Chief of Staff at University of Washington in Seattle, WA

Job description

• KUOW has an outstanding opportunity for a Chief of Staff to join their team.
• Reporting to the President & CEO, the Chief of Staff plays a central role in advancing KUOW's strategic priorities, strengthening organizational effectiveness, supporting the Board of Directors, and leading critical human resources, people, and culture initiatives. Working across the organization, this position helps translate vision into action by coordinating enterprise-wide planning, facilitating cross-functional collaboration, and ensuring accountability for major initiatives.
• The Chief of Staff serves as a key connector among the executive team, Board of Directors, staff, and external stakeholders. Success in this role requires exceptional judgment, diplomacy, the ability to work with sensitive information, project leadership, communication skills, and the ability to influence and align diverse groups around shared organizational goals. Based out of KUOW’s Seattle office, this role is suitable/eligible for hybrid/occasional telework.

Responsibilities

• Bring a genuine curiosity and appetite for learning, with a willingness to deeply immerse themselves in the public media landscape to understand its mission, audiences, business model, challenges, and opportunities.
• Help ensure KUOW's strategic plan becomes operational across the organization.
• Build strong partnerships across teams and leadership levels.
• Lead professional development for teams and leadership development across the organization.
• Create clarity, accountability, and momentum around key organizational priorities.
• Strengthen board engagement and governance effectiveness.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO and a respected collaborator across KUOW.
• Drive alignment, accountability, and execution across teams by building credibility, fostering strong relationships, and influencing outcomes through expertise, judgment, and effective communication rather than formal authority.
• Strategic Planning and Organizational Alignment (25%)
• Partner with the CEO and executive leadership team to develop, refine, and implement KUOW's strategic plan.
• Establish processes that translate strategic priorities into measurable goals, initiatives, and organizational outcomes.
• Lead cross-functional planning efforts and facilitate alignment across departments.
• Create and manage temporary and ongoing working groups, task forces, and project teams that advance strategic priorities.
• Monitor progress toward strategic objectives and provide recommendations to leadership regarding opportunities, risks, and resource needs.
• Drive organization-wide initiatives that strengthen collaboration, effectiveness, and accountability.
• Executive Leadership Partnership (25%)
• Serve as a thought partner and strategic advisor to the CEO on organizational priorities and emerging issues.
• Coordinate activities and communications among senior leaders to ensure organizational alignment.
• Facilitate executive and leadership meetings, including agenda development, preparation materials, decision tracking, and follow-through.
• Manage special projects, research, and initiatives on behalf of the CEO.
• Represent the CEO in selected meetings and engagements as appropriate.
• Support the CEO's engagement priorities with stakeholders, community leaders, donors, public media partners, and University of Washington leaders.
• Represent KUOW in external meetings and community settings as appropriate.
• Help strengthen relationships that advance KUOW's mission and strategic objectives.
• Human Resources and Organizational Development (25%)
• Partner with leadership to foster an inclusive, collaborative, and mission-driven workplace culture.
• Oversee key human resources processes, including recruitment, onboarding, performance management, employee engagement, and offboarding.
• Ensure compliance with KUOW and University of Washington policies and applicable employment regulations.
• Advise leaders on workforce planning, talent development, succession planning, and organizational effectiveness.
• Support initiatives that strengthen employee experience, retention, leadership development, and organizational culture.
• Board Relations and Governance (20%)
• Serve as the primary staff liaison to KUOW's Board of Directors and board committees and own KUOW’s board organization software platform, OnBoard.
• Partner with the CEO, Board Chair, and Governance Committee to support effective board operations.
• Lead planning and coordination for board meetings, retreats, committee meetings, and board onboarding activities.
• Prepare board materials, presentations, and governance documentation.
• Track and facilitate follow-up on board decisions, priorities, and action items.
• Support strong communication and productive relationships between board members, leadership, and staff.
• Other duties as assigned (5%)
• This position manages 2 employees.

Requirements

• To be considered for this opportunity your application must demonstrate you meet both the minimum qualifications and additional qualifications listed below. Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, and/or registration.
• Applicants who do not meet these qualifications WILL NOT be forwarded to the Hiring Department.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, public administration, communications, organizational leadership, human resources, or related field. Five or more years of progressively responsible leadership, strategy, operations, organizational development, human resources, or chief-of-staff experience. Equivalent combination of education and experience may substitute.
• Demonstrated success leading complex cross-functional initiatives from concept through implementation.
• Experience supporting senior executives, governing boards, or executive leadership teams.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong facilitation, project management, and organizational planning skills.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and navigate complex organizational dynamics.
• Experience building trust and influencing outcomes without direct authority.
• Experience in nonprofit, public media, journalism, higher education, mission-driven, or civic organizations.
• Experience supporting a board of directors or governing body.
• Experience and comfort with public speaking.
• Background in strategic planning, organizational change management, or workforce planning.
• Human resources leadership experience.
• Experience working within a complex stakeholder environment.
• Seven or more years of progressively responsible leadership experience.

Skills

Preferred

• Human resources leadership experience

Benefits

• $159,996.00 annual
• $185,004.00 annual
• -
• For information about benefits for this position, visit https://www.washington.edu/jobs/benefits-for-uw-staff/
• Shift:
• First Shift (United States of America)
• This is a regular position
• 100.00%
• Not Applicable