Chief of Staff

About Incandescent

Incandescent is a strategy and advisory firm that partners with leaders and organizations to create, build, and run high-performing enterprises. Our Systems Change platform works with leading foundations, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations to shape and implement strategies for social impact at a systems level.

Founded in 2013, we've been building a small team, slowly and carefully. Each team member plays an integral part in driving Incandescent’s success.

Essence of the Role

We're looking for a Chief of Staff who will serve as the operational architect of our Systems Change platform. This person will partner directly with Shanti Nayak, the platform's leader and an Incandescent partner, to drive the engine that makes everything else possible: strategy execution, business development, team cohesion, financial health, and the systems and routines that allow a small, ambitious team to punch well above its weight.

The platform is at an inflection point. We are building for scale, expanding into climate as a core pillar, and investing in the operational infrastructure and team development required to sustain that growth. This is a formative moment. We are looking for someone who is energized by that, finds deep satisfaction in creating conditions for others to do their best work, and who brings an entrepreneurial mindset to everything they do.

The role spans platform operations, business development infrastructure, and team development, as well as content and IP. You will also have opportunities to contribute to client engagements, building context and craft alongside the advisory team. You will leverage AI-powered tools to create operating leverage for the platform, so that your time and energy are directed toward the strategic, relational, and creative work the platform needs most.

What You'll Do

• Run the platform's operating rhythm: own meeting cadences, agenda design, goal-tracking, quarterly synthesis, and the connective tissue that holds the work together. Drive execution against annual and quarterly goals. Manage platform economics including utilization tracking, margin analysis, staffing decisions, and financial picture that informs strategic tradeoffs.
• Build the business development engine: design and run the BD systems that fuel growth including outreach disciplines, pipeline tracking, relationship management, and routines turning networks into opportunities. Create tools, materials, and processes supporting BD across the team.
• Strengthen the team: play central role in building teamwork by fostering collaboration, creating shared learning opportunities, and ensuring intentional talent development. Facilitate knowledge-sharing across engagements.
• Shape content and voice: coordinate platform's intellectual property and content agenda including article publication, event planning, and capturing/sharing insights externally.
• Lean into advisory work: contribute to client engagements by joining interviews, producing synthesis, developing materials, and supporting delivery to build context and strategic craft.
• Architect AI-powered leverage: build and manage AI-powered systems for meeting prep, research synthesis, workflow automation, and stay at the frontier of how AI can reshape platform operations.

Attributes

• Entrepreneurial with builder's mindset, designing systems and owning problems proactively.
• Deeply relational and people-oriented, investing in relationships and reading group dynamics well.
• Organized, disciplined, detail-oriented with strong follow-through.
• Strong communicator synthesizing complexity clearly with client-ready materials.
• Comfortable with financial and quantitative work including P&Ls, utilization, margins, pricing.
• Eager and creative adopter of AI technologies.
• Drawn to behind-the-scenes work enabling others' success.
• Curious about impact-focused work across democracy, climate, philanthropy.

Experience and Background

Ideal candidate has 5–10 years professional experience ready for role with real scope and ownership. Relevant backgrounds include strategy consulting, social sector advisory, mission-driven operations, or entrepreneurial environments, but open to other relevant experience.

Salary

Salary commensurate with experience. Total compensation typically between $120,000 and $150,000 annually, with approximately 15% variable compensation. Higher ranges for exceptional candidates.

Why the Role is Compelling

Work alongside a close-knit, high-performing team with real ownership of a distinctive social impact practice during a moment of momentum. Partner with senior firm leader, have unusual autonomy, and be exposed to sophisticated strategy, culture, and talent work across democracy, climate, and philanthropy.