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Title: Chief of Staff
Reports to: Executive Director
Job Type: Full time, Exempt Position
Salary Range: $130,000 – $150,000

We invite you to join our fun, book-loving team of 17 to fulfill the mission of SAL as our Chief of
Staff. SAL offers thoughtfully curated experiences through programs that are intergenerational in
nature, bolstering both emerging and established literary artists, and inviting change and new
perspectives in our audience. We believe these activities are essential to continuously and
courageously revitalize equity, justice, and belonging. Our work both internally and externally is
guided by our core values: joy, equity, curiosity, community, and accessibility.

SAL Program Overview:
SAL champions the literary arts by engaging and inspiring readers and writers of all generations in the
greater Puget Sound region. Through public literary programs, arts education programs, and
community partnerships, SAL brings people together around the power of words and ideas. Our vision
is a community where stories are treasured, creative and critical thinking brings us together, and
everyone reads.

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Access:
All staff actively participate in SAL’s ongoing efforts to become an anti-racist organization and embody
an organizational culture that supports and reinforces our inclusion, diversity, equity & access goals.
SAL’s Equity Accountability Reports are available on the SAL website under “About.” This commitment
and understanding should be demonstrated throughout the performance of the Chief of Staff
responsibilities and staff activities.

Position Overview:
The Chief of Staff serves as an internal organizational architect and a trusted strategic partner to the
Executive Director and Leadership Team at Seattle Arts & Lectures. This role is responsible for
supporting the translation of vision into execution, advancing SAL’s strategic plan, and ensuring the
smooth operation of the Executive Director’s office and the organization as a whole. This role is
primarily internally focused, ensuring that SAL’s people, structures, systems, workflows, and culture
are aligned, sustainable, and built for long-term impact.

The position is intentionally designed with the following allocation of focus: 40% Organizational
Effectiveness, Culture, & Employee Lifecycle; 40% Strategic Implementation & Operational
Infrastructure; and 20% Executive Partnership & Leadership Enablement. The Chief of Staff translates
the Executive Director’s vision into infrastructure, strengthens organizational health, establishes a
strong rhythm of business, and ensures that strategy moves from planning to disciplined execution
across the organization.

This role requires a leader with exceptional emotional intelligence who can navigate complexity, build
trust across teams, and steward culture with clarity and care. While principally internally facing, the
Chief of Staff serves as Acting Executive Director during planned or temporary absences, representing
SAL with board members, funders, and community stakeholders as needed.

Core Areas of Responsibility:

Organizational Effectiveness, Culture, & Employee Lifecycle (40%)
• Lead and oversee the full employee lifecycle: workforce planning, recruitment, hiring, onboarding,
performance management, professional development, succession planning, and offboarding.
• Oversee HR processes, policies, compliance, and compensation philosophy.
• Design and refine organizational structure to support clarity, equity, and long-term sustainability.
• Shape and steward SAL’s workplace culture in alignment with its mission and values.
• Model high emotional intelligence in leadership, fostering psychological safety, accountability, and
trust across teams.
• Establish and maintain a healthy rhythm of business, cross-departmental meeting structures, and
leadership team coordination.
• Strengthen internal communications to ensure transparency, alignment, and shared accountability.
• Lead change management efforts during periods of growth, transition, or strategic shifts.
• Monitor organizational health through feedback systems, surveys, and performance metrics.

Strategic Implementation & Operational Infrastructure (40%)
• Partner closely with the Leadership Team to drive the tactical implementation of SAL’s strategic
plan, facilitating the translation of long-term priorities into annual goals, cross-departmental
workplans, and measurable outcomes.
• Translate strategic priorities into clear workplans with defined milestones, ownership, timelines,
and accountability.
• Drive cross-functional alignment and ensure disciplined follow-through across departments.
• Monitor progress against strategic benchmarks and advise on adjustments in sequencing,
timelines, and resources as needed.
• Partner closely with the Director of Finance & Operations to integrate budgeting, forecasting, and
financial analysis into implementation.
• Partner closely with the Director of Finance & Operations to strengthen operational systems
including budgeting processes, IT infrastructure, and vendor management.
• Lead time-bound special initiatives that support the organization’s strategic growth, inclusive of a
move to a new office space.
• Identify structural inefficiencies and lead continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure major initiatives are delivered on time, within budget, and aligned with organizational
priorities.

Executive Partnership & Organizational Design (20%)
• Serve as a trusted strategic advisor and thought partner to the Executive Director and the
Leadership Team on complex organizational, cultural, or structural matters.
• Help clarify decision-making frameworks, accountability structures, and organizational design.
• Lead preparation and design of leadership and all-staff meetings, ensuring agendas, materials, and
facilitation reinforce alignment and accountability.
• Lead preparation of board materials, including strategic framing, financial context, and progress
reporting.
• Support executive messaging and ensure alignment with the organization’s mission, values, and
brand.
• Help set prioritization and access to ensure that the Executive Director’s time is focused on the
highest-leverage opportunities.
• Serve as Acting Executive Director during Executive Director absences.

Diverse Workforce statement:
SAL values a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture in all areas of our work and culture. SAL is an
equal opportunity employer. We recognize that opportunities in the arts have historically excluded and
continue to disproportionately exclude Black and Indigenous people, people of color, people from
working class backgrounds, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ people. We strongly encourage
individuals with these identities to apply. Strong candidates will bring a diverse set of skills,
characteristics, and experiences, both professional and lived. SAL focuses on a holistic view of potential
candidates and understanding that no single candidate will offer every desired skill and characteristic.
The following offers an aspirational view of the ideal candidate profile, and we encourage applications
from candidates with a wide range of experiences and backgrounds.

Minimum Qualifications:
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience, ideally in nonprofit or arts administration.
• Demonstrated experience in organizational design, systems thinking, and change management.
• Experience overseeing HR functions and the full employee lifecycle.
• Exceptional project management, financial acumen, and strategic execution skills.
• Demonstrated high emotional intelligence, including strong self-awareness, sound judgment,
discretion, and the ability to navigate sensitive situations with empathy and clarity.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to build trust across all levels of
the organization.

Desired Qualifications:
• Deep commitment to equity, inclusion, and anti-racism.
• Demonstrated ability to represent an organization credibly when serving in an executive capacity.
• Highly organized, proactive, adaptable, and comfortable with ambiguity; brings both strategic
perspective and operational rigor.
• Enthusiasm for the literary arts and SAL’s mission.

Additional Considerations:
• Evening/weekend hours required (typically 3-5 times per month, September to June).
• This is an on-location position in Seattle. We are, unfortunately, not able to provide relocation
assistance for this position.

Benefits overview:
• Generous paid time off, including 20 vacation days/year starting your second year (15 days in
year one), as well as wellness time, 3 personal days, and holidays.
• 100% of medical, vision, and dental insurance. Long-term disability, and group life insurance is
also covered, including an Employee Assistance Program.
• 403(b) retirement plan with a 3% gross salary contribution funded by SAL and an optional
employee pre-tax distribution available.
• Flex time as appropriate.
• Support and budget for professional development and growth.

Application Instructions:
• Send a resume and cover letter that tells us why this position is a good fit.
• Submit applications electronically in one PDF document to salhr@lectures.org. The email
subject line should be “Chief of Staff.”
• Open until filled. For best consideration, please submit no later than April 20, 2026.
• Please Note: Resumes submitted without a cover letter will not be considered.
• Contact Information for inquiries related to this position (email preferred):
Hendri Wa,
Administrative Associate
salhr@lectures.org
(206) 621-2230 ext. 26

Opportunity Website

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Chief Of StaffSeattle Arts And Lectures