Chief of Staff

Application Instructions Click Apply to submit your online application. Please attach a resume and thoughtful cover letter on the "My Experience" page in the "Resume/CV" field. Active City Year Staff members must login to Workday to apply internally. Number of Positions: 1 Work Location: 100% On-Site Position Overview The Chief of Staff is a senior leader who advances City Year Rhode Island’s strategic priorities while ensuring strong people, operations, and organizational systems. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the role oversees the Executive Office, site operations, and staff experience, supporting cross-functional coordination and execution of key initiatives. Serving as a trusted advisor to the Executive Director, the Chief of Staff helps translate vision into action and ensures the organization is positioned for sustainable impact and growth. Job Description Reporting to the Executive Director, the Chief of Staff serves as a senior leader responsible for advancing City Year Rhode Island’s strategic agenda while ensuring strong operational execution across the organization. The Chief of Staff oversees the Executive Office, administrative operations, and core people and operational systems, supporting the Executive Director with priority-setting, cross-functional coordination, and monitoring execution against organizational goals. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Chief of Staff brings a systems-level, cross-functional mindset to translating vision into action and assumes primary responsibility for select strategic initiatives and time-sensitive projects. The Chief of Staff is a trusted advisor to the Executive Director and, when directed, represents her in high-level internal and external meetings. The role provides oversight of site operations, staff experience, and organizational infrastructure, manages key internal and external vendor relationships, and partners closely with City Year Headquarters to ensure alignment and operational excellence. Accountable for building and sustaining effective internal structures, the Chief of Staff ensures staff and AmeriCorps members are supported, systems function smoothly, and the organization is positioned for sustained impact and growth. Key Responsibilities Site Strategy and Special Initiatives Monitor all of City Year Rhode Island’s operating goals by working with department leadership to provide internal and external reporting. Ensure the Executive Director is aware of recommended actions and ensure response interventions are executed. Collaborate with Executive Director and site leadership to manage the implementation, review, and modification of City Year Rhode Island’s strategic plans. Ensure departmental and site-wide progress is met and remains aligned with staff capacity, financial resources, and stakeholder support. Work on the behalf of Executive Director for critical staff positions searches. Partner with Executive Director to determine how the Chief of Staff can support managing key strategic relationships with key stakeholders (e.g. public officials, Providence, Central Falls and other Rhode Island Public School District, RIDE, elected officials, business leaders, etc.) and/or key initiatives Serve as convener of local AmeriCorps and Education serving organizations to collaboratively build out policy agenda. Site People Point Collaborate with the People Business Partner to provide critical staff and corps support. Lead and advise on People policies by participating in comprehensive site and staff discussions aligned with organizational objectives. Support hiring managers throughout the recruitment and onboarding cycle. Offer guidance to the Impact team regarding the hiring and onboarding of corps and support roles. Act as the primary contact for employee relations, including accommodation requests and performance management issues. Develop and oversee professional development strategies and identify opportunities for staff growth. In partnership with the Executive Director, lead the design, implementation, and evaluation of the site's internal communication strategy. Site Operations and Office Management Serve as the site lead for People and Operations, overseeing administrative functions, staff experience, and day-to-day site operations. Oversee day-to-day site operations, ensuring staff and corps have necessary tools and resources for student impact and operational excellence. Manage Operation team, supervise administrative staff, including the Operations Coordinator/Executive Assistant and Community Partnership Manager, providing coaching, performance management, and professional development support. Oversee office operations and infrastructure, including office space and equipment, supplies, records and documentation, communication systems, emergency preparedness, onboarding, and staff training, in partnership with the Operations Coordinator. Manage the workflow of the Executive Office and Senior Leadership Team, including agenda development and facilitation for leadership and all-staff meetings, in coordination with the Executive Director. Establish, communicate, and ensure compliance with site-wide operational policies and procedures in alignment with City Year Rhode Island leadership and City Year Inc. requirements. Ensure site administrative, facilities, and technology functions operate efficiently and with high internal customer satisfaction; serve as a resource to staff and AmeriCorps members on operational needs and questions. Manage relationships with building management, vendors, and external partners, and lead special projects and change management initiatives, including system, process, and equipment upgrades. Serve as a liaison to the Employee Experience Committee, providing guidance and oversight to support staff engagement and organizational culture. Foster strong, collaborative relationships internally and externally on behalf of the Executive Director and site leadership as requested. Budget Development and Financial Monitoring Monitor site’s financial progress and ensure all departments are forecasting how they will finish in the black at least every other month. Analyze financial statements and revenue projections and prepare reports for ED and Board Finance Committee. Lead annual budget development process in consultation with Executive Director and site leadership. Collaborate with Executive Director, Site Directors and HQ Finance to identify cost savings and revenue generation opportunities, prepare program budgets, and align operating budgets with strategy and donor intent. Provide training and support to department finance leaders. Manage site monthly expenses. Board and Internal Communication Support In collaboration with the Development Director, write and review correspondence on behalf of the Executive Director to ensure communication is accurate, timely, and coordinated with other City Year Rhode Island and City Year Inc. initiatives. Serve as the staff point for the Board Governance committee and assist other committees with special projects by conducting research, collecting, and analyzing data, drafting reports, and preparing presentations for internal and external stakeholders. Create board pre-read document, presentations, and collateral materials for site board quarterly meeting focused on human resources, finance, and operations. Support the media and messaging needs of crisis management for site Benefits Full-time employees will be eligible for all benefits including vacation, sick days and organization holidays. You may participate in all benefit programs that City Year establishes and makes available to eligible employees, under (and subject to all provisions of) the plan documents that govern those programs. Currently, City Year offers medical, dental, vision, life, accidental death and dismemberment and disability coverage, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), and other benefits including 401(k) plan(s) pursuant to the terms and conditions of company policy and the 401(k) plan document. For more information, click here. Employment at City Year is at-will. City Year does not sponsor work authorization visas. City Year’s dual mission is to expand educational opportunity for all students and develop the next generation of leaders through national service. Trained teams of City Year AmeriCorps members provide support to students, classrooms and the whole school. Schools that partner with City Year are up to two to three times more likely to improve in English and math assessments, and the more time students spend with AmeriCorps members, the more they improve on academic, cognitive and interpersonal skills— skills that help students thrive in school, college and career. City Year’s 900 staff and 2,000+ AmeriCorps members work and serve in 29 communities across the U.S., including Boston (where City Year was founded in 1988 and is headquartered), Baton Rouge, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbia, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, New Hampshire, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Providence, Sacramento, San Antonio, San José/Silicon Valley, Seattle/King County, Tulsa and Washington, D.C. City Year also has international affiliates in the U.K. and South Africa. A proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network, City Year is supported by AmeriCorps, local school districts and private philanthropy. City Year has been designated a 4-star charity by Charity Navigator since 2003, putting City Year in the top 1% of non-profits nationwide for accountability, transparency and responsible fiscal management, and among the most trustworthy nonprofits in America. At City Year, we sometimes say we work not only “at” City Year, but also “on” City Year, recognizing that the organization, like our world, is constantly evolving and changing. Two things that have never changed: our steadfast belief in the power of young people to change our world for the better; and our aspiration to create positive school and work environments where everyone feels a sense of connection, is supported to do their best work, and is able to learn, contribute, lead and create to their fullest potential. As an equal opportunity employer, City Year is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. Fair Labor Standards Act Family and Medical Leave Act Learn more at www.cityyear.org, City Year’s Facebook page, on X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn.