How to apply for Chief of Staff or Managing Director

About High Impact Professionals

High Impact Professionals helps working professionals direct their money, time, and skills toward effective causes. The organization runs programs and resources aimed at lasting impact. It is small (5 people) and scaling to 14, so early hires shape how it grows.

About the role

This is a two-level hire: Chief of Staff or Managing Director. At either level you execute high-priority projects end-to-end and support the Executive Director's external work, research, and logistics. At the Managing Director level you also own internal operations, team culture, systems, hiring rounds, strategy implementation, and board governance as the team grows from 5 to 14. Fully remote, part-time, with 3-5 in-person conferences and co-working sessions per year.

A typical day

A typical day might include a morning sync with the Executive Director, drafting research or logistics for an external meeting, and pushing one high-priority project forward. At Managing Director level you would also review operations, unblock team members, and work on hiring or board tasks. Exact routines are not stated in the job details, so ask about meeting cadence and how priorities are set.

Who High Impact Professionals is looking for

• Has led teams or held generalist roles where you juggled operations, research, and executive support at once.
• Is highly organized and communicates clearly in writing, since most work is remote and async.
• Uses AI tools comfortably in daily work and can judge when they help or hurt.
• Can commit to 2+ hours of overlap with UK time 9am-6pm and travel to 3-5 in-person sessions per year.
• Shows sound judgment on prioritization, because you will adjust priorities and processes as the org scales.

Tips for this application

• State clearly in your first paragraph whether you are applying for Chief of Staff or Managing Director, and why that level fits your experience.
• Give concrete examples of projects you ran end-to-end, including the outcome and what you decided along the way.
• Name the AI tools you use and describe a specific task where they saved you time or improved quality.
• Confirm your UK time overlap and willingness to attend 3-5 in-person sessions, since these are stated requirements.
• If applying at Managing Director level, include one example of leading a hiring round or implementing strategy across a team.

What to cover in your cover letter

The cover letter should cover four points: which level you are targeting and why; one end-to-end project you executed with measurable results; how you have supported a senior leader's external work, research, or logistics; and your experience with operations, hiring, or board governance if applying at Managing Director level. Keep it short and specific, since this is a part-time remote role at a small nonprofit.

Research before applying

• Read the High Impact Professionals website, especially their programs and resources, to understand who they serve and how.
• Look up the Executive Director and current team to understand the org's stage and priorities.
• Check any public materials on their strategy or theory of change, since the role involves strategy implementation.
• Find out what effective altruism or high-impact career concepts the organization uses, so you can speak their language.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you prioritize when the Executive Director's external work, internal operations, and project deadlines compete for your time.
• A time you built or fixed a system or process as a team grew, and what changed as a result.
• How you use AI tools in practice, with examples of tasks you delegate to them and tasks you keep.
• Your experience running a hiring round or implementing strategy, if applying at Managing Director level.
• How you would handle remote work across time zones, including communication norms and meeting cadence.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying without stating which level you want, which forces the reader to guess your fit.
• Using generic language about helping people without tying it to this org's specific approach of money, time, and skills.
• Ignoring the part-time and remote nature of the role, or failing to confirm UK time overlap and travel availability.
• Claiming AI experience without naming tools or describing actual use cases.