Chief of Staff (to the Program Director)

LEEP seeks an analytical and organised Chief of Staff to serve as a strategic and operational partner to the Program Director. This person will support the Program Director across various projects, drive critical initiatives, and enhance operational excellence, thereby amplifying LEEP’s impact.

Position Summary

Application Deadline: 11 June 2025

Start date: As soon as possible

Reporting to: Program Director

Hours: Full-time

Location: London, UK (preferred); remote/flexible for exceptional candidates. If based in London, the ability to co-work from our office three days per week is required. We are currently unable to sponsor visas.

Time Zone: Must be willing to work London hours as needed to ensure effective collaboration with the Program Director. Must also be willing to work flexibly to collaborate with our global team across multiple time zones. This may occasionally require early starts or late finishes.

Language Requirements: Full professional proficiency in English

Salary: £50k to £55k for London-based roles; outside London is dependent on location and experience

How to apply: Fill out this application form

Contact: hiring@leadelimination.org

About LEEP

LEEP is an impact-driven, evidence-based nonprofit that aims to eliminate childhood lead poisoning, which affects an estimated one in three children worldwide. We primarily focus on one important source of exposure: lead paint. Our paint programs involve generating data, supporting governments with the introduction and enforcement of regulation, and assisting manufacturers in switching to lead-free paints. Beyond our paint programs, we are piloting interventions to address other sources of lead exposure, such as spices and cosmetics.

Since our founding in September 2020:

• We have initiated lead paint elimination programs in 31 countries and completed paint studies in 18.
• We have agreed on goals to establish lead paint regulation with government agencies in 16 countries (e.g., in Angola).
• We have received reports in 10 countries of manufacturers representing more than 50% of the lead paint market share (in that country) reformulating to lead-free (e.g., in Pakistan).
• We have conducted a repeat paint study which showed more than a 50% reduction in lead paint market share since our initial study in Malawi.
• We have conducted lead in spices studies in Ethiopia and Türkiye.
• Founders Pledge estimates that it costs $1.66 to prevent one child’s lead exposure (in expectation) through our work, making LEEP one of its most cost-effective nonprofit recommendations. Our own analysis estimates that it costs under $5 to avert one DALYequivalent through LEEP’s first 13 established programs.
• We are a partner of the WHO and UN Environment Programme's Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint, and a member of the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future, launched by USAID and UNICEF.
• We have received grants from major grantmaking organisations, including USAID, Founders Pledge, Open Philanthropy, and Schmidt Futures.
• We have appeared in Nature, Vox, Time Magazine, The New Yorker, Prospect, on the 80,000 Hours Podcast, at the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future launch on the sidelines of the 79th UN General Assembly, and our co-founders were named in Vox’s Future Perfect 50.

About the Role

The Chief of Staff will serve as the operational partner to the Program Director, enabling LEEP to achieve greater impact and efficiency. As a strategic collaborator to and project manager for the Program Director, you'll streamline operations, lead strategic initiatives, foster team cohesion, and represent LEEP externally when needed.

This role offers significant growth opportunities for a mission-driven professional interested in strategic and operational work in the high-impact global health and development space.

Responsibilities

• Strategic planning and alignment: supporting the Program Director in the annual and quarterly goal-setting process and tracking progress, aligning with LEEP’s mission and priorities.
• Driving operational excellence: streamlining internal processes, managing timelines and deliverables, and proactively addressing operational bottlenecks to improve overall team efficiency.
• Project leadership: leading special strategic initiatives as needed.
• Team coordination: acting as liaison amongst different Program teams, and between Programs and other teams (e.g., Operations), facilitating smooth communication and execution.
• Executive support: preparing briefings, drafting communications, representing or accompanying the Program Director in key meetings, and ensuring follow-up on critical actions.
• External engagement: supporting management of external partnerships and negotiations with key stakeholders and partner organisations.
• Supporting people and fostering culture: assisting with recruitment, onboarding, professional development, and initiatives to strengthen engagement and cohesion across a diverse, international Program team. Performing any additional responsibilities that are reasonably required to support the Program team.

What We’re Looking For

A successful applicant will possess or be most of the following:

• Mission-driven: passion for LEEP’s mission and values, and a strong commitment to achieving meaningful, scalable impact.
• Experience: 2 to 5+ years of relevant experience (e.g., project management, consulting, program operations). We are open to candidates from private or public sector backgrounds; what matters most is a track record of driving projects to success and effectively managing broad responsibilities in complex environments.
• Analytical thinker: Able to quickly understand and analyse complex issues, develop actionable insights, and contribute thoughtfully to strategic decisions.
• Strong attention to detail: Consistently produces high-quality work; is thorough and ensures accuracy across tasks and deliverables.
• Highly organized: Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring tasks are completed efficiently and effectively.
• Excellent communicator: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills. Adept at crafting for and tailoring messages to various audiences.
• Cross-cultural collaboration: Comfortable working across diverse cultures and time zones, demonstrating empathy and cultural sensitivity.
• Influencer and relationship-builder: Skilled at leading projects or teams and forging relationships with those team members. Adept at building trust and resolving conflicts diplomatically.
• Adaptable and growth-oriented: Proactively seeks feedback, is eager to learn and adapt quickly in dynamic environments, and is comfortable with ambiguity and change.
• Autonomous and reliable: Can independently manage tasks and timelines with integrity and professionalism, requiring minimal supervision.

Other promising attributes include: experience with monitoring and evaluation (M&E), policy advocacy, data analysis, public health or environmental policy, negotiation or partnerships management.

We are most interested in talent, not credentials. If you don’t fit some of the above criteria but think you are a good fit for this role, we’d love to see you apply.

Work Environment

Our culture is one of genuine care for each other and passion for our work and its impact. We are a team that values collaboration, openness, and mutual support, which creates an environment where everyone can thrive while contributing to meaningful work.

Though we are a remote team, we are supportive and close-knit. We stay connected through weekly team calls and 1:1 calls, where we have conversations about both non-work and work topics; we regularly share photos and celebrate milestones and successes in our Slack; and we come together annually for an in-person retreat to strengthen relationships and reflect on our mission.

Our team of 29 people is based across five continents and speaks over 10 languages. We have diverse expertise, from medicine to environmental health to international law.

Our work schedule is flexible. Some of the team work 9-5:30, and some adjust their daily schedule around school pick-up. We value work-life balance and rarely contact team members outside their work hours.