Board of Directors, Events, Convention, Hollywood Bureau, Community Partnerships, ACT-SO, Image Awards and other areas as needed.
- Perform any other duties as assigned by the President & CEP or other designee.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education/Experience
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in business, Public Administration, or a related field (MBA, MPA, or JD preferred).
- Experience: 12 years of senior management experience, preferably in high-stakes non-profit, government, or corporate social responsibility (CSR) sectors.
- Managerial Depth: Proven track record of managing a diverse portfolio of at least ten direct reports across disparate functions (e.g., creative/media vs. administrative/governance).
- 360-Degree Leadership: Exceptional emotional intelligence with a demonstrated ability to manage up (President), down (Staff), sideways (Peer Chiefs), and around (Board of Directors/Partners) to ensure organizational velocity and mission alignment.
- Agility: Demonstrated success in "rapid response" environments, with the ability to pivot strategies in response to shifting legislative or social justice landscapes.
- Communication: Exceptional executive-level writing and presentation skills; ability to serve as a coach and trusted advisor to senior leadership.
- Commitment: Deep personal alignment with the NAACP’s mission to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all people.