Chief of Staff

1. Identify and remove barriers for diverse and small businesses; and
2. Increase diverse and small business spending.

SDO seeks applicants for a highly motivated and innovative Chief of Staff to join our team.

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Chief of Staff will serve on the SDO Leadership Team and play a crucial role in long-term Agency operations. The Chief of Staff will manage special projects, including cross-functional working groups and cross-agency collaborative efforts. The Chief of Staff will lead the SDO's Annual Report processes and liaise with external contacts such as elected officials. Additionally, the selected candidate will act as a sounding board for SDO Leadership to help research, develop, and update programs and policies and ultimately lead change efforts for major innovations.

Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and not all inclusive):

The Chief of Staff will lead staff engagement efforts to ensure efficiency and support team morale, such as business process redesign efforts, regular cross-training programs and team building event coordination. The Chief of Staff will support the Executive Director, as well as individual SDO Units, as needed to ensure team success.

The Chief of Staff will also coordinate SDO's relationships with external organizations such as other Commonwealth agencies, non-profit organizations, and federal offices that provide business support services. The selected candidate will assist the Executive Director with meeting preparation and will also represent the Agency at meetings and events as needed, on behalf of the Executive Director.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

- Lead and coordinate special project initiatives, including documenting project scope, developing work plans, and leading day-to-day efforts to meet set goals and deliverables.

- As needed, serve as SDO's lead on cross-agency initiatives and working groups.

- Coordinate with SDO team members, including, but not limited to, the SDO Legal Team, to conduct in-depth policy research and analysis on a wide range of topics to provide evidence-based recommendations to inform decision-making.

- Oversee any SDO Business Process Redesign efforts to improve efficiency and effectiveness of team time and resources.

- Support the Executive Director and SDO Leadership with strategic planning efforts, outreach and marketing campaigns, external relationship building, and change management for new initiatives.

- Lead the Agency's Annual Report processes to ensure not only efficient production of the Report, but also that it is a comprehensive document showcasing SDO's work and innovations, as well as the innovations of other public, quasi-public, constitutional, and independent offices in the field of supplier diversity.

- Assist the day-to-day functions of the Agency as needed to ensure program success.

- Support the Executive Director with meeting preparation by preparing briefing materials, memos, and presentations as needed.

- Represent the Agency at meetings, working groups, and events as needed on behalf of the Executive Director.

- Coordinate SDO's collaboration with external contacts and organizations to ensure engagement is aligned with SDO's mission.

- As needed, serve in key roles for various external communication needs, such as SDO's Legislative Liaison and Diversity Officer.

- Coordinate timely responses to external stakeholders, including elected officials, in collaboration with SDO's Director of Marketing, Communications and Training, the Executive Director, and other SDO team members.

- Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director.

Preferred Qualifications

- At least five years' real-world experience in project management, public policy, government administration, or a related area.

- Strong analytical and research skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information and provide clear, actionable recommendations.

- Experience with the Commonwealth's supplier diversity efforts and related policies, procedures, statutes, and regulations, including public construction and/or goods and services procurement matters.

- Demonstrated experience interacting with business support resource organizations and public buyers.

- Experience coordinating with elected officials, advocacy groups, and other stakeholders.

- Excellent organizational and time-management abilities, with a proven track record of managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships, work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders, and answer questions tactfully.

- Comfort with delivering in-person and virtual presentations to large groups, senior staff, and external stakeholders.

- Demonstrated leadership in team-building skills, with a commitment to fostering an inclusive and productive work culture.

- Proven experience in leadership roles within the public sector, particularly with project management, performance management, and process improvement expertise.

- Good judgment and demonstrated ability to exercise discretion when dealing with confidential or sensitive matters.

- High level of comfort with common IT and software tools like MS Office, Adobe Products, as well as the ability to learn new software and IT systems to facilitate project and program implementation, reporting, and compliance.

Qualifications

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants must have at least (A) six (6) years of full-time or, equivalent part-time, professional, administrative, supervisory, or managerial experience in business administration, business management, public administration, public management, clinical administration or clinical management of which (B) at least two (2) years must have been in a supervisory or managerial capacity or (C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and substitutions below.

Substitutions:

I. A certificate in a relevant or related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required (A) experience.

II. A Bachelor's degree in a related field may be substituted for two (2) years of the required (A) experience.

III. A Graduate degree in a related field may be substituted for three (3) years of the required (A) experience.

IV. A Doctorate degree in a related field may be substituted for four (4) years of the required (A) experience.

Comprehensive Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

Want the specifics? Explore our Employee Benefits and Rewards!

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.