Interim Chief of Staff & Strategic Initiatives

**Interim Chief of Staff & Strategic Initiatives** **Limited-Term Executive Leadership Appointment** **Location:** Sacramento, California (Periodic Statewide Travel Required) **Reports To:** Chief Executive Officer **Status:** Full-Time | Exempt | Executive Leadership Team The Umoja Community Education Foundation (UCEF) is a statewide nonprofit organization advancing culturally responsive, equity-centered student success across California's community colleges, universities, and educational partners. Serving more than 16,000 students annually through a growing network of 80+ college and university partnerships, Umoja is implementing an ambitious strategic plan focused on organizational growth, systems building, and expanding its impact across California and beyond. We are seeking an exceptional executive leader to serve as our Interim Chief of Staff & Strategic Initiatives—a trusted strategic partner to the Chief Executive Officer responsible for translating organizational vision into coordinated action. This is a unique opportunity to work alongside an experienced Executive Leadership Team and help shape the next chapter of one of California's most influential organizations advancing student success, educational excellence, and institutional transformation. **Position Overview** The Interim Chief of Staff & Strategic Initiatives serves as the CEO's senior strategic partner and organizational integrator. Working across the Executive Leadership Team, the Chief of Staff ensures alignment, disciplined execution, and enterprise-wide follow-through on Umoja's highest strategic priorities. Acting as a force multiplier for the CEO, this executive helps transform strategy into measurable results by coordinating initiatives, monitoring execution, identifying organizational risks, and supporting executive decision-making. The Interim Chief of Staff does not manage departments or exercise operational authority. Instead, the role leads through influence, strategic coordination, executive partnership, and organizational alignment. **Strategic Scope** Within Umoja's operating framework, the Interim Chief of Staff serves as the bridge between organizational strategy and execution. The CEO establishes organizational direction and priorities. The Interim Chief of Staff ensures those priorities remain aligned, coordinated, measurable, and on track. Executive leaders execute operational responsibilities while the Interim Chief of Staff monitors progress, removes barriers, identifies risks, and facilitates enterprise-wide accountability. **Key Responsibilities** The Interim Chief of Staff will: - Translate CEO priorities into enterprise-wide implementation plans, timelines, and performance measures. - Monitor progress toward Umoja's Strategic Plan and Executive Leadership Team priorities. - Identify organizational risks, bottlenecks, competing priorities, and capacity challenges requiring executive attention. - Lead CEO-directed strategic initiatives spanning multiple departments and functional areas. - Prepare executive analyses, presentations, briefings, and recommendations for CEO and Board decision-making. - Facilitate Executive Leadership Team coordination, alignment, and accountability. - Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO on organizational effectiveness, executive priorities, and strategic opportunities. - Help maximize executive effectiveness through thoughtful planning, prioritization, and follow-through. **What This Position Is Not** The Interim Chief of Staff is intentionally designed as a strategic executive leadership role—not an operational management position. This role does **not**: - Manage departments or supervise staff outside the Executive Office. - Direct day-to-day organizational operations. - Own departmental budgets. - Lead program implementation. - Supervise fundraising activities. Success in this position comes from influence, executive partnership, strategic thinking, organizational leadership, and the ability to cre…