Deputy Chief of Staff

Job Title: Deputy Chief of Staff

Department: Office of the President

Reports To: Chief of Staff

FLSA Status: Exempt

Location: Atlanta or Washington, DC

Band: D2

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Deputy Chief of Staff ensures the Office of the President (OOP) operates effectively amid complexity and constant motion, serving as the organizational link that enables seamless coordination across UNCF’s strategic priorities. This role requires a politically savvy, fast-paced operator who excels at creating visibility, establishing efficient processes, and facilitating productive connections across the organization. The Deputy Chief of Staff maintains comprehensive oversight of OOP initiatives, translates executive priorities into clear tracking systems, and drives issue resolution through smart coordination. This is a role that uses organization, relationships and operational tools to improve process management, project management, initiative tracking, and cross-organizational facilitation. The position reports to the Chief of Staff (COS) in managing the operations of the OOP.

ABOUT UNCF

The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) has been an engine of educational achievement for more than 80 years. UNCF’s mission is to build a robust and nationally recognized pipeline of HBCU students who, because of UNCF support, become highly qualified college graduates. In addition, UNCF ensures that its member institutions remain respected models of best practices in moving students to and through college. Since its inception in 1944, UNCF has raised over $6 billion in private support, distributed scholarships to help students attend school, and enabled more than 500,000 scholars and low-income students to graduate from UNCF’s member historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and launch professional careers. UNCF is committed to closing the educational attainment gap by increasing postsecondary access and success for student groups, particularly low-income and first-generation students.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:

Leadership Support

• Prepare high-quality briefing materials for Chief of Staff review, synthesizing complex information into actionable insights for executive decision-making.
• Attend key meetings on behalf of the Chief of Staff, ensuring clear communication of decisions and follow-through on action items.
• Coordinate materials for stakeholder engagement activities as needed to include developing talking points and presentations.
• Handle confidential and sensitive matters with discretion and sound judgment.

Project Tracking & Organizational Visibility

• Maintain comprehensive visibility across UNCF’s strategic portfolio, tracking progress, dependencies, risks, and outcomes for CEO and Chief of Staff priorities.
• Develop and manage real-time dashboards that provide actionable intelligence on initiative status, emerging issues, and resource needs; Includes tracking emerging initiatives.
• Independently manage select high-priority initiatives on behalf of the Chief of Staff, ensuring accountability to timelines, outcomes, and strategic objectives.
• Proactively identify bottlenecks, dependencies, and opportunities for acceleration across the organizational portfolio.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to drive execution and issue resolution while maintaining momentum on complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives; Partner with external consultants and internal teams to advance initiatives.

Cross-Organizational Coordination & Information Flow

• Serve as a liaison between the Chief of Staff and department leaders, facilitating productive dialogue and ensuring critical information reaches appropriate decision-makers.
• Conduct regular check-ins with senior leaders to surface emerging issues, gather intelligence on organizational health, and identify opportunities for Chief of Staff intervention.
• Facilitate quick and complete problem-solving by connecting the right people and resources to address organizational challenges.
• Ensure seamless communication flow between the Office of the President and the organization, particularly during periods of transition or high-stakes initiatives.

Office of the President Operations

• Design and implement systems, processes, and tools that increase organizational efficiency and reduce operational friction, including project management frameworks, briefing protocols, decision-making workflows, and tracking templates.
• Support the Chief of Staff in managing OOP budget and coordinating OOP staff to ensure complete and timely processing of expenses, cost transfers, and financial transactions.
• Create standardized approaches to recurring OOP work that enable consistency and quality while reducing time investment.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

No supervisory responsibilities.

QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Seasoned professional with relevant professional experience. Bachelor’s degree or higher.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 5 – 7 years of progressive experience in operations, chief of staff, or senior coordination roles in complex organizations.
• Demonstrated experience in politically complex or high-stakes environments (non-profit, advocacy organizations, government or highly matrixed corporations).
• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities with competing demands and shifting timelines
• Strong operational thinking combined with exceptional attention to detail and process design capabilities.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills; ability to build trust and facilitate connections across all organizational levels.
• Advanced proficiency in project management tools, data visualization platforms, and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate organizational dynamics, facilitate information flow, and connect dots across silos.
• Strong executive presence, discretion, and judgment in handling sensitive matters.
• Self-starter with proactive mindset; anticipates needs and acts without waiting for direction.
• Intellectual curiosity and fast learning ability; comfortable with ambiguity and rapid organizational change.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting C-suite/senior leadership in nonprofit, higher education, or mission-driven organizations
• Background in consulting, operations, or organizational improvement
• Knowledge of higher education, HBCU sector, or large-scale philanthropic initiatives
• Experience with capital campaigns, donor relations, board relations
• Familiarity with change management and process improvement methodologies

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Benefits include:

Medical, Dental & Vision

Vacation, Sick & Personal Leave

Life Insurance (Basic & Optional)

Flex Spending Accounts

403(b) Retirement Account

Holiday Savings Plan

Annual Incentive Pay

Salary Range: $120,000.00 To $140,000.00 per year (Salary is commensurate with experience.) This is a hybrid position: 4 days in-person, 1-day remote work schedule, located in UNCF’s Washington DC Headquarters or Atlanta Office building.

Background checks required.

UNCF is EOE M/F/D/V