Chief of Staff

MAKO; Sydney; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Office near public transport

Employee Benefit Program

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Job summary

MAKO in Sydney is seeking a Chief of Staff to translate strategy into momentum. Working directly with the CEO, you will design the operating rhythm, sharpen leadership focus, and steer cross‑functional initiatives from planning through to delivery.

You will lead three teams—Business Operations, People & Culture, and Marketing & Comms—building scalable processes and ensuring all functions align with MAKO’s top priorities as the company scales.

Qualifications

• 5-8 years experience in strategy, operations, consulting or general management, including at least 2 years as a Chief of Staff or in a role working closely with a CEO or executive team
• Experience in a start-up or scale-up between Seed and Series C, ideally through a period of rapid growth
• A track record of building operating rhythms and planning processes from scratch, and making them stick
• Experience preparing board and investor materials, and working comfortably with a board
• Excellent writing and synthesis skills. You can turn messy inputs into a clear recommendation quickly
• Ability to lead through influence, earn trust with engineers, operators and executives alike, and give direct feedback to senior leaders
• Experience managing a small team, ideally across different disciplines

Responsibilities

• Design and run the senior team’s rhythm (weekly leadership meeting, monthly all hands, quarterly planning). Accountable for meetings that end in clear decisions, owners and deadlines
• Coordinate quarterly OKR’s and track progress across functions, separating critical priorities from lower-value activities. Structure each one with clear ownership and resourcing, and anticipate bottlenecks. Accountable for every team knowing MAKO’s top priorities and how their work ladders up to them
• Lead or project‑manage cross‑functional initiatives the CEO assigns (e.g. new premises, scale‑up of Flightfilm production, new market entry). Structure each one with clear ownership and resourcing, and anticipate bottlenecks. Accountable for delivery on time and on scope
• Prepare board papers, investor updates and fundraising materials with the CEO and Finance. Accountable for accurate, on‑time packs that need minimal CEO rework
• Cross‑functional alignment: Act as connective tissue between Production, Engineering, Certification, BizOps and Marketing & CoMMs. Accountable for surfacing blockers early and resolving them at the right level
• Draft and coordinate leadership communications and decision records. Accountable for staff hearing about important changes clearly and first‑hand (Active Transparency)
• Produce research, business cases and decision memos that weigh both immediate and long‑term implications. Accountable for giving the senior team the information they need to decide quickly (Velocity)
• Line‑manage the Business Operations, People & Culture, and Marketing & Comms team members, setting priorities, supporting their development and modelling MAKO’s values. Accountable for these functions delivering against company goals and for leaders’ skills being applied where they create the most impact

Skills

Strategy & operations

Executive collaboration

Leadership

Communication & writing

Job description

As MAKO’s Chief of Staff, you’ll be the person who turns our strategy into momentum. Working directly with the CEO, you’ll build the operating rhythm that keeps the whole company moving in the same direction: running the planning cadence, sharpening leaders’ focus on what matters most, and steering cross‑functional initiatives all the way to the finish line. You’ll cut through complexity to deliver clear, actionable recommendations, and you’ll bring people together across the business to make things happen. You’ll also lead and grow three teams, Business Operations, People & Culture, and Marketing & Comms, giving you real scope to shape how a fast‑moving deep‑tech company operates as it scales.

Key Responsibilities

• Operating cadence: Design and run the senior team’s rhythm (weekly leadership meeting, monthly all hands, quarterly planning). Accountable for meetings that end in clear decisions, owners and deadlines
• Company goals and priorities: Coordinate quarterly OKR’s and track progress across functions, separating critical priorities from lower-value activities. Structure each one with clear ownership and resourcing, and anticipate bottlenecks. Accountable for every team knowing MAKO’s top priorities and how their work ladders up to them
• Strategic initiatives: Lead or project‑manage cross‑functional initiatives the CEO assigns (e.g. new premises, scale‑up of Flightfilm production, new market entry). Structure each one with clear ownership and resourcing, and anticipate bottlenecks. Accountable for delivery on time and on scope
• Board and investor support: Prepare board papers, investor updates and fundraising materials with the CEO and Finance. Accountable for accurate, on‑time packs that need minimal CEO rework
• Cross‑functional alignment: Cross‑functional alignment: Act as connective tissue between Production, Engineering, Certification, BizOps and Marketing & Comms. Accountable for surfacing blockers early and resolving them at the right level
• Internal communication: Draft and coordinate leadership communications and decision records. Accountable for staff hearing about important changes clearly and first‑hand (Active Transparency)
• Special projects and analysis: Produce research, business cases and decision memos that weigh both immediate and long‑term implications. Accountable for giving the senior team the information they need to decide quickly (Velocity)
• Team leadership: Line‑manage the Business Operations, People & Culture, and Marketing & Comms team members, setting priorities, supporting their development and modelling MAKO’s values. Accountable for these functions delivering against company goals and for leaders’ skills being applied where they create the most impact

What Success Looks Like

First Month

• Meets every leader and team member, and builds a solid understanding of MAKO’s strategy, product, financials and board calendar
• Agrees with the CEO what they own and support, and takes over the leadership meeting cadence
• Shares early observations on the biggest operating gaps and priorities

First Six Months

• Runs the leadership cadence, quarterly planning and goal tracking consistently, without the CEO driving them
• Delivers at least one major cross‑functional initiative end to end
• Produces on‑time board packs with minimal CEO rework, while direct reports deliver against clear goals

First Year

• Acts as a trusted partner to the CEO and senior team, enabling faster decisions and fewer cross‑team blockers
• Refines MAKO’s operating system for its next stage of growth
• Plays a key role in a major company milestone while leading engaged, high‑performing teams

About You

• 5-8 years experience in strategy, operations, consulting or general management, including at least 2 years as a Chief of Staff or in a role working closely with a CEO or executive team
• Experience in a start‑up or scale‑up between Seed and Series C, ideally through a period of rapid growth
• A track record of building operating rhythms and planning processes from scratch, and making them stick
• Experience preparing board and investor materials, and working comfortably with a board
• Excellent writing and synthesis skills. You can turn messy inputs into a clear recommendation quickly
• Ability to lead through influence, earn trust with engineers, operators and executives alike, and give direct feedback to senior leaders
• Experience managing a small team, ideally across different disciplines

Why You Should Join MAKO

Problems worth solving

Aviation has a burning fuel problem. The sector burns US$261 billion worth of fuel and emits a billion tonnes of CO2 in the process, yet the necessary decarbonisation technology levers are decades away, and emissions will continue to grow.

MAKO’s mission is to improve the efficiency of the global aviation fleet by delivering emissions reduction without the associated ‘green premium’. What we offer is comparable to new jet engines, but invisible and 100x cheaper. We will make every plane burn less fuel, fly further, faster, and carry more.

MAKO is vertically integrated, meaning we design and develop our product, manufacture it, define the application methodology, and handle support. That means the work you do here goes directly into a product on a real aircraft.

Technology worth mastering

Our vertically integrated structure allows us to break down silos between teams, exposing each and every MAKO team member to expertise and developments in materials science, optics, fluid dynamics, and scale manufacturing.

Values worth holding

The MAKO team collectively enacts our Values of ‘Lift over Drag’, ‘Active Transparency’, and ‘Change the Boundary Conditions’. These are not corporate platitudes – at MAKO, you’ll see firsthand how our Values drive decision‑making, unblock communications, and provide clarity in ambiguous situations, helping us to outperform industry incumbents many times our size.

Benefits worth realizing

We offer flexible working arrangements so you can balance your work with your life outside the office. Our Sydenham offices boast an attractive location next to public transport and within a short walk to food and dining options. Each month, the team gets together for activities and social events, which helps us stay connected as we grow. You will also have access to our Employee Benefit Program and our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which gives you and your family free, confidential support when you need it.

Application Process

Our process includes a screening call, an interview with the hiring manager, a short take‑home case study and overview session, and a final panel interview with our leadership team. We aim to move from application to offer within four to five weeks, and we’ll keep you updated at every stage.

MAKO is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from every background. Careers rarely fly a direct route, so if you're close but not a perfect match, apply and tell us why.