How to apply for Chief of Staff/Managing Director

About High Impact Professionals

High Impact Professionals helps working professionals use their money, time, and skills to create positive impact. It is a nonprofit that provides programs and resources for this purpose. The role offers a chance to scale a small organization from 5 to 14 people.

About the role

This is a two-level role: Chief of Staff or Managing Director. The Chief of Staff executes top priorities and supports the Executive Director. The Managing Director also owns internal operations, team culture, systems, hiring, strategy implementation, and board governance. The role is part-time and remote, with 3–5 annual in-person events.

A typical day

A typical day might involve managing projects, coordinating with the Executive Director, and handling internal operations tasks. You might also use AI tools to streamline work and prepare for upcoming in-person events. The exact routine depends on the organization's needs, so ask about daily priorities in the interview.

Who High Impact Professionals is looking for

• Has experience leading teams or in generalist roles such as operations, project management, or executive support.
• Is highly organized and communicates clearly in writing and speech.
• Exercises good judgment and is comfortable using AI tools.
• Can work remotely and ideally has 2+ hours of overlap with UK time 9am–6pm.

Tips for this application

• Specify in your application whether you are applying for the Chief of Staff or Managing Director level, or both, and explain why you fit that level.
• Highlight any experience you have with nonprofit operations, board governance, or hiring, as these are key for the Managing Director level.
• Mention your proficiency with AI tools and give concrete examples of how you have used them to improve work.
• State your availability for the 3–5 annual in-person conferences and co-working sessions, and confirm your time zone overlap with UK hours.
• Research High Impact Professionals' programs and resources, and refer to them in your application to show you understand their work.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your ability to execute high-priority projects end-to-end and support an Executive Director.', 'Your experience with internal operations, team culture, and systems, especially in a growing organization.', 'Your track record in hiring, strategy implementation, and board governance if applying for the Managing Director level.', 'Your comfort with AI tools and remote work, including time zone overlap with UK hours.']

Research before applying

• Read the High Impact Professionals website, especially their programs and resources, to understand their approach.
• Look up the Executive Director and other team members on LinkedIn to understand their backgrounds.
• Find any public reports, blog posts, or news about the organization to learn about their impact and challenges.
• Check if there are any interviews or talks by the Executive Director that explain the organization's direction.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you would prioritize and execute projects for the Executive Director.
• Your approach to scaling internal operations and team culture as the organization grows from 5 to 14 people.
• Your experience leading hiring rounds and implementing strategy.
• How you use AI tools in your work and how you stay organized remotely.
• Your understanding of High Impact Professionals' mission and how you would support it.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying without specifying which level you are targeting or why.
• Ignoring the part-time nature of the role or the time zone overlap requirement.
• Failing to show familiarity with the nonprofit sector or High Impact Professionals' specific work.