Chief of Staff

This role includes two major categories of responsibility: object-level tasks you would take over from Alexander, and meta-level optimization of his use of time.

Examples of projects you might take on from Alexander, which we would expect to take the majority (~70%) of your time:
* Drafting a wide variety of other documents for internal and external use (internal Q&As, speeches, or website posts such as this one)
* Coordinating and drafting annual plans and revised strategy documents for the organization 
* Leading the process of developing org-wide OKRs and then tracking progress on them
* Periodically conducting grant investigations Alexander is particularly interested in
* Participating in cross-functional internal meetings and strategic discussions
* Reviewing and summarizing external research pertaining to cause areas
* Occasionally representing Open Phil with external stakeholders and partners

Examples of ways you might help Alexander use his time most effectively, which we would expect to take a minority (~30%) of your time:
* Developing meeting agendas and briefing documents
* Owning follow-up tasks from the meetings you join
* Identifying process improvements and shortcuts to save time 
* Overseeing an executive assistant to coordinate events (e.g. a dinner with grantees)
We would not expect you to be responsible for routine calendar scheduling (this is covered by Alexander’s shared assistant), but we want to be up front that Open Phil remains a small organization, and the Chief of Staff will be responsible for completing some relatively administrative tasks as a minority of the role.

The Chief of Staff role is open-ended in scope and will likely evolve over time. An exceptional hire might grow in a variety of directions within Open Phil, e.g., by becoming a grantmaker in a new area or remaining COS while taking on management of one or more new functions or teams. 

Who we’re looking for
You might be a great fit for this work if you:
* Are passionate about Open Philanthropy’s mission and excited to work closely with Alexander. On the former, we’re looking for someone who is already knowledgeable about some of the frameworks we use to think about our work, such as worldview diversification and cause prioritization. 
* Take an analytical and evidence-based approach to problem-solving. 
* You don’t need to have a specific background in statistics, but a level of comfort in making quick assumption-driven calculations is important. We’re looking for someone who can engage thoughtfully at a high level across our research and program teams.
* You have sound judgment and demonstrate reasoning transparency when making decisions. 
* Can serve as an effective proxy for Alexander in written communications and meetings. 
* You can learn to write effectively and quickly in Alexander's voice, eventually with little input from him (you can get a sense of this from his Twitter feed or this blog post).
* You have strong interpersonal and communications skills; you can effectively represent Open Phil with external stakeholders and Alexander with internal stakeholders. 
* Can skillfully manage both operational and strategic elements of the job.
* You’re a strong planner and often anticipate needs before they happen. You keep on top of projects in a highly organized way, and are reliable in high-stakes situations. 
* You notice opportunities for improvement, find strategic solutions, and can untangle complex tasks. 
* You’re independent, with a bias for action and the ability to move quickly in response to changing priorities.