Chief of Staff

Position Title: Chief of Staff

Position Location: NYC metro-area preferred

The Action Lab is seeking a Chief of Staff.

About The Action Lab

The Action Lab brings together organizations and leaders to build the capacity, culture and power that movements need to win. We build capacity by creating opportunities for leaders and organizers to gather and learn, and to sharpen analysis, strategy and practice. We build culture through powerful storytelling and expression, integrating arts into organizing practice, and engaging artists in our work. We build power through coordination, campaigns, and organizing innovations.

About the Position

The Action Lab is seeking a Chief of Staff who will help envision and drive the implementation of The Action Lab’s development and communications strategies, while strengthening internal systems and organizational effectiveness. This role sits at the intersection of fundraising, communications, partnerships, and operations, and will work closely with senior leadership to ensure alignment across these core functions.

The Chief of Staff will oversee The Action Lab’s development and communications teams. They will serve as a key fundraiser and ambassador for the organization, stewarding relationships with funders, partners, and advisors, and elevating The Action Lab’s visibility and impact through strategic communications and earned media work.

In close partnership with the Managing Director, & Senior Director of Strategy, the Chief of Staff will also support organizational planning and operations, helping to design and implement structures and processes that enable the organization to maximize impact.

The Chief of Staff will report to the Managing Director and the Senior Director of Strategy.

Primary Responsibilities

The Chief of Staff will:

Lead Organizational Development Work

• Supervise the development team and drive the execution of The Action Lab’s fundraising strategy, ensuring excellence, productivity and alignment with organizational goals and growth plans.
• Strengthen systems for tracking, coordinating, and executing fundraising efforts across staff and leadership.
• Support relationship management with funders and partners, ensuring strong cultivation and stewardship practices.
• Ensure a diversified and growing funding portfolio across government, foundation, individual and major donors, and across all of The Action Lab’s programmatic and capital fundraising efforts.

Oversee Communications and External Strategy

• Manage the communications team and guide the development of a cohesive communications strategy that advances The Action Lab’s mission, partnerships, and fundraising goals.
• Ensure consistency in voice, narrative, messaging, and public positioning across all channels.
• Oversee the development of key organizational materials and narratives used for fundraising, partnerships, and public engagement.
• Lead efforts to expand earned media work and increase the organization’s visibility and influence.

Build and Strengthen Partnerships

• Develop and implement a strategy to grow and deepen partnerships with aligned organizations, advisors, institutions, and collaborators.
• Identify and cultivate opportunities for partnership-based revenue, visibility, and programmatic impact.

Activate and Engage Advisory Board

• Develop and implement a strategy to more effectively engage the Advisory Board in advancing The Action Lab’s mission.
• Identify meaningful roles for advisors in fundraising, communications, partnerships, and visibility.
• Strengthen systems for communication, coordination, and accountability with Advisory Board members.

Support Organizational Strategy and Operations

• Partner with the Managing Director to support organizational structure planning, ensuring roles, teams, and workflows are aligned with strategic priorities.
• Help design and facilitate effective internal meetings and cross-team coordination processes.
• Contribute to strengthening operational systems and organizational infrastructure to support growth and sustainability.

Team Leadership and Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Manage, and support development and communications staff, fostering a collaborative, high-performing team culture.
• Work across teams to ensure alignment between fundraising, communications, partnerships, and programmatic work.
• Build systems that enable clarity, accountability, and effective execution across the organization.

Job Requirements

Applicants for the Chief of Staff position should:

• Be a strategic and systems-oriented leader – Have experience overseeing multiple functional areas (e.g., development, communications, partnerships, operations) and building systems that improve organizational effectiveness.
• Be a strong manager and collaborator – Possess experience managing teams and working across departments, with the ability to inspire staff while holding high standards for performance.
• Have experience driving high impact development, partnership, management and communications work – Bring a strong understanding of and track record fundraising, leading teams and partnership work, and supervising strategic communications, with the ability to connect external strategy to organizational goals.
• Be an effective external representative – Demonstrate comfort serving as a public-facing ambassador and building relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Have strong interpersonal, planning, management and facilitation skills – Possess high emotional intelligence and the ability to navigate complex team dynamics and support leadership decision-making.
• Be highly organized and execution-focused – Able to manage multiple priorities, build systems, and ensure follow-through on key initiatives.
• Be committed to The Action Lab’s mission – Demonstrate a deep commitment to social justice, innovation, and movement-building.

Salary and Benefits

Salary will be determined according to experience, but is expected to be $145,000 - 190,000, with a generous benefits package.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit your cover letter and resume by 5/24/26.

The Action Lab is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and actively recruits people of color, women, individuals with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ community

The Action Lab offers a generous benefits package.

Spanish preferred