Veranda HigherEd - Chief of Staff - CEO Office

CEO OFFICE CHIEF OF STAFF

Role Title:

Chief of Staff, CEO Office

Reports To:

Group CEO

Role Summary:

The CEO Office Chief of Staff is the CEO's most versatile execution and strategy partner. This is a strategic-execution role defined by whatever is highest-leverage for the CEO that week.

Core Responsibility Areas:

1. Strategic Planning & CEO Decision Support:

- Own the CEO's strategic agenda and track execution across functions.

- Build and drive annual/quarterly business planning cycles.

- Act as a sounding board on strategic bets (new business lines, pricing, M&A).

- Prepare CEO for board meetings and town halls.

- Own strategic memos and vision documents.

2. Fundraising & Investor Relations Support:

- Build and maintain investor updates, board decks, and data rooms.

- Support due-diligence cycles.

- Track competitive/market landscape to inform strategic positioning.

3. Cross-Functional Execution & Business Reviews:

- Act as the connective tissue between Product, Content, Growth, Sales, and Tech.

- Run leadership cadence (QBRs, offsites).

- Own special strategic projects with unclear ownership.

- Build and own MIS/reporting rhythms.

4. External Representation:

- Represent the CEO office at partner meetings and strategic industry forums.

- Lead or co-lead high-stakes vendor and partnership negotiations.

5. AI-Enabled Operating Leverage:

- Rapid research & analysis using LLMs.

- Deck & document velocity using AI-assisted tools.

- Data & dashboarding using AI-assisted spreadsheet tools.

- Workflow automation using no-code/low-code tools.

- AI workflow design and vendor evaluation for the organization.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

Experience:

- 3-4 years total; ideally a mix of high-pressure environments (consulting, banking, or startup founding team).

- At least one instance of having built something from scratch.

Skills:

- Sharp structured thinking and strategic judgment.

- Strong written/verbal communication.

- Strong stakeholder management.

- High tolerance for ambiguity.

- Daily, hands-on user of LLM tools for research, writing, and analysis.

Growth Path:

- Typically 1830 months in this role before moving into Head of Strategy, GM/BU Head, or an elevated Chief of Staff role.