Chief of Staff/Chief Operating Officer

The Effective Institutions Project (EIP) is hiring a Chief of Staff or Chief Operating Officer (COO) who will serve as a critical partner to EIP’s executive director while taking leadership responsibility for core operations and driving EIP’s network growth and reach. We’re looking for an entrepreneurial, collaborative, and well-organized individual to help our organization realize its full potential.

About the Effective Institutions Project

The Effective Institutions Project is a philanthropic advisory and research organization that seeks out and incubates high-impact strategies to improve institutional decision-making around the world. We analyze how and in what ways institutions’ decisions influence people’s lives, study how key institutions currently make decisions, identify interventions that might cause those institutions to take actions that will lead to better global outcomes, and mobilize funding and talent to execute on the most promising interventions. Alongside all of this, we are building an interdisciplinary network of reformers to share insights, coordinate efforts, and steadily increase the odds of success over time.

Based on our progress to date, we think it’s realistic to imagine that in the next few years EIP’s research could inform tens to hundreds of millions of dollars in spending to improve global institutional effectiveness and help shape the decisions of 100s to the low 1000s of people crafting policy, consulting, nonprofit leadership, and tech industry careers. 

Our theory of change is that those funding and career choices will increase the odds that important institutions take beneficial actions like implementing new policies to help avert or mitigate future global crises, increasing the budgets and effectiveness of global health and anti-poverty programs, and taking steps to increase accountability to all living beings impacted by their decisions. 

About the role

The Chief of Staff/COO will serve as a critical partner and right hand to EIP’s executive director while taking leadership responsibility for core operations and driving EIP’s network growth and reach. The work is fast-paced and highly varied, reflecting EIP’s young history and ambitious mission. The position carries with it tremendous potential for professional growth and impact as the organization matures and continues to build out its capabilities. 

In this role, you can expect to:

• Oversee and implement EIP’s organizational growth strategy, helping to attract the resources and talent necessary to deliver on the organization’s ambitious goals
• Create opportunities to expand EIP’s reach by sourcing new funders and talent partners who may be interested in using our research to make an impact
• Ensure strong communication and feedback loops both within the organization and with external stakeholders, routing requests efficiently and ensuring that no balls get dropped
• Oversee HR functions for the organization, helping to shape a positive working environment and ensuring team members have what they need to realize success in their roles
• Ensure that EIP’s workstreams are adequately staffed with employees, contractors, and volunteers as appropriate, and personally step in when needed to ensure that milestones get delivered on schedule
• Oversee all other aspects of business operations for EIP’s small team, including digital infrastructure, security, event logistics, contracting, payments, and compliance
• Contribute ideas and informed opinions to EIP’s own institutional growth and development; pilot and document innovative decision-making and management practices

Occasional domestic and international travel is required.

Ideal profile

Our ideal candidate will have most if not all of the following:

• Passion for EIP’s mission and the possibilities inherent in realizing its potential
• Lots of entrepreneurial energy and the ability to execute complex initiatives with minimal supervision
• High standards for professionalism and a commitment to representing the organization well at all times
• Clear verbal and written communication, with the ability to tailor communication styles effectively to a wide range of audiences
• Excellent organizational skills, reliability, and attention to detail
• At least three years of work experience in a relevant role that includes raising revenue for a mission-driven enterprise and stewarding high-stakes relationships with key stakeholders
• Demonstrated leadership ability and a proven record of growing successful organizations (required for placement at the COO level)

In addition, the following strengths are appreciated but not required:

• Past experience working for or with one or more of the top-ranked institutions identified in EIP’s most recent landscape analysis
• Content knowledge about international relations, macroeconomics, organizational psychology, institutional design, or other relevant fields
• Fluency in at least one other language besides English
• Graphic/visual design skills
• Experience in website development and/or maintenance

If you’re excited about this role but are unsure if you fit the criteria, we would love to have you apply anyway. 

Compensation and benefits

This position is remote and can be based anywhere in the world. We prefer candidates that are willing to have at least a 4-hour overlap with ET working hours (8am-5:30pm ET). 

For a US-based candidate placed at the Chief of Staff level, we expect the salary to start at $75,000 per year with benefits including paid time off, reimbursement for health insurance (individual or family plan), and a 5% 401(k) employer contribution on top of your salary.  For the COO position, the expected salary range is $100,000-$140,000 per year, depending on experience, with the same benefits listed previously. 

We are open to candidates from other countries, and we will try our best to offer an equivalent compensation package regardless of location. 

To apply

We are hoping to fill this role by May 2023 and to have the candidate start soon afterwards. The deadline for applications is March 20 (11:59 PM ET). 

To apply for this role, please complete this form. 

NOTE: the application form requires a Google account in order to upload your resume. If you don’t have a Google account, feel free to email your materials and answers to the application questions, following all character limits, to info@effectiveinstitutionsproject.org. A cover letter is not required. 

Effective Institutions Project is committed to building a diverse applicant pool. We strongly encourage interested candidates to apply regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, physical ability, educational background, socioeconomic status, etc.

Last update: March 10, 2023