Chief of Staff

Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association; Madison, Northern (WI, KY); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k with 10% match

Hybrid work model

Job summary

The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA) seeks a Chief of Staff to partner with the CEO in shaping strategy and guiding operations across governance, communications, and donor relations. This hybrid role requires weekly presence in Madison, WI and a proven track record in leading complex initiatives with cross-functional teams.

You will steward board processes, align priorities with UW–Madison’s mission, and craft executive communications that engage donors, alumni, and partners.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of leadership experience in advancement, communications, or a related field.
• Proven expertise in strategic planning, governance, and board relations.
• Exceptional executive communication skills, with experience drafting speeches and donor messaging.
• Strong relationship management skills, with the ability to engage stakeholders effectively.
• High-level problem-solving abilities and the capacity to navigate complex challenges.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage large-scale initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Act as strategic thought partner to the CEO, offering insights and recommendations on key decisions and initiatives.
• Partner with the CEO to develop and implement WFAA's strategic priorities, ensuring alignment with WFAA and UW's missions.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives that drive organizational excellence and innovation.
• Facilitate decision-making and priority setting among the executive leadership team.
• Monitor key performance metrics and report on progress toward strategic goals.
• Serve as the primary liaison to the WFAA board, ensuring strong governance practices and board engagement.
• Oversee board onboarding, training, and engagement to ensure strong fiduciary oversight.
• Plan and execute board meetings, preparing materials and briefing leadership.
• Support board committees in developing and executing strategic initiatives.
• Facilitate communication between board members, executive leadership, and university stakeholders.
• Lead the strategies for and development of executive communications, including speeches, reports, presentations, and messaging for internal and VIP audiences.
• Oversee crisis communications efforts and response teams.
• Ensure that the messaging aligns with WFAA mission, vision, and strategic priorities.
• Work directly with the CEO to define, develop, and implement the CEO's executive brand.
• Partner internally to plan and track and help execute CEO touchpoints with key donors, alumni, and other external strategic partners.
• Work closely with university leadership, donors, and external partners to strengthen relationships and enhance collaboration.
• Represent WFAA leadership team at events, meetings, and key board engagements.
• Provide executive oversight of critical projects, ensuring timely execution and impact.
• Identify and address operational bottlenecks, enhancing overall efficiency.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO, offering insights and recommendations on key decisions.
• Oversee executive support teams and functions.
• Represent WFAA at high-level meetings, events, and alumni/donor engagements as needed.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Board relations

Executive communications

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional leadership

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA)*, the private fundraising and alumni relations organization for UW-Madison, is seeking a Chief of Staff!

The Chief of Staff (CoS) serves as a key advisor and thought partner to the CEO, ensuring the effective operation of the organization's leadership, board relations and operations, and executive communications functions. The CoS plays a strategic role in supporting WFAA's mission. Acting as a trusted driver of organizational effectiveness, this role fosters alignment across teams, streamlines decision-making, and enhances communication at all levels. This is a hybrid position that will require you to work weekly in our Madison, WI office location.

Who is WFAA?
The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association is a private, nonprofit corporation that encourages individuals and organizations to make gifts to the university and to connect with the UW. In 2014, the UW Foundation merged with the Wisconsin Alumni Association® to better serve a growing population of UW alumni and donors. We believe that private support grows out of good relationships between campus leaders, faculty and program staff who need support, and the alumni and friends who want to invest in UW-Madison. We provide important engagement opportunities to link UW-Madison alumni to each other and to their alma mater, building a strong community of Badgers.

Diversity and Inclusion:

Just as the university community benefits from differing viewpoints, perspectives, and experiences, inclusion and diversity are imperative for the success of our mission. WFAA values people and the differences that they bring to the organization, and creates an environment in which all staff members and constituents feel respected and have opportunities to thrive.

Primary Responsibilities

Strategic Planning & Organizational Effectiveness

• Act as a strategic thought partner to the CEO, offering insights and recommendations on key decisions and initiatives.
• Partner with the CEO to develop and implement WFAA's strategic priorities, ensuring alignment with WFAA and UW's missions.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives that drive organizational excellence and innovation.
• Facilitate decision-making and priority setting among the executive leadership team.
• Monitor key performance metrics and report on progress toward strategic goals.

Board Relations & Operations Oversight

• Serve as the primary liaison to the WFAA board, ensuring strong governance practices and board engagement. Manage communications and touchpoints with WFAA board members.
• Oversee board onboarding, training, and engagement to ensure strong fiduciary oversight.
• Plan and execute board meetings, preparing materials and briefing leadership.
• Support board committees in developing and executing strategic initiatives.
• Facilitate communication between board members, executive leadership, and university stakeholders.

Executive Communications & Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead the strategies for and development of executive communications, including speeches, reports, presentations, and messaging for internal and VIP audiences.
• Oversee crisis communications efforts and response teams.
• Ensure that the messaging aligns with WFAA mission, vision, and strategic priorities.
• Work directly with the CEO to define, develop, and implement the CEO's executive brand.
• Partner internally to plan and track and help execute CEO touchpoints with key donors, alumni, and other external strategic partners.
• Work closely with university leadership, donors, and external partners to strengthen relationships and enhance collaboration.
• Represent WFAA leadership team at events, meetings, and key board engagements.

Operational Oversight & Special Projects

• Provide executive oversight of critical projects, ensuring timely execution and impact.
• Identify and address operational bottlenecks, enhancing overall efficiency.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO, offering insights and recommendations on key decisions.
• Oversee executive support teams and functions.
• Represent WFAA at high-level meetings, events, and alumni/donor engagements as needed.

Operations Leadership

• Lead and manage executive support and organization-wide support operations, ensuring high-quality, responsive service to the CEO, executive leadership, staff, board members, donors, alumni, and visitors.
• Oversee reception services to create a welcoming, professional, and service-oriented experience for all guests and internal stakeholders.
• Provide leadership for print and mailroom functions, ensuring timely, accurate, and efficient delivery of organization-wide print, mail, shipping, and related support services.
• Establish service standards, workflows, and continuous improvement practices for support operations to improve efficiency, consistency, and internal customer service.

Requirements and Qualifications

Qualifications & Competencies:

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of leadership experience in advancement, communications, or a related field.
• Proven expertise in strategic planning, governance, and board relations.
• Exceptional executive communication skills, with experience drafting speeches and donor messaging.
• Strong relationship management skills, with the ability to engage stakeholders effectively.
• High-level problem-solving abilities and the capacity to navigate complex challenges.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage large-scale initiatives.
• Integrity, discretion, and commitment to the organization’s mission.

At WFAA, we are dedicated to creating an inspiring, creative, and respectful work environment for our employees. We offer competitive pay and an outstanding benefits program, including a generous 10% 401k contribution after just one year of service! Join us and be part of a team that values your growth and well-being.

*The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association is an Equal Opportunity Employer *The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (advanceuw.org) is the "doing business as" name of the merged organization comprising the University of Wisconsin Foundation (supportuw.org) and the Wisconsin Alumni Association (uwalumni.com). Its legal corporate name is registered as the University of Wisconsin Foundation.