Prior Chief of Staff experience preferred, or comparable operating responsibility.
Proven ability to lead ambiguous, cross-functional projects from strategy to results.
Hands-on, low-ego approach with a commitment to serve for at least two years.
Exceptional attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
Practical AI fluency with experience applying AI in workflows and verifying outputs.
Strong communication skills, discretion, and senior judgment.
Ability to collaborate in person and travel as needed.
Responsibilities
Drive programs from idea to execution, translating goals into actionable plans.
Maintain visibility across teams, connecting dependencies and sustaining momentum.
Build and maintain systems for planning, tracking, and accountability.
Own team meeting preparation and follow-up to ensure decisions lead to action.
Act as a thought partner on strategy, planning, and resource allocation.
Represent the Head in leadership discussions and partner meetings.
Build trusted relationships across teams and lead cross-team initiatives.
Benefits
Opportunity to impact civil society and philanthropy through AI.
Collaborative and mission-driven team environment.
Support for professional growth and development.
Engagement with diverse teams and external partners.
Full Job Description
About the Role
The OpenAI Foundation is hiring a senior Chief of Staff for its Civil Society & Philanthropy (CSP) team: a detail-oriented operating partner, strategic thought partner and trusted deputy.
You'll partner with the Head of Civil Society & Philanthropy to set priorities, build effective systems and keep the team moving. With a detailed grasp of the portfolio and relationships across teams, you'll exercise sound judgment and represent the Head when needed.
The role has three components: 1) team operations and systems (you'll have oversight of internal AI tools and processes and enable the team's success), 2) strategic partnership and representation, and 3) end-to-end project ownership.
What you'll do
Drive programs from idea to execution
Own selected projects end to end, translating goals into priorities, plans, owners, milestones and deliverables
Maintain visibility across the portfolio and Foundation teams, connecting dependencies and sustaining momentum
Catch dropped commitments, identify blockers early, and resolve or escalate them with good judgment
Keep the team running smoothly
Build and maintain practical systems for planning, tracking, communication and accountability
Own the team meeting rhythm, preparation and follow-up so decisions become action
Use AI to improve team workflows, including building or adapting internal tools and processes where useful, and verifying their outputs
Support strategy, planning and decisions
Be a thought partner on team strategy, planning, priorities and allocation of people and resources
Represent the Head in leadership discussions, offsites and partner meetings, surfacing risks and decisions and ensuring follow-through
Surface risks and decisions, and help shape the team's contributions to leadership discussions and offsites
Lead cross-functional efforts
Build trusted relationships across Foundation teams (e.g., finance, legal, communications support as well as other foundation teams) and external partners.
Lead cross-team initiatives as needed, spanning technical enablement, grantmaking and AI-native philanthropy
Contribute to team growth
Support hiring and onboarding as the team expands
Help build a strong, collaborative, and mission-driven team environment
What we're looking for
Prior Chief of Staff experience is strongly preferred. We also welcome candidates at different career stages with compelling evidence of comparable operating responsibility.
A track record of independently leading ambiguous, cross-functional projects from strategy to results, including budgets and resource allocation
A low-ego, hands-on approach and a desire to serve as the team's full-time Chief of Staff for at least two years, supporting its work across a broad portfolio.
Exceptional attention to detail, strong organizational instincts and consistent follow-through
Practical, hands-on AI fluency: experience applying AI in real workflows, understanding its limitations, and verifying its outputs. Candidates must pass an AI fluency test as part of the hiring process.
Clear communication, discretion and senior judgment; ability to build trust, challenge constructively and represent a leader credibly
Ability to collaborate in person in line with the Foundation's office schedule, with flexibility for team needs and occasional travel
Nice to have
Experience assessing new opportunities, weighing tradeoffs and turning ideas into practical plans
Experience working across complex subject matter, functions and communities
Familiarity with civil society, philanthropy or the societal impacts of AI
Why this role
AI is advancing quickly, and the stakes are high. This role offers the chance to help the Civil Society & Philanthropy team turn its priorities into impact, strengthen how the Foundation operates, and contribute to ensuring AI benefits society.
