Chief of staff to the ceo

Partner for Rural Impact's (PRI) work began more than 30 years ago with a place-based partnership in Appalachian Kentucky, where we’ve shown demographics don’t have to determine destiny. Today, we partner with rural leaders and allies across the country to share that work and build local partnerships that put young people on a path to economic mobility.

Position Summary

The Chief of Staff to PRI’s Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer is a senior-level position within PRI that expands the CEO’s capacity while offering close exposure to enterprise leadership, Board stewardship, organizational narrative, and the executive decision-making required to lead a growing national nonprofit. Reporting directly to the CEO, the Chief of Staff serves as a trusted partner who helps translate the CEO’s vision, priorities, and fast-moving thinking into clear decisions, sequenced action, strong preparation, and disciplined follow-through. The Chief of Staff leads the Office of the CEO, provides day-to-day leadership for enterprise brand and message integration, and serves as a senior staff lead and relationship holder for Board governance and stewardship.

This role may be especially compelling for someone with rural roots or a deep commitment to rural communities who is ready to apply their skills at greater scale. PRI values leaders who bring different lived experiences, perspectives, geographies, and ways of knowing to the work. The role is well suited for someone who may want to lead an organization in the future, as well as someone who has learned that their strongest contribution is helping a senior leader and enterprise move with focus, clarity, and impact. The position leads and operates toward PRI’s result: all rural young people on a path to economic mobility from cradle to career.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each primary duty satisfactorily. The requirements of the position are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required, with regular and predictable attendance essential. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Office of the CEO Leadership

• Lead the Office of the CEO by managing the flow of priorities, information, decisions, preparation, and follow-through needed to support the CEO’s leadership.
• Translate the CEO’s vision, priorities, and fast-moving thinking into sequenced work with clear owners, timelines, decision points, and next steps.
• Supervise the CEO’s project and communications support function and coordinate closely with the CEO’s administrative support function to ensure the Office of the CEO operates with clarity, continuity, and responsiveness.
• Serve as an alignment point between the Office of the CEO, the Managing Executive Vice President, and leaders reporting directly to the CEO, ensuring CEO-held priorities are clear, decisions are prepared, and matters requiring CEO attention are surfaced.
• Prepare the CEO for Board work, speaking engagements, funder and partner interactions, convenings, relationship stewardship, and other priority commitments.
• Lead the CEO’s executive communications and writing, including speeches, presentations, correspondence, talking points, thought leadership, Board communications, and strategic documents.
• Use AI tools thoughtfully and effectively to extend the capacity of the Office of the CEO, including drafting, synthesis, preparation, research, workflow design, meeting follow-up, and message development.

Enterprise Brand and Message Integration

• Lead enterprise brand and message integration on behalf of the CEO ensuring PRI presents a clear, consistent, and compelling identity across audiences.
• Serve as the day-to-day lead for enterprise brand and message alignment, convening communications staff across divisions and aligning messaging across programs, places, partnerships, and executive communications.
• Shape and maintain enterprise messaging, talking points, strategic narratives, and executive communications that reflect PRI’s mission, Plan 2030, and For Rural, With Rural approach.
• Review and guide major external-facing materials, program sub-brands, co-branding, channel priorities, and message decisions to ensure coherence with PRI’s enterprise brand.
• Work with the CEO to set media relations strategy, determine what PRI elevates, and support readiness for crisis and reputational-risk communications.
• Use AI tools responsibly to support brand and message development while preserving judgment, accuracy, and authenticity.

Board Governance, Relations, and Stewardship

• Lead the Board governance and stewardship system on behalf of the CEO, ensuring Board work is well prepared, well sequenced, and well followed through.
• Serve as a trusted relationship holder with the Board Chair and individual Board members, alongside the CEO.
• Manage Board calendars, agendas, materials, meeting preparation, follow-up, and documentation of Board actions and commitments.
• Serve as staff liaison to Board committee chairs, supporting committee work plans, agendas, materials, decision preparation, and follow-through.
• Lead Board stewardship with the CEO by understanding Board member interests, expertise, networks, and opportunities for meaningful engagement in PRI’s mission.
• Support Board recruitment, nomination, onboarding, development, education, self-assessment, and leadership continuity planning.
• Prepare Board communications and materials that are clear, strategic, timely, and aligned with the CEO’s priorities and PRI’s long-term direction.

Other roles/duties will be assigned as necessary to assist and support in the attainment of PRI’s mission.

Position Location & Schedule

This position is designated as a remote/home-office position and requires the employee to maintain an appropriate workspace conducive to performing assigned responsibilities. The role involves regular collaboration with team members working across multiple states and time zones, requiring effective communication, coordination, and responsiveness across geographically dispersed teams.

Due to the nature of the position and its direct support of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the work schedule requires a high degree of flexibility and adaptability. While the position generally operates during regular business hours, work schedules and availability must accommodate the CEO's schedule, Board of Directors' activities, organizational priorities, and time-sensitive commitments. This may include early mornings, evenings, and occasional weekends, as business needs require.

Although day-to-day responsibilities are performed primarily remotely, the Chief of Staff is expected to participate in in-person engagements as organizational needs require. This may include accompanying the CEO or meeting in person to support strategic planning, preparation and coordination, Board activities, relationship stewardship, the Rural Summit, and other priority engagements.

Regular regional and national travel is required to support CEO priorities, Board activities, major external commitments, and key organizational events. Travel may involve frequent overnight stays and adjustments to regular work schedules.

Remote/home-office arrangements are subject to organizational approval and applicable PRI policies. Eligibility for remote work may be limited to states in which PRI is authorized to employ staff and may be subject to additional geographic or operational restrictions.

Minimum Qualifications

Education required to ensure success in this position:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Organizational Leadership, Communications, Education, Nonprofit Management, or a related field required
• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Organizational Leadership, Communications, Education, Nonprofit Management, or a related field preferred

Experience required to ensure success in this position:

• 8+ years of progressively responsible professional experience, including significant responsibility for supporting senior leaders, executive priorities, organizational communications, governance, operations, or strategy.
• Demonstrated experience serving as a trusted partner to a senior executive, CEO, founder, or executive leadership team.
• Experience translating fast-moving ideas, priorities, and opportunities into structured, executable work.
• Experience translating strategy into action through consulting, organizational leadership, executive support, or local or place-based work that advanced outcomes for a community, initiative, or organization.
• Experience leading a small team, coordinating cross-functional work, or managing work through others in a complex, fast-paced environment.
• Experience shaping organizational brand, messaging, executive communications, or narrative, including determining what an organization elevates and how messages are received by different audiences.
• Experience supporting board governance, board relations, executive governance, or comparable senior advisory bodies preferred. This may include meeting preparation, materials development, relationship stewardship, follow-through, and support for decision-making processes.
• Demonstrated experience using AI tools to extend executive capacity, including writing, synthesis, preparation, research, workflow design, meeting follow-up, and message development.
• Experience exercising discretion and sound judgment when handling confidential, sensitive, or high stakes matters.
• Experience working with or supporting rural communities is preferred.

Special skills, knowledge and abilities:

• Exceptional executive judgment, discretion, diplomacy, and political savvy.
• Strong emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and communicate effectively across differences with senior leaders, Board members, staff, partners, and external stakeholders.
• Ability to move easily between strategy and execution, translating priorities and ideas into clear, coordinated action.
• Ability and willingness to serve as both a strategic advisor and a hands-on contributor, personally executing priority work while directing or coordinating the work of others.
• Excellent writing, editing, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex ideas into clear executive materials and communications.
• Strong organizational discipline and follow-through, with the ability to bring structure, sequence, and clarity to a wide and shifting set of priorities.
• Ability to anticipate emerging needs, identify matters requiring executive attention, and prepare concise recommendations.
• Ability to work effectively through ambiguity, rapid changes in direction, and a founder-led environment where priorities and opportunities move quickly.
• Strong understanding of brand, messaging, audience, and voice, with the ability to help PRI communicate clearly and consistently across settings.
• Ability to support Board stewardship and governance rhythms with professionalism, preparation, and relationship awareness.
• Commitment to PRI’s For Rural, With Rural approach and respect for the knowledge, leadership, and assets within rural communities.
• Proficiency and sound judgment in using AI tools to extend executive capacity while recognizing when human judgment, relationships, and context must lead.

License, certification, or registration necessary:

• Must have access to reliable transportation
• Successfully complete pre-employment background check

Physical requirements:

Duties primarily involve prolonged periods of computer use, including typing, reading, and participating in virtual meetings. The position requires the ability to remain in a seated or stationary position for extended periods, with opportunities to change positions throughout the workday. Occasional standing, walking, reaching, bending, and lifting or moving lightweight office materials may be required.

The position also requires regular regional and national travel, including travel by air and ground transportation. Travel-related activities may involve extended periods of sitting, standing, or walking; navigating airports and other travel environments; and transporting personal belongings and lightweight work materials.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Environmental conditions:

Work is primarily performed in a remote/home-office environment under typical office conditions. The position requires regular use of a computer, telephone, and other standard office equipment, as well as participation in virtual meetings and communication with geographically dispersed team members. The employee is expected to maintain a workspace that supports the effective, professional, and secure performance of assigned responsibilities, including the confidentiality of sensitive organizational and executive-level information.

Regular regional and national travel may involve working in a variety of environments, including organizational offices, conference and meeting facilities, hotels, and other off-site locations. Working conditions may vary based on travel schedules, organizational events, and executive-level commitments.