Chief of Staff

Description

The Company

WHO WE ARE

When WNYC's signal first hit the AM airwaves in July 1924, it carried the visionary words of founder Grover Whalen: "It gives me great pleasure to launch this, the voice of New York."

Over 100 years later, our mission remains the same: to create a free and accessible public forum for our city, and lift up the voices and stories of all who call it home. Today, we are New York Public Radio (NYPR), a listener-supported, nonprofit, multi-platform media organization, serving audiences in NYC and beyond.

As home to WNYC, WQXR, Gothamist, WNYC Studios, New Jersey Public Radio, and The Greene Space, NYPR produces innovative, critically acclaimed public service journalism and programming for local and national broadcast, streaming, and live audiences. We convene civic conversations and make the joy of classical music accessible to all. We are driven by the spirit of the city, rooted in service to the New York region, and committed to fostering a vibrant global community.

As independent, listener-supported public media, our work is powered by the support of our generous members, donors, and sponsors.

Our Mission

To make the mind more curious, the heart more open and the spirit more joyful through excellent audio programming that is deeply rooted in New York.

Our Values

• Listen deeply and embrace all voices.
• Push the boundaries of what is possible.
• Explain the why.
• Embrace equity.
• Build trust through positive collaboration.
• Be accountable, expect excellence and celebrate.

The Opportunity

Position: Chief of Staff
Location: New York, NY
Reporting Relationship: Chief Executive Officer
Website: https://nypublicradio.org/

Opportunity

This is a rare and compelling opportunity to work at the center of one of the nation's most influential public media organizations, partnering closely with the CEO to help shape NYPR's next chapter and strengthen its impact at a pivotal moment for journalism, culture, and civic life.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief of Staff will serve as a strategic partner, trusted advisor, and force multiplier, helping translate organizational priorities into coordinated action across the enterprise. Working closely with the executive leadership team, Board of Directors, and key stakeholders, the Chief of Staff will help ensure alignment around strategic priorities, strengthen cross-functional collaboration, and support effective decision-making in an increasingly complex environment.

NYPR is at an important point in its evolution, with a renewed leadership team, ongoing organizational transformation, ands a commitment to building a sustainable future for public media. The Chief of Staff will help translate priorities into coordinated action, strengthen communication and alignment, and advance strategic initiatives that support long-term impact.

Position Summary

The Chief of Staff serves as a senior strategic leader and trusted advisor to the CEO, helping manage enterprise priorities, strengthen organizational alignment, enhance executive effectiveness, and coordinate initiatives that span multiple functions and stakeholders.

The role requires a highly collaborative and influential leader who can operate effectively in a dynamic and mission-driven environment. The successful candidate will possess exceptional judgment, political and organizational savvy, superior communication skills, and the ability to build trusted relationships across all levels of the organization. They will be equally comfortable engaging with senior executives, board members, donors, external partners, and staff while maintaining discretion and credibility, and will support fundraising initiatives that advance NYPR's mission and long-term sustainability.

The successful candidate must also bring demonstrated prior people-management experience and the ability to lead, coach, and develop staff effectively. The Chief of Staff will directly supervise the Director of Board Relations and will be responsible for providing clear direction, setting expectations, supporting professional development, and ensuring strong coordination between Board-related activities and broader executive priorities.

The Chief of Staff will serve as connective tissue across the enterprise, ensuring that priorities are aligned, decisions are well informed, and execution remains disciplined.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Partnership to the CEO

• Serve as a trusted advisor and thought partner to the CEO on strategic, operational, organizational, and governance matters.
• Help identify, prioritize, and advance critical initiatives that support organizational goals and mission impact.
• Anticipate emerging issues, opportunities, and risks, providing analysis and recommendations to support decision-making.
• Facilitate decision-making by gathering input, synthesizing perspectives, and helping drive consensus among stakeholders.
• Support executive communications, presentations, messaging, and leadership engagement activities.

Organizational Leadership and Strategic Execution

• Drive alignment across the executive leadership team and key organizational functions.
• Coordinate enterprise-wide initiatives that require collaboration across departments and stakeholder groups.
• Monitor progress toward strategic priorities and ensure appropriate accountability mechanisms are in place.
• Facilitate planning, implementation, and follow-through on major organizational initiatives.
• Help remove barriers to execution and resolve cross-functional challenges.

Executive Operations and Leadership Effectiveness

• Manage and coordinate matters requiring CEO attention, helping ensure focus on the highest-value priorities.
• Help establish effective processes for leadership meetings, decision forums, and organizational communication.
• Prepare briefing materials, strategic analyses, and recommendations for executive discussions.
• Support the CEO in managing competing priorities and stakeholder needs.
• Enhance organizational communication, information flow, and operational coordination.

Governance and Board Partnership

• Partner closely with the CEO, Board Liaison, Board Chair, and Board leadership on governance-related matters.
• Support the preparation of board materials, strategic discussions, and governance initiatives.
• Assist in strengthening board engagement, communication, and alignment with organizational priorities.
• Support governance initiatives, policy discussions, and board effectiveness efforts as appropriate.
• Serve as a trusted liaison between executive leadership and governance stakeholders.

Change Management and Organizational Effectiveness

• Help lead organizational change initiatives and support leadership through periods of transformation.
• Foster collaboration and alignment during times of organizational evolution and growth.
• Advance practices that strengthen communication, accountability, and organizational effectiveness.
• Assess organizational processes and recommend improvements that increase efficiency and impact.
• Support a culture of transparency, collaboration, continuous improvement, and mission focus.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Build productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Represent the CEO and NYPR in selected meetings, projects, and forums.
• Support engagement with donors, board members, partners, and other key constituents.
• Serve as a connector and facilitator across constituencies with differing priorities and perspectives.
• Support fundraising initiatives by helping coordinate donor engagement, campaign priorities, briefing materials, and strategic follow-through in partnership with the CEO and development leadership.

Critical Success Factors

• The strongest candidates will demonstrate the ability to:
• Serve as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to a CEO.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives and align diverse stakeholders around shared priorities.
• Support boards of directors and navigate governance-related matters.
• Lead effectively through organizational change, complexity, and transformation.
• Communicate clearly, build relationships, and influence effectively across diverse stakeholders.
• Exercise high emotional intelligence, executive presence, and political acumen.

The Candidate

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will be a trusted strategic advisor and organizational leader with the judgment, influence, and presence to operate at the center of a complex and evolving institution. They will have a demonstrated track record of partnering closely with a CEO to translate vision into action across multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.

This individual will bring the strategic mindset to navigate ambiguity and the operational discipline to drive execution and accountability. They will be equally comfortable engaging in high-level discussions, managing sensitive issues, and coordinating initiatives that span functions, constituencies, and leadership levels.

The successful candidate will bring significant experience within mission-driven organizations and will understand how to build trust, foster collaboration, and achieve results through influence rather than authority. They will have experience partnering with governing boards and senior stakeholders, supporting executive decision-making, and helping organizations move from strategy to action.

Successful candidates may come from higher education, public media, cultural institutions, foundations, think tanks, national nonprofits, advocacy organizations, or other mission-driven environments where influence, collaboration, stakeholder management, and strategic leadership are essential. While media experience may be valuable, NYPR is particularly interested in candidates who have served as trusted advisors to senior executives and helped institutions advance priorities across complex systems.

Most importantly, the ideal candidate will be a collaborative, low-ego leader who thrives behind the scenes while enabling others to succeed. They will bring humility, resilience, intellectual curiosity, discretion, and a deep commitment to mission-driven work, along with the confidence and diplomacy to build consensus in a highly visible environment.

Experience and Professional Qualifications

Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.

Minimum of 10–15 years of progressive leadership experience within a complex organization.

Significant experience in a Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff, senior advisor, vice president, executive director, or comparable leadership role, with a demonstrated record of partnering with senior executives and leadership teams.

Proven experience leading enterprise-wide strategic initiatives and coordinating cross-functional projects and stakeholders.

Experience working closely with boards of directors and supporting governance-related activities.

Experience supporting fundraising initiatives, donor engagement, campaign planning, or advancement-related priorities in partnership with senior leadership is preferred.

Strong background in strategic planning, organizational effectiveness, and change management.

Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including executive communications, briefing materials, presentations, and stakeholder engagement.

Demonstrated ability to manage highly sensitive and confidential matters with discretion, diplomacy, and sound judgment.

Experience building relationships across diverse stakeholder groups and influencing outcomes without direct authority.

Demonstrated ability to navigate complex organizational environments, balance competing priorities, and drive successful execution.

Experience within mission-driven organizations, including nonprofit, higher education, public media, cultural, civic, or related sectors, is preferred.

Leadership Competencies

Strategic thinking, enterprise-wide perspective, and sound judgment.

High emotional intelligence and interpersonal effectiveness.

Political and organizational savvy.

Executive presence and credibility.

Outstanding communication, collaboration, relationship-building, and stakeholder influence.

Ability to support donor-facing work and fundraising initiatives with professionalism, discretion, and strategic judgment.

Change leadership, adaptability, project management, and disciplined execution.

Integrity, professionalism, and discretion.

Personal Competencies

The successful candidate will be a thoughtful, collaborative, and mission-driven leader who excels at bringing people together, building trust, and advancing shared goals. They will demonstrate humility, resilience, intellectual curiosity, and a strong commitment to supporting others' success.

They will have the judgment, confidence, diplomacy, empathy, and discretion to engage effectively with senior leadership, Board members, donors, and external stakeholders while helping shape the future of one of the nation's most respected public media organizations.