Chief of Staff

Job Title: Chief of Staff (CoS)

Reports To: Executive Director

Location: Lake George, New York

Salary Range: $120,000 - $140,000 (commensurate with experience)

Status: Full-time, exempt

Benefits: Health, dental, vision; 403b with employer contributions; generous PTO; professional development.

Managing: None

To Apply: Please include a cover letter, resume and contact information for three professional references to: hiring@lakegeorgeassociation.org.

Please write the email subject line as: "Job Position First Name Last Name"

For example: "Chief of Staff Jane Doe"

No phone calls, please. Any applications missing materials, not emailed to this address or without the correct subject line will not be considered. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until positions are filled.

Position Overview

The Chief of Staff (CoS) is a strategic partner to the Executive Director, helping drive organizational priorities and ensuring alignment across the leadership team. The CoS manages the Executive Director’s schedule and communications, supports the Board of Directors, and coordinates cross-departmental projects. By streamlining execution and fostering collaboration, this role strengthens organizational performance and maximizes impact on LGA’s mission to protect Lake George.

What You'll Do

• Serve as the Executive Director's right hand, managing scheduling, communications and priorities.
• Support the Board of Directors through governance logistics, communications and follow-up.
• Coordinate the leadership team to ensure alignment on goals, decisions and strategic initiatives.
• Lead and track high-priority cross-departmental projects to ensure timely execution and accountability.
• Facilitate internal communications that keep staff informed and engaged.
• Represent the Executive Director in select meetings and coalition settings.

What We're Looking For

• Demonstrated experience supporting senior leadership or board governance in a mission-driven environment.
• Strong project management and organizational skills; proven ability to keep complex initiatives on track.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Confidence to serve as a proxy for the Executive Director in select forums.
• Fluency with modern productivity tools (Office 365, project management platforms, CRMs, etc.).
• Sound judgment, discretion, and a passion for environmental protection.

Full Chief of Staff Job Description

POSITION OVERVIEW:

The Chief of Staff is a strategic partner to the Executive Director, ensuring the effective execution of organizational priorities, optimizing the Executive Director’s time, and facilitating alignment across the leadership team. This role directly manages the Executive Director’s calendar and email, coordinates communications, and supports the board of directors in its governance work. The CoS acts as a central hub for strategic projects, ensuring cross-departmental collaboration, timely execution, and clear accountability. While the Chief Financial & Operating Officer (CFOO) oversees finance, operations, HR administration, and compliance, the CoS ensures that organizational strategy and initiatives are implemented effectively, with a focus on mission delivery, stakeholder engagement, and organizational cohesion.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Direct Executive Director Support
  • Manage the Executive Director’s calendar, email, and meeting coordination to ensure strategic use of time and attention.
  • Serve as the primary liaison for internal and external communications on behalf of the Executive Director.
  • Provide timely briefings, background materials, and follow-up tracking for Executive Director commitments.
  • Represent the Executive Director in select meetings and engagements, ensuring consistent messaging and alignment with organizational priorities.
  • Serve as acting organizational leader on strategic and stakeholder matters in the Executive Director’s absence, in coordination with the CFOO.
• Board and Governance Support
  • Coordinate board and committee meeting logistics, agendas, materials, and follow-up actions.
  • Support the Executive Director in board communications and relationship management.
  • Track and follow up on board-initiated actions to ensure timely completion.
• Leadership Team Coordination
  • Partner with senior leadership team to ensure cross-departmental alignment and progress on strategic goals.
  • Facilitate regular leadership meetings, setting agendas, documenting decisions, and tracking action items.
  • Maintain a clear view of organizational priorities, ensuring projects move forward in coordination with the CFOO and other senior leaders.
• Strategic Project and Initiative Management
  • Lead or coordinate high-priority, cross-functional initiatives from inception to completion.
  • Develop and maintain project management systems for transparent tracking of organizational goals and deliverables.
  • Support implementation of strategic plans, ensuring initiatives are science-informed, mission-aligned, and measurable.
• Internal Communication and Culture
  • Work with leadership to ensure staff are informed of organizational priorities, decisions, and changes.
  • Partner with the CFOO and leadership team to strengthen organizational culture and foster collaboration.
  • Support onboarding and integration of senior hires, helping to embed LGA’s values and strategic priorities.
• Policy and Advocacy Coordination
  • Assist the Executive Director and senior leadership in implementing LGA’s policy agenda, including preparing briefing materials, tracking progress, and coordinating with advocacy partners.
  • Represent the organization in select advocacy and coalition settings in alignment with the Executive Director’s direction.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Demonstrated ability to support an Executive Director/CEO or senior leader in managing priorities, communications, and strategic initiatives. Direct experience in a Chief of Staff, strategy, or executive support role is ideal, but not required if the candidate shows exceptional capability.
• Proven mastery of executive enablement, including managing high-level calendars, email inboxes, meeting design, briefing preparation, decision tracking, and follow-through.
• A track record of leading cross-functional initiatives from scoping to measurable outcomes, including building plans, identifying owners, setting timelines, creating dashboards, removing roadblocks, and driving accountability.
• Experience or strong aptitude for supporting board governance, including agenda and packet preparation, committee coordination, action-item tracking, and acting as a confidential liaison with board members.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information into clear, compelling talking points and memos for internal and external audiences.
• Ability to coordinate coalitions and stakeholders, working effectively with partners, policymakers, funders, and community leaders to advance policy or program agendas.
• Strong analytical and systems thinking skills, with comfort managing project budgets, KPIs/OKRs, risk and issue tracking, and scenario planning in partnership with the CFOO and program leads.
• Sound judgment and discretion, with the ability to handle sensitive information and anticipate issues with solutions-oriented thinking.
• Fluency with modern tools, including Microsoft 365/SharePoint, project management platforms such as Asana or ClickUp, CRM and email platforms, and virtual meeting tools, and the ability to quickly adopt and train others on new systems.
• Commitment to LGA’s mission, with a science-informed, equity-minded, and solutions-focused approach.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Prior experience in a Chief of Staff, COO, or senior project management role, particularly in nonprofits, public agencies, philanthropy, or mission-driven private organizations.
• Experience in environmental conservation, water quality, advocacy, or related public-interest fields, with familiarity with New York State policy processes a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to build executive-level operating rhythms such as quarterly and annual planning, OKRs, leadership meeting cadences, and post-decision follow-through.
• Training or certifications in project or change management (such as PMP or Prosci), facilitation, or process improvement.
• Experience preparing executives for high-stakes engagements, including media, legislative testimony, or major donor briefings.
• Skills in data visualization and dashboard creation for senior audiences.
• Ability to stand in for the Executive Director on strategy or partner matters and to recognize when to escalate.
• Lived or professional experience in the Adirondacks or Lake George region, or in a comparable place-based conservation context.

SALARY & BENEFITS:

The anticipated salary range is $120,000 - $140,000, commensurate with experience, along with a health benefits package including health, dental, and vision coverage, 403b retirement savings with employer contributions after six months, generous paid time off, and professional development opportunities.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.

Work is performed in an office environment and requires the ability to operate office equipment and keyboards. Some work (less than 5%) may require the ability to lift and carry small parcels, packages, and other items, to walk short distances, and drive a vehicle.

NOTE: This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) of this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job· related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.

To perform this job successfully, the employee(s) will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities.

The Lake George Association is an equal opportunity employer, drug-free workplace, and complies with ADA regulations as applicable.