Director of Staff

Duties and Responsibilities

We believe that the below responsibilities are an accurate representation of what it will be like for this team member to fulfill this role in the first year. We also expect that the organization’s needs will change and evolve as it grows and expands, and that this role will play a critical role in navigating those imminent changes.

The Director of Staff will work as the right-hand advisor, sounding board, and gatekeeper to the ED and will possess in-depth knowledge of daily operations. Duties and responsibilities include supporting, streamlining, and strengthening AAE’s operations in the following ways:

• Communication liaison: Relay information between Operations team and other staff members. Attend board meetings, provide an overall picture of efforts, and transmit information to the program leads.
• Measure performance: Set indicators for performance expectations and track as work unfolds. Report to executive team and board.
• Prioritize tasks: Assist ED with scheduling to make the most of their limited time. You may schedule meetings and travel or delegate those duties to an administrative assistant.
• Problem-solving: identify employee issues and provide workable solutions, then communicate only the pertinent details to the executive team and board members, who may or may not follow up with additional direction.
• Project assessment and facilitation: assess the risk, cost, and work required to launch new initiative or special project, then facilitate and oversee execution.

People & Project Management

• • Taking ownership of certain HR functions such as overseeing & managing the hiring and onboarding progression, feedback and performance evaluation mechanisms, and other forms of professional development and advancement.
  • Meeting regularly with directors and managers to provide expert advice, participate in strategic planning, and provide support and accountability in their day-to-day work and pursuit of their goals.
  • Becoming the direct supervisor of all directors and managers (apart from the ED), helping to clear barriers and overcome challenges, and evaluating their overall performance.
  • Providing accountability to ensure the timely, strategic, and efficient completion of a range of ongoing tasks, time-bound projects, and other initiatives in alignment with the organization’s overall goals and priorities,
  • Overseeing the scheduling and completion of annual performance evaluations, staff surveys, and impact reporting by directors and managers.
  • Overseeing and monitoring new initiatives from ideation to implementation, working with leadership to develop, begin, monitor, advance, and iterate.

Internal Communication, Collaboration, & Culture:

• • Meeting regularly with teams and pods, and periodically joining their team meetings and 1:1 check-ins to help connect the dots across teams, coach leaders in their management, and ensure alignment with org-wide goals & priorities.
  • Acting as a liaison between the ED and other key staff with the board of directors and project committees in the fulfillment of their fiduciary, governance, and management support responsibilities.
  • Regularly reporting and communicating to ED observations, status updates, successes, challenges, needs, and opportunities.
  • Requesting, receiving, and synthesizing feedback from all levels to inform decision-making and assess the efficacy of individual and overall efforts.
  • Maintaining overall visibility of the organization's calendar and schedules to ensure effective time management and coordination.
• Evaluation & Strategic Direction: provide analysis of AAE’s efforts, overall performance, and effectiveness to inform planning and decision-making.
  • Actively contribute to the long-term planning of the organization, including
    • Assess the feasibility of initiatives, develop strategies for them, and the resources and personnel needs associated with implementation and sustainability.
    • Suggest strategic initiatives to improve workflow, teamwork, and budget management.
• Other duties as assigned and claimed

Preferred Qualifications & Experience

• Understand the history and impacts of systemic racism, inequity, injustice, oppression, and exclusion in our society
• Higher education: bachelor’s degree or higher preferred.
• Interpersonal skills: excellent communication skills, emotional intelligence, and diplomacy. Able to work with a wide variety of people and situations.
• Leadership experience: At least 5 years or the equivalent experience in a business or executive management, leadership, supervisory, or coaching position. Experience in specifically overseeing multiple direct reports/departments with an emphasis on communication, problem-solving, and leadership development.
• Project management experience: Planning, overseeing, and implementing strategic initiatives requires experience with project coordination, budget management, data analysis, and strong decision-making skills.
• Demonstrated success in driving positive culture and accountability through direct and distributed leadership, supervision and management of people and processes, and the creation and implementation of systems that can be easily adopted by others.
• Strong fluency and comfort with reading, creating, compiling, and evaluating budgets and various financial reporting frameworks.
• Highly competent in collecting, synthesizing, internalizing, and sharing information and a strong track record of successfully and objectively implementing the strategies that are derived from it.
• High level of proficiency with, or a demonstrated ability to quickly learn, software platforms such as Google Workplace, Microsoft Office, Monday.com, Zoom, Doodle, and other digital tools regularly used by the organization.
• Ability to thrive independently, but also collaboratively across multiple different teams and dynamics.
• Excellent communication skills, capable of synthesizing, evaluating, and explaining complex procedures, tasks, and ideas in ways that are easy to understand.