Chief of Staff

Chief of Staff

Contract: Initial six-month contract, with the possibility of becoming permanent

Location: Globally based / remote, with reliable working-hour overlap with the London head office and flexibility to work across time zones

Salary: Dependent on location and experience. London benchmark £74,000 - £81,000 with flexibility for an experienced interim appointment

Start: As soon as possible

Altum Consulting is partnering with a start-up, global health-focussed NGO with a unique and highly effective approach to solving a major global health issue. The organisation is growing with secure funding and is now seeking a Chief of Staff to support its next phase of development.

Its approach is grounded in evidence, data and cost-effectiveness. As its international work expands, it needs someone who can help the leadership team make clear decisions, turn strategy into deliverable plans and coordinate priorities across a growing organisation.

Reporting to the Executive Director, initially working with the Acting Co-Executive Directors, you will be a full member of the senior leadership team. You will bring judgement, constructive challenge and the ability to take ownership of work that crosses teams and functions.

This is a hands-on leadership role in a start-up environment. Priorities will evolve, and you will need to be comfortable bringing structure to work that is not yet fully defined. Early projects are likely to include coordinating a major funding renewal, developing the narrative for a multi-year strategy and strengthening how the board and leadership team work together.

Responsibilities

• Working with the Executive Director and senior team to develop organisational strategy, priorities and delivery plans.

• Leading cross-functional projects, coordinating contributions and keeping work moving towards agreed outcomes.

• Bringing together programme, research, finance and operational input for funding proposals and longer-term plans.

• Writing clear strategy documents, board papers, reports and internal communications.

• Managing the board cycle, including relationships, papers, committees and follow-up actions.

• Improving leadership meetings, planning cycles and communication so decisions are made and followed through.

• Identifying dependencies between teams and resolving issues that could affect delivery.

• Providing interim oversight of a team or function where needed, including people management.

Requirements

• Experience operating at or alongside a senior leadership team, contributing to organisational decisions and taking responsibility for delivery.

• Strong strategic judgement and the ability to turn complex information into clear recommendations.

• Experience managing substantial projects across different teams, ideally in a growing or internationally distributed organisation.

• Excellent written communication, including experience producing strategy papers, board reports or funding proposals.

• Experience supporting a board and managing governance processes.

• The credibility to build trust quickly, influence senior colleagues and challenge constructively.

• An interest in evidence, analysis and cost-effectiveness, with a commitment to the organisation's approach to improving global health.

• A practical, organised approach and the flexibility to take on unfamiliar work as priorities change.

• People-management experience would be useful, particularly where you have led a team through growth or change.

Relevant backgrounds could include chief of staff, strategy, consulting, organisational leadership or senior programme roles. Experience in a start-up or growing organisation would be particularly useful; previous NGO experience is not essential.

For further information or a confidential discussion, please contact Altum Consulting.