What Does a Chief of Staff Really Do?
A Data-Driven Look at the Role in London and New York
Published on March 07, 2025 - 3 min read
Introduction: Defining the Chief of Staff Role
The Chief of Staff (CoS) is fast becoming a cornerstone role for high-growth technology, and service companies.
Much more than a classic EA or project manager, the Chief of Staff acts as a strategic partner to senior leadership—driving alignment, managing critical initiatives, and serving as the connective tissue of the organization. They free up executives to focus on the decisions that matter most, while quietly steering execution across teams. Part operator, part problem- solver, part trusted advisor, an effective Chief of Staff must be a force multiplier.
In such a varied role, it’s sometimes difficult to know exactly what companies are looking for. This piece, the first of three on the role, considers what companies say they want in a Chief of Staff. From a functional, skills and experience perspective. Subsequent articles will consider who they actually hire, impact and the long-term trajectory of the role.
As the data source for this article, we’ve analysed 150 Chief of Staff job postings, 40 from 2025 and 110 historical from 2024, for roles based in London and New York.
Key Functions: A Blend of Strategy, Execution, and Executive Enablement
No matter the company size or location, organizations want Chiefs of Staff who align with business priorities, drive execution, and act as a strategic and operational integrator at the heart of the business.
Project or program management (97.5%), strategic planning (95%), and execution/implementation (92.5%) are the most common functions listed in the job descriptions. Cross- functional/departmental collaboration and CEO/executive advisory (80-90%) followed closely behind.
In firms with under 200 employees, the Chief of Staff tends to be a high-leverage generalist—spanning hiring, fundraising, special projects, and more. Being a true “force multiplier” for the CEO is the defining trait, with an in-built expectation that responsibilities and priorities will change frequently.
At firms with 200+ employees, the emphasis subtly shifts as priorities and outlook tend to be more stable. Companies look for very structured operators focused on execution, business cadence, and stakeholder alignment. Here, the CoS is less a generalist and more a driver of operational efficiency, connecting well-defined strategy and execution across complex teams.
In terms of geography, responsibilities were broadly similar in New York and London, with some small differences. Independently of size, roles in New York tended to emphasise driving scale, data-driven decision-making, and maximizing speed/doing everything as quickly as possible.
Top Skills: Strategic Thinking + Communication at the Core
Across the board, certain skills stand out again and again.
Strategic thinking, communication, and influence appear in 95% or more of job descriptions, followed closely by leadership, analytical problem-solving, and project management (75-90%). Employers want someone with the ability to anticipate needs, navigate ambiguity, manage internal stakeholders, and drive action.
While the required skills are broadly similar across company sizes, smaller firms (and New York firms) place a greater premium on entrepreneurial traits: resilience, adaptability, and the ability to thrive in high-velocity, high-pressure environments. The CoS often acts as an unofficial team builder, business partner, and operator rolled into one.
Larger organizations, meanwhile, place more emphasis on analytical rigor, internal stakeholder management, and structured execution. Embedding data-driven thinking across mature (and often siloed) business units is a critical part of the CoS function — a sign that companies increasingly prize structured decision-making at scale.
Experience Matters: Where and How Much?
While job descriptions listed anywhere from 1 to 12+ years of experience, most fall into a narrower band. Of postings analysed, 50% required a minimum of 5 years experience, and 86% a minimum of 3 years.
Firms also valued candidates who had experience working in the tech industry, ideally in a start-up/scaleup and/or had come from a consulting/strategy background. Nearly 40% wanted all three.
Salaries for Chiefs of Staff vary widely depending on location and company size. Compensation in New York can be more than double that of London, supported by both our data and industry average figures, highlighting the premium placed on experienced strategic operators in more competitive U.S. markets.
Using our own data and research across 150 recent postings, we’ve eliminated any outliers and displayed the ranges, considering company size, below.
| Salary Ranges | Under 200 Employees | 200+ Employees | Industry Average* |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | $66,044 - $73,500 | $100,000 - $160,000 | $72,738 - $128,886 |
| New York | $161,800 - $206,000 | $208,000 - $260,200 | $130,000 - $236,000 |
* Industry average salary range figures from GlassDoor, encompassing all company sizes.
Conclusion: The Ideal vs. The Real
This article set out to define what companies actually want when they hire a Chief of Staff—cutting through the noise to focus on function, skills, and experience.
And despite the differences in how the role plays out across geographies, industries and company sizes, a clear profile emerges:
3–5 years’ experience is the entry point; 5–8 is the norm.
Background in two of: tech, high-growth startups, or top-tier consulting.
Experience working directly with founders or senior execs, leading cross-functional initiatives.
A force multiplier who plans, communicates, and executes—turning vision into velocity.
At its core, the Chief of Staff is the person who ensures the most important work gets done—quietly, precisely, and in lockstep with leadership.
Whether embedded in a 10-person startup or steering OKRs in a global tech company, the CoS role flexes in scope—but its mission stays the same: amplify leadership, align execution, and move the business forward.
