As a member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), the Chief of Staff serves as a strategic thought partner to the President & CEO and helps drive alignment, coordination, and execution of CFBNJ's highest organizational priorities. The Chief of Staff works across functions to translate strategy into action, facilitate executive decision-making, monitor progress against organizational priorities, and lead or support complex cross-functional initiatives. The Chief of Staff also partners with the President & CEO and other key staff to support Board engagement related to strategic and organizational priorities and represents the President & CEO and CFBNJ with external partners and stakeholders, as appropriate.
What you'll do in your role: Organizational Support- Partner with the President & CEO to identify, prioritize, advance, and monitor the organization's highest strategic and operational priorities.
- Collaborate with ELT on a variety of strategic initiatives.
- Lead or coordinate high-priority, complex, and time-sensitive initiatives on behalf of the President & CEO, particularly those requiring cross-functional collaboration or that do not sit exclusively within one organizational function.
- Support effective alignment and coordination across the Executive Leadership Team and Senior Leadership Team, including facilitating leadership discussions, identifying cross-functional dependencies, and ensuring appropriate follow-through on decisions and priorities.
- Serve as the President and CEO's ambassador at internal and external meetings, as assigned.
- Partner with the President & CEO and other key staff to support Board engagement and communication related to strategic and organizational priorities.
- Analyze and synthesize organizational, network, community, and external data to identify opportunities, inform strategy, and support executive decision-making.
- Partner and participate with stakeholders across the organization to help drive strategic priorities and initiatives.
- Lead or support cross-functional initiatives that improve the accessibility, equity, quality, and effectiveness of CFBNJ's services to communities and network partners.
- Partner closely with internal teams including: operations, programs, resource development and advocacy to analyze, design, and develop and improve our relationship with our current and potential network partners.
Strategic Planning- Lead and coordinate CFBNJ's strategic planning and strategy execution processes in partnership with the President & CEO and ELT.
- Translate strategic priorities into measurable goals, initiatives, timelines, and accountability.
- Establish processes to monitor progress against organizational priorities and facilitate leadership review of results.
- Partner with initiative owners to identify barriers, resolve cross-functional issues, and maintain progress toward established goals.
- Synthesize organizational data, performance information, and emerging trends to support executive decision-making and strategic planning.
External Affairs- Collaborate with local, state, and national partner organizations to help set policy priorities.
- Work effectively with NJ-based food banks, Feeding America and other key anti-hunger organizations.
- Create and distribute well written and organized written communication both internally and externally.
- Professionally engage with government officials, board members, food bank network leadership, network agencies and other important stakeholders.
Why you'll love working at CFBNJ: - Opportunity for Impact: At CFBNJ, your work drives meaningful changes. Just last year, we provided over 90 million meals and 35 million pounds of fresh produce to our neighbors in need.
- Wellness that Works for You: Rooted in our culture of caring, we offer comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, wellness programs, generous sick/personal time off, 14 paid holidays, childcare resources, and organization-wide engagement days for rest and reflection.
- Professional Development: Grow your career through our Learning Lab, with access to workshops, online courses, and book resources. We also offer tuition assistance and certificate reimbursement for job-related training to support continuous growth.
- Recognition and Belonging: We celebrate great work and grow inspiration with Bonusly, our peer-recognition platform, and foster community through employee resource groups to create space to uplift voices and strength connections
- Retirement Planning: Plan confidently for your future in our 401(k) program, including a 4% company match after one year of service.
What you'll need to be successful in this role: - Bachelor's degree in political science, public policy, communications, or a related field- or equivalent professional experience.
- At least 10 years of progressive experience in community engagement, public policy, government relations, or advocacy, preferably in a nonprofit or mission-driven organization.
- Strong project management and organizational skills; ability to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines with professionalism.
- Proven ability to collaborate across departments and with external stakeholders; excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Analytical mindset with experience gathering and synthesizing data to support strategy and decision-making.
- High cross-cultural competency and demonstrated ability to work effectively with diverse communities.
- Master's degree or professional certification a plus.
- Experience in anti-hunger advocacy and policy work at the local, state, or federal level is preferred.
- A valid driver's license with history of a good driving record.
- Ability to travel that may include consecutive overnight stays, and traveling by car, bus, and airplane.
- Occasional evenings and weekends.
Pay Transparency: The salary range for this position is $155,000 - $258,000. The final rate may be influenced by factors such as the position's scope and responsibilities, work experience, training, job-related skills, internal equity, and market conditions.
