Chief of Staff

Tarka Talent; Washington; Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Tarka Talent is seeking a Chief of Staff in the Washington DC area to connect strategy with execution across our multi-business lines. You will partner with senior leadership to drive priority initiatives, align staffing, margins and forecasting while advancing the federal growth agenda.

The role emphasizes hands-on knowledge of the US federal contracting environment, proposal readiness and contract compliance, with a hybrid work model in a fast-growing consulting business focused on federal

Qualifications

• 4-7 years' experience in consulting, professional services, portfolio management, programme management or a related business operations environment.
• Hands-on experience working with US federal contracting and procurement is essential.
• Familiarity with major federal contract vehicles such as OASIS+, GWACs including Alliant 2 and 8(a) STARS III, CIO-SP3, GSA Multiple Award Schedules, IDIQs and MACs.
• Understanding of how federal agencies procure consulting services, how contract vehicles are used to pursue opportunities, and how delivery and compliance operate within those structures.
• Strong understanding of consulting economics, including utilisation, margin, staffing leverage, forecasting and capacity planning.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams and bring structure to complex or ambiguous situations.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to connect operational decisions to commercial and financial outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Partner directly with senior leadership on priority business initiatives, helping translate strategy into clear execution and measurable outcomes.
• Own portfolio-level visibility across staffing, utilisation, margins, forecasting, capacity and financial performance.
• Support federal business development and growth, including proposal readiness, pipeline coordination, staffing alignment and contract compliance.
• Bring hands-on knowledge of the US federal procurement environment and the contract vehicles used to deliver consulting and professional services.
• Support workforce planning, hiring, professional development and the development of scalable operational systems.
• Help build the operational infrastructure required to pursue and deliver federal work at greater scale.

Skills

Federal contracting

Portfolio management

Programme management

Staffing optimization

Financial performance

Analytical skills

Operational strategy

Job description

Location / Working Model: Washington, DC | Hybrid, 3-4 days in person

Our client is a specialist consulting organisation focused on helping businesses and government organisations improve performance through stronger operating models, strategic alignment and organisational agility.

This is a high-visibility opportunity to work at the operational heart of a growing US consulting business, partnering closely with senior leadership across strategy, financial performance, delivery and growth. The business is placing significant strategic focus on the federal and defence market, creating an opportunity for someone with strong federal contracting and proposal experience to play a central role in scaling this part of the organisation.

The Chief of Staff will connect strategy with execution, bringing structure to business priorities, strengthening operational performance and helping senior leaders navigate a growing multi-business-line consulting portfolio. A key part of the role will be supporting the organisation's federal growth strategy - ensuring the business is operationally ready to pursue, win and deliver federal consulting opportunities.

Role Highlights

• Partner directly with senior leadership on priority business initiatives, helping translate strategy into clear execution and measurable outcomes.
• Own portfolio-level visibility across staffing, utilisation, margins, forecasting, capacity and financial performance.
• Support federal business development and growth, including proposal readiness, pipeline coordination, staffing alignment and contract compliance.
• Bring hands-on knowledge of the US federal procurement environment and the contract vehicles used to deliver consulting and professional services.
• Support workforce planning, hiring, professional development and the development of scalable operational systems.
• Help build the operational infrastructure required to pursue and deliver federal work at greater scale.

You Will Need

• 4-7 years' experience in consulting, professional services, portfolio management, programme management or a related business operations environment.
• Hands-on experience working with US federal contracting and procurement is essential.
• Familiarity with major federal contract vehicles such as OASIS+, GWACs including Alliant 2 and 8(a) STARS III, CIO-SP3, GSA Multiple Award Schedules, IDIQs and MACs.
• Understanding of how federal agencies procure consulting services, how contract vehicles are used to pursue opportunities, and how delivery and compliance operate within those structures.
• Strong understanding of consulting economics, including utilisation, margin, staffing leverage, forecasting and capacity planning.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams and bring structure to complex or ambiguous situations.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to connect operational decisions to commercial and financial outcomes.

Why You'll Love It

• Direct exposure to senior leadership, portfolio strategy and business performance.
• A highly visible role with genuine influence over how a consulting organisation operates and scales.
• The opportunity to sit at the intersection of strategy, operations, people, financial performance and federal growth.
• Significant exposure to the federal and defence consulting market in Washington, DC.
• The opportunity to play a hands-on role in supporting federal proposals, contract pursuits and the infrastructure required to deliver this work successfully.
• A varied role combining business operations, portfolio management, strategic initiatives and federal growth.

We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all employees and job applicants. We strive to create and maintain a working environment in which everyone is able to make the best use of their skills, free from discrimination or harassment, and in which all decisions are based on merit.

Due to a high number of applicants, we are only able to respond to successful candidates.