Chief of Staff to Executive Director

About the role

Tristan Harris is the cofounder and executive director of the Center for Humane Technology (CHT), one of the minds behind the 2x Emmy award-winning Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, and co-host for the podcast Your Undivided Attention. He has been named in the TIME100 for AI, and was called “the closest thing Silicon Valley has to a conscience” by the Atlantic magazine.

The Center for Humane Technology (CHT) IS looking for a seasoned leader to be Tristan’s right-hand executive and amplify his work on the A.I. Dilemma via CHT. The ideal candidate should likely be a senior professional who has been a chief operating officer, senior chief of staff, or program director in purpose-driven work, with a proven track record of strategically supporting a principal. Should have been on the debate team in high school, in Model UN in college, and/or a philosophy major. Should not just be a critical thinker, but also a strong operational leader who is practical, organized, thoughtful, and can turn vision into reality.  The ideal candidate will also have experience managing relationships with C-suite executives and prominent institutional leaders and is at home in a dynamic and fast-changing environment.

This role will act as a thought partner to and force multiplier for Tristan, working directly with him to carry out his operational priorities that support the CHT mission. This person will report to Tristan Harris and manage his Director of Scheduling, Abby Hall.

This role is based in the San Francisco Bay Area of California with some days of flexible remote work. The role will involve frequent travel with Tristan to high-profile events (around 30-50%, as needed, varying widely throughout the year).

Key Responsibilities

Strategic thinking

• Act as a thought partner and right-hand to Tristan through the many facets of his work, from strategy to relationship-building to first principles thinking. (Essentially, you will act as the COO of Tristan’s work.)

Strategic projects

• Scope, lead, or manage select strategic projects
• Turn concepts into briefs and project plans
• Help with initial discovery and catalyzation of projects
• Conduct and coordinate research on strategic areas

Prioritization

• Keep Tristan dynamically focused on top priorities while balancing a complex and changing set of opportunities, relationships, and projects
• Project management: lead and manage a project management system for his work, ensuring both daily and long-term priorities are on track and prioritized appropriately
• Inbox management: work with Tristan’s Director of Scheduling to triage his inbox, delegate or own portions of it, and come to Tristan with one unified final to-do list
• Calendar management: help prioritize and triage Tristan’s time in partnership with Tristan’s Director of Scheduling

Communication and relationships:

• Help Tristan manage external relationships, such as with funders, partner organizations, institutional leaders, and media
• Act as a representative for Tristan with internal team members and with select external contacts, keeping strong two-way communication flowing
• Craft emails and work documents on Tristan’s behalf.

Requirements

• 12+ years of experience as a chief operating officer, executive director, senior chief of staff, or program director
• Very strong operational leadership skills. You excel at turning vision into reality, can hold both strategy and fine details, bring order to chaos, and are exceptional at keeping the trains running on time.
• Prior experience serving as the right-hand strategic partner for a CEO or executive director
• Prior experience managing relationships with high-influence leaders and institutions, e.g., US National Security Leaders, US Members of Congress, EU Policymakers, United Nations, WEF, C-level leadership of major tech companies, Media Influencers, Cultural Influencers, etc.
• Willingness to take bold action in our commitment to take the unprecedented actions necessary to curtail the risks of the race to scale artificial general intelligence. Note: Deep technical AI expertise is not needed, but you should be a systems thinker and familiar with the basics of generative AI, competitive pressures and arms race dynamics, and emerging risks covered in our AI Dilemma talk.
• Strong relationship management skills, with executive presence, a gift for written and verbal communication, and a track record of holding high-level relationships with stakeholders such as heads of state, ultra-high-net-worth individuals, and leaders of major institutions
• Prior experience in small entrepreneurial teams and early-stage startup environments that are dynamic and constantly changing
• High emotional intelligence: self-awareness, feedback skills, listening skills, and growth mindset
• Proactive and creative problem solver who can take initiative, ask great questions, use first principles thinking, and learn quickly
• Be available and responsive during Pacific Coast working hours, with flexibility during certain sprint times to respond to high-priority messages during other hours
• Be at home working with software systems: Google Drive, Notion, Slack, Dropbox, Hubspot, Asana, and Streak.

Learn more here and apply.

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