We are hiring: Chief of Staff

Thanks for your interest in Black Sheep. Read on to see what we're all about—just know we are no longer hiring for this role.

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We are Black Sheep, a cause-driven creative and brand strategy agency that works with impactful companies and organizations to activate communities around things that matter, and we are investing in our continued growth by hiring a Chief of Staff to support the Founder and CEO.

We're all in and want you to have all the details. Learn more here:

• The job description
• Requirements + areas of mastery
• Inclusion matters
• How to apply

Chief of Staff Job Description

As Chief of Staff, you will play a critical role in enabling communication, collaboration and strategy execution across the agency. This position is the right hand to the CEO. You should be capable of holding leaders accountable for business goals, artfully articulating our mission and vision, and be a sharp critical thinker who can solve problems. You will serve as a critical thought partner, advisor and supporter to the CEO and will help to build and maintain key agency relationships. In this position you will be centrally positioned to learn about and influence all aspects of a woman-run, independent and innovative creative agency. To succeed in this role, you must be confident, courageous, entrepreneurial, independent and determined.

What does that mean for your day-to-day?

• Understanding the greater mission of the agency, the agency’s annual goals and the vision of the CEO in order to advance the agency in partnership with the CEO.
• Further planning for and operationalizing Black Sheep 2.0 (2020 vision plan) for the CEO, fleshing out plan, timeline and monetization viability/strategy.
• Attending new business meetings with the CEO and driving execution of the new business process, soliciting critical information from the Managing Director, Director of Operations and CEO where necessary, and improving efficiency of the overall new business process.
• Attending events and meetings to represent the CEO when the CEO is unable to attend.
• Independently researching issues to provide recommendations for decision-making purposes.
• Composing various correspondence, including staff and client communications.
• Identifying speaking, editorial and other visibility opportunities for the CEO and pitching or corresponding to secure these opportunities.
• Maintaining agency CRM database and keeping track of details to make database highly effective for relationship building.
• Providing advanced, detailed administrative support for the CEO, including managing day-to-day schedule, confirming meetings and making decisions about calendar bandwidth.
• Managing inbound phone and email, screening/evaluating, prioritizing and keeping CEO informed of all matters requiring attention.

Why is this role important for Black Sheep's work?

You are empowering the leader of this organization to have the clarity and space to lead and develop vision for the future of the company, so that together, you can push the agency to its fullest potential. When the CEO can be present and attending to the company’s greatest priorities, the company and all of its employees are at their best. You will be her partner in accelerating the impact this organization can make.

Key Areas of Mastery

• Entrepreneurial Action: Turn vision into plans and plans into forward movement. Be independent and thorough, approaching everything with a “figure-it-out” mentality to ease the CEO’s daily responsibilities and fast-track agency growth and forward movement on new initiatives.
• Writing and Communications: Prepare and review internal and external communications, drafting written materials, reports, proposals, emails, letters, decks, speeches and/or presentations when necessary. You must be a perfectionist when it comes to proof reading and uphold a high standard for written communication.
• Team Workflow and CEO Involvement: Monitor information and agency project flow, working with all team members to create a smooth flow of information. Facilitate effective decision-making throughout the organization, maximizing the CEO’s involvement in a project and knowing when the CEO is needed for a critical decision.
• Relationship Building & Executive Presence: Know the importance of every encounter with the agency and the unlimited power of relationships in our community and industry. You will represent the CEO and the agency in ways that will require extreme professionalism and social grace, as well as an outgoing and fearless confidence.
• Extreme Organization: Track details and multitask with obsessive attention to detail, making sure no opportunity is missed and you are anticipating the needs of the CEO, the team and our clients, always operating 10 steps ahead of others.
• Advanced Administrative Support: Strategically manage the CEO’s time, managing her complex calendar, evaluating opportunities and determining how they fit with key priorities. To ensure the most is made of every moment of the day, you will be responsible for meeting preparation, support and follow-up and also reviewing upcoming meetings to ensure the CEO is well prepared.

Job Requirements

While it’s hard to define the exact experience necessary, we are hoping to find someone that meets the requirements below—or someone who can prove to us that the experiences they’ve had beat what we have outlined.

• 5+ years of relevant professional experience (we are background agnostic and excited by candidates with unique and different work histories)
• Problem-solving and project management skills, including the ability to work and deliver projects independently, proactively and under pressure
• Impeccable organization; you are a highly detail-oriented person and someone who gets a real sense of satisfaction from producing polished work and managing smooth and orderly processes.
• You can practice discretion and maintain confidentiality as needed.
• Strong, concise, creative writing skills
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Advanced communication skills, including both written (documents and presentations)
  and interpersonal communication skills
• Confidence and poise to handle difficult communication challenges and attend high
  profile events and meetings
• Entrepreneurial with a growth mindset
• Experience in financial analysis and basic modeling (preferred but not required)
  
  

Inclusion at The Black Sheep Agency

Yes, we’re a gathering of rebels. We’ve come together to change minds and accelerate impact for organizations and businesses that are leading communities toward a more equitable future. In our field of strategy, marketing and creative ideas, we know the playing field isn’t fair, and getting a dream job is easier for some than others.

We believe our ecosystem is strengthened through perspective and collaboration, and that can only happen when mentorship, leadership and career opportunities are open to all. We’re looking for go-getters and figure-it-outers— people who think beyond the ordinary list of awards and internships and tell the story of how they’ve transformed their professional life through personal initiative and creativity.

We don’t believe talent and expertise should look the same—ever. Tell us how you’ll join us in sparking an empowered and brilliant future for our communities. Be the rebel that you are. We want to meet you.