The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) is a mission-driven and dynamic organization in the District of Columbia and is seeking a Chief of Staff (COS). This critical role reports directly to the Superintendent and serves on the agency’s leadership team. The COS serves as the Superintendent’s most trusted advisor and provides strategic leadership to ensure that the Superintendent’s vision for the agency is executed. The COS works across the Superintendent and leadership team to ensure priorities are clear, staffed, and adequately resourced to maximize the agency’s time, effort, and impact.

The COS will work closely with the leadership team to continuously fine-tune strategies and priorities toward the achievement of the agency’s goals, specifically focused on strengthening organizational culture, systems, program-administration integration, and collaboration on agency-wide initiatives. The COS directly supervises four leaders -- the Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative Affairs & Policy, the Deputy Chief of Staff for Internal Planning & Supports, the Director of Communications and Community Outreach, and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Organizational Leadership which together with their teams make up a front office staff. The Chief of Staff plays the pivotal role of coordinating these functional areas to meet the needs of the Superintendent.

To succeed in this role, the COS must possess superior judgment, excellent managerial skills, strong policy and political acumen, and exhibit expert-level skill in navigating the complex education system of the District. The COS must have a demonstrated track record in building and leading a strong team, maintaining constructive relationships with external stakeholders, and handling multiple responsibilities simultaneously, mixing long-term strategic projects with the urgency of immediate demands. The ideal candidate is a pragmatic, solutions-oriented thinker who is decisive, clear, and brings an exemplary energy to the work of public service. The ideal candidate must also possess impeccable discretion and professional judgment.

SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF:
SUPERINTENDENT SUPPORT

• Advises the Superintendent on a wide range of agency matters pertaining to day-to-day management, policy and political matters, and long-term strategic priorities;
• Ensures that the Superintendent can communicate a clear mission and vision to internal and external audiences, and provides effective leadership in monitoring progress towards realization;
• Oversees processes including: scheduling, preparation materials, briefings, signature approvals intended to maximize the Superintendent’s time and ensure maximum effectiveness;
• Reviews key policy and resource allocation decisions with programmatic leads to norm on strategy and content ahead of Superintendent review and approval; and
• Supports the Superintendent in building, developing, retaining, and ensuring a highly effective agency leadership team.

LEADERSHIP

• Supervises the direct reports and has overall oversight of the front office team;
• Serves on and co-facilitates the agency’s leadership team to ensure coordination and alignment of priorities and resources;
• Serves as the primary point of contact with key government stakeholders including the City Administrator, Deputy Mayor for Education, and others in order to ensure agency responsiveness and coordination;
• Contributes to a strong culture for the agency that is aligned with the agency’s core values by ensuring effective internal communications, agency-wide convenings, programming, and opportunities for staff feedback; and
• Represents the Superintendent as needed in internal and external meetings.

KEY QUALIFICATIONS:

• A Bachelors’ Degree from an accredited institution of higher education, Master’s or JD preferred;
• Systems thinker with at least 10 years of demonstrated experience implementing systemic change through bureaucracies to improve outcomes for students, especially historically underserved communities;
• Excellent problem-solving, planning, and strategic thinking skills;
• A keen ability to accurately assess shifting landscapes to develop strategy, answer questions, and execute on strategies and tactics;
• Ability to be flexible and genuinely enjoys bringing order and direction to evolving priorities;
• Proven ability to quickly establish and maintain trusting relationships across branches of government and broad stakeholders;
• Emotionally intelligent and willing to engage in tough conversations with empathy and constructive purpose with leaders, peers, staff, and partners;
• Demonstrates a growth mindset in the ability to receive feedback and galvanize teams to implement improvements to process and programs;
• Models discretion and maturity in handling sensitive matters;
• Teaching experience in a public school is a plus;
• Communications experience is a plus;
• Embodies OSSE’s core values of: Focus on Students, Organizational Excellence, Determination, Partnership, and Teamwork and Collaboration; and
• Must establish residency in DC within 180 days of starting and maintain DC residency throughout the duration of the appointment; limited hardship exceptions apply.

Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) - Who We Are

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) is the state education agency for the District of Columbia charged with raising the quality of education the District’s 97,000+ students. As the state education agency, OSSE serves as the District’s liaison to the US Department of Education and works closely with the District’s 470+ early childhood facilities, 250+ schools, 70+ local education agencies (including DC Public Schools and charter organizations), and community-based organizations.

Salary: This position is a grade 16 on the District government’s management supervisory service non-union salary scale. The salary ranges from $140,958 to $197,337. Actual salary is determined by a variety of factors including years of experience, applicant qualifications, internal equity comparisons, and organizational structure.

Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter to [email protected].