Chief of Staff, R&D
$216,000–$300,000 year
Remote · California, United States or New York, United States
Job Summary
Strategic Chief of Staff to the CPO and CTO, partnering with the R&D leadership to translate strategy into executable plans. Own the R&D operating cadence (meetings, reviews, quarterly planning), drive tracking and alignment of OKRs with company strategy, manage budget governance across Engineering, Product, and Design, lead high-priority initiatives (e.g., org design, AI-operating-model buildouts), and partner with People and Finance on hiring and capacity planning. Draft and own executive communications and board materials, while balancing delivery velocity with long-term strategic impact. You thrive at the intersection of product and engineering, bringing analytical rigor, executive presence, and operational discipline to influence senior leaders without formal authority.
Required Qualifications
- 12+ years of experience spanning strategy, operations, management consulting, product management, or a prior Chief of Staff role, ideally within a high-growth or public B2B SaaS company
- 5+ years of direct people management experience
- Deep fluency in how R&D organizations operate — the product development lifecycle, product, design, and engineering org structures, capacity planning, and the relationship between roadmap, resourcing, and business outcomes
- You don't need to have been an engineer, but you do need to read an architecture diagram, a capacity model, and a P&L with confidence
- A proven track record of influencing VP-, SVP-, and C-level leaders without owning the org chart
- Exceptional written and verbal communication — you can draft board materials and present to senior leaders, framing complex topics clearly and proactively
- Strong operational and analytical rigor: you build repeatable processes and hold yourself to a high standard of accuracy and accountability
Desired Qualifications
- 12+ years of experience spanning strategy, operations, management consulting, product management, or a prior Chief of Staff role, ideally within a high-growth or public B2B SaaS company
- 5+ years of direct people management experience
- Deep fluency in how R&D organizations operate — the product development lifecycle, product, design, and engineering org structures, capacity planning, and the relationship between roadmap, resourcing, and business outcomes
- You don't need to have been an engineer, but you do need to read an architecture diagram, a capacity model, and a P&L with confidence
- A proven track record of influencing VP-, SVP-, and C-level leaders without owning the org chart
- Exceptional written and verbal communication — you can draft board materials and present to senior leaders, framing complex topics clearly and proactively
- Strong operational and analytical rigor: you build repeatable processes and hold yourself to a high standard of accuracy and accountability
Apply with one swipe on Sorce. We auto-fill applications and apply on your behalf — no cover letters, no 40-minute forms.
Hiring someone like this?
Get your role in front of qualified candidates on Sorce.