This free Chief of Staff job description template is ready to use — copy it, replace the {{placeholders}}, and post your role in minutes. It includes a company intro, a role summary, responsibilities, requirements, nice-to-haves, and compensation, with writing tips and FAQs below to help you tailor it to your team.
When to use this template
Use this when you're hiring a right-hand person for a leader (usually the CEO) to drive priorities, run key initiatives, and make the whole company execute better. It's a senior, broad, and ambiguous role, so clarity about what it owns is everything.
Chief of Staff candidates want to understand who they support, what they'll own, and whether it's a long-term role or a launchpad into another leadership position. Be specific about scope and the kinds of problems they'll tackle.
The role varies enormously between companies — describe yours concretely rather than relying on the title.
Writing tips
- Be specific about who they support and what they'll own — the title alone says little.
- Clarify whether it's a long-term role or a path to another leadership position.
- Emphasize judgment, trust, and the ability to operate with ambiguity.
- Describe the kinds of initiatives they'll drive.
- Include the salary range and reporting line.
The job description
Copy the template below and replace the {{placeholders}} and [bracketed notes] with your specifics.
About {{company}}
{{company}} is [what you do]. We're hiring a Chief of Staff to work alongside [the CEO / our leadership] and help us focus on the right things and execute relentlessly.
The role
As Chief of Staff, you'll be a force multiplier for [the CEO / leadership] — driving priorities, running high-impact initiatives, preparing decisions, and making sure the most important work gets done. This role reports to {{hiring_manager}} and is based {{work_type}} in {{location}}.
What you'll do
- Drive the most important company priorities to completion.
- Run high-impact, cross-functional initiatives end to end.
- Prepare decisions, meetings, and communications for leadership.
- Bring structure to planning and follow-through across the company.
- Step into whatever matters most at any given moment.
What we're looking for
- 5+ years in operations, consulting, product, or a leadership-track role.
- Exceptional judgment and the ability to earn trust quickly.
- Comfort with ambiguity and a strong bias to action.
- Strong analytical, communication, and project-management skills.
- Discretion and the maturity to operate close to leadership.
Nice to have
- Experience at a high-growth startup.
- A background that spans multiple functions.
- Interest in moving into another leadership role over time.
What we offer
- Salary range: {{salary_range}}, plus equity.
- [Comprehensive benefits].
- Flexible {{work_type}} working and [PTO policy].
- A front-row seat to how the company is run and where it's going.
How to personalize
Replace these placeholders before posting:
- {{company}}
- {{location}}
- {{work_type}}
- {{salary_range}}
- {{hiring_manager}}
The bracketed notes — like [your benefits] or [your primary language(s)] — are prompts to swap in your own details. The more specific you are about the actual work and stack, the stronger your applicant pool will be.
Frequently asked questions
- What does a Chief of Staff do?
- A Chief of Staff is a right-hand person to a leader, usually the CEO. They drive the company's top priorities, run high-impact cross-functional initiatives, prepare decisions and communications, and bring structure to planning — acting as a force multiplier for the leader they support.
- What's the difference between a Chief of Staff and an Operations Manager?
- An Operations Manager owns specific operational processes and systems. A Chief of Staff operates at a more strategic level, closely tied to a leader, driving priorities and initiatives across the whole company. The Chief of Staff role is broader, more senior, and more ambiguous.
- What skills should a Chief of Staff have?
- Exceptional judgment, the ability to earn trust quickly, comfort with ambiguity, and strong analytical, communication, and project-management skills. Discretion and maturity matter because the role operates close to leadership on sensitive, high-stakes work.