Chief of Staff

Chief of Staff | Environmental Defense Fund ")

Home

• Our work
• Our impact
• About us
• Get involved
• News and stories
• GO

Donate Magnifying Glass

Back

Climate change solutions

We deliver game-changing environmental solutions that have a real impact for people around the globe.

• Energy transition
• Cut methane emissions
• Get hydrogen right
• Make transportation cleaner
• People and nature
• Grow food sustainably
• Catch fish responsibly
• Improve water supplies
• Harness natures power
• Reduce flood risk
• Healthy communities
• Make chemicals safer
• Reduce air pollution

Close Featured

Slashing methane to slow global warming immediately

Defending environmental protections in the U.S.

Back

Our impact

For almost 60 years, we have been building innovative solutions to the biggest environmental challenges - from the soil to the sky.

• 2025 impact report
• 50+ years of wins for the planet

Close Featured

This ocean comeback story shows how unlikely allies can work together to win big

Building climate leaders with EDF Climate Corps

Back

About us

Guided by science and economics, and committed to climate justice, we work in the places, on the projects and with the people that can make the biggest difference.

• Our approach
• Advance rigorous science
• Apply economic principles
• Forge business partnerships
• Ensure climate justice
• Advocate for smart policies
• Build a vibrant culture
• Our people
• Our experts
• Leadership team
• Board of trustees
• Where we work
• China
• Europe
• India
• United States

Close Featured

Business leaders: Put our renowned science, policy and financial expertise to work

Our story: How the fight to ban DDT led to the birth of EDF

Back

Get involved

If we act now - together - there's still time to build a future where people, the economy and the Earth can all thrive. Every one of us has a role to play. Choose yours.

• Donate
• Donate monthly
• Renew your gift
• Make a tribute gift
• Plan a gift in your will
• Other ways to give
• Take action
• Sign a petition
• Help stop misinformation
• Get a green job
• Work at EDF
• EDF Climate Corps
• Degrees green jobs podcast

Close Featured

$2-for-$1 match today.

Donate now.

How we can fight climate change misinformation

Back

News and stories

Stay informed and get inspired with our in-depth reporting about the people and ideas making a difference, insights from our experts and the latest environmental progress.

• Headlines
• Expert commentary
• Featured videos
• Stories and articles
• Research and resources
• Published research
• Press releases
• Blogs
• Stay informed

Close Featured

FireSAT: A vision for spotting and tracking wildfires faster and more accurately

Vital Signs, our digital magazine, will make you think and give you hope

Careers

Chief of Staff

Location

This position is hybrid based out of EDFs New York City or Washington D.C. offices.

Duration

This is a Regular full-time position with full benefits.

Application Instructions

Interested applicants are encouraged to provide a cover letter along with their resume.

Overall Function

This is a rare opportunity for a senior leader who wants to operate at the intersection of organizational strategy, institutional leadership, and mission-driven impact. EDF is navigating a pivotal moment - a more complex political environment, a more competitive talent market, and a deliberate effort to build an institution that can lead at scale. The Chief of Staff will be a central figure in that work, with real influence over how it unfolds. EDF has spent fifty years punching above its weight. This role helps determine whether the next fifty look the same.

Reporting to the President, the Chief of Staff serves as a strategic partner to the President, Executive Director, and Executive Management Team, acting as an extension of executive leadership and maintaining alignment across the organization. Functioning as EDF's connective tissue, the Chief of Staff establishes the infrastructure and executive office operating cadence that enables effective leadership, board engagement, and organizational alignment. This is not a coordination role; the Chief of Staff operates as a proxy for leadership priorities, a trusted thought partner to the executive team, and a force multiplier for the organization's most consequential work.

The role requires exceptional judgment, discretion, and strategic foresight to proactively identify institutional challenges, navigate complex and sensitive situations with a diverse array of stakeholders, and the range to move fluidly between high-stakes strategy and complex execution. The successful candidate will bring intellectual rigor, diplomatic problem-solving skills, and the ability to elevate EDF's impact and mission delivery in close accordance with its values.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Executive Support

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the President and Executive Director, helping to shape priorities, navigate complex decisions, and support their focus on the highest leverage priorities.
• Participate actively in organizational strategy, bringing a cross-functional vantage point to bear on how EDF sets direction, allocates resources, and positions itself for long-term impact. Proactively identify opportunities for short- and longer-term successes.
• Engage directly in hard problems - synthesizing ambiguous information, pressure-testing ideas, and contributing original thinking to the organizations most consequential choices.
• Anticipate issues before they reach the President and ensure executives are operating with clarity, alignment, and momentum.
• Support cohesion and connection across the Executive Management team.
• Drive follow-through on organizational priorities, managing commitments and ensuring execution doesnt fall through the cracks of a matrixed structure.
• Represent the President and Executive Director's perspectives and priorities internally and externally with credibility and discretion.

Board Relations

• Ensure we have well-informed and engaged boards across all entities, and that EDF is well positioned for the future as term limits change trustee membership.
• Oversee the Vice President of Board Governance, who leads board relationship infrastructure, including meeting design, agenda development, trustee engagement, and governance committee support.
• Engage with the VP of Board Governance, with the President, Board Chair, and Governance Committee Chair to cultivate a strong, diverse board, managing a pipeline of prospective trustees and stewarding existing relationships, including working closely with an external consultant.
• Engage directly with major philanthropists, senior civic leaders, and trustees at the highest levels, with the authority and judgment to represent the Executive Office as a principal.

Organizational Culture and Internal Communications

• Play a leading role in shaping and advancing EDFs organizational culture, working in partnership with senior leadership to ensure the internal environment reflects EDFs values and ambitions.
• Leverage a unique cross-organizational vantage point to identify cultural strengths, gaps, and opportunities that may not be visible from within any single function or program.
• Work closely with the SVP of Marketing and Communications, to advise and support internal communications strategy, helping the President, Executive Director, and Executive Management Team communicate with clarity, consistency, and resonance across a complex, distributed organization.

Organizational Effectiveness

• Effectively plan for and manage the Executive Management Team weekly meetings and in person retreats.
• Manage the rhythm and agenda of the executive team, ensuring the right issues get the right attention at the right time with the right preparation.
• Identify structural and operational friction that impedes decision-making and work across the organization to resolve it. Identify and support risk management across the organization.
• Lead and oversee special initiatives that require cross-functional coordination, serving as the connective tissue between the Executive Office and the broader organization.
• Participate in advancing EDF's Organizational Effectiveness and Culture (OEC) goals, so people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included, and empowered to address the environmental and organizational challenges in ways that align with EDF values.

External Engagement

• Engage with trustees, donors, public officials, and senior external partners - including major philanthropists, senior government officials, and peer organization leaders - with the authority and judgment to represent the Executive Office credibly.
• Support reputation management and relationship stewardship with key constituencies across EDFs global platform.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 15+ years of progressively senior experience, including meaningful time in a Chief of Staff, senior leadership, or senior advisory role within a complex, high-stakes organization - within an advocacy, policy, philanthropy, or comparable environment.
• Bachelor's degree required. A Master's degree in relevant field may substitute for up to 2 years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated ability to operate at the intersection of strategy and execution, with a track record of getting consequential things done in matrixed organizations.
• Intellectual curiosity and the appetite to engage seriously with hard problems across a wide range of domains including science, policy, finance, fundraising, communications, talent, and organizational design.
• Exceptional judgment, political acuity, and the instinct to know what needs escalation and what needs resolution.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write in the executives' voices and prepare materials for board-level and major donor audiences.
• Strong financial and business acumen, with the ability to engage substantively on organizational and budget decisions.
• Exceptional credibility, discretion, and interpersonal range to work effectively with trustees, major donors, senior executives, and staff at all levels.
• Demonstrated self-awareness, cultural competency, inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across all cultures and backgrounds.

Apply now

We offer a strong total rewards package encompassing competitive salary, robust benefits, and professional development opportunities consistent with a modern global organization. We take into account factors such as candidate experience, skills, training, internal team equity and local norms.

Please note that pay ranges are country specific. As a result, the stated currency is not meant be converted into any other currency.

REQ-002552

Pay range

$210,000 - $260,000 USD/Yr.

Type

Regular

Locations

Washington DC, New York

Posted

June 30, 2026

• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Copy Link

Apply now

Returning candidate? Log back in

Put your passion and skills to work, building a vital Earth - for everyone.

We're Environmental Defense Fund, a fast-paced nonprofit with a growing staff of more than 1,000 people in nearly 30 countries. We deliver game-changing solutions that cut pollution and strengthen people's ability to thrive despite the effects climate change is already having. We work wherever we can have the most impact, from local communities to top companies to governments worldwide, and even in space.

Our commitment to building a vibrant culture makes EDF an exciting and meaningful place to work, as well as a more effective organization. Everyone who works here makes a difference. Won't you join us?

EDF complies with country specific disability laws for all locations we hire in, and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and candidates with disabilities in accordance with applicable law. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please send an e-mail request to hiringaccommodations@edf.org

• Life at EDF
• Health and savings benefits

About EDF

• Who we are
• Careers
• Offices

News and resources

• News and updates
• Reports and publications
• For the media

Members

• Become a member
• Take action
• Contact
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• TikTok

Copyright 2026 Environmental Defense Fund. All Rights Reserved. Privacy statement. Terms of Use.

Environmental Defense Fund is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Tax identification number 11-6107128.

EDF operates with the highest standards of ethics and open, honest communication. Read our whistleblower policy or report a concern through our confidential, third-party compliance site.