Cooks Venture is a group of farmers, cooks, and food professionals who couldn’t find what we wanted in the food system, so we are building it ourselves from the ground up, animal-by-animal, plant-by-plant, meal-by-meal. Our vision is a truly transparent, regenerative supply chain for the future.

Cooks Venture is seeking a Chief of Staff to join us in our mission to change the world through food. As part of our executive team, you'll be a key player in shaping our company's culture and direction, serving as a strategic advisor to leaders and ensuring that all functional areas are working together effectively in service of our mission. The Chief of Staff operates at a tactical, strategic, and operational level, often handling the oversight of projects that fall between or across other leaders’ areas of responsibility.

As Chief of Staff, you will be responsible for:
 

Strategic Initiatives:

• Identify, research, plan, and execute ad-hoc strategic projects
• Define and research new ideas and business opportunities
• Provide decision-making support by gathering data, analyzing information, and presenting considerations to relevant stakeholders
• Provide strategic support to the leadership team, advising on operations, internal and external communications, and cross-functional initiatives.
• Lead annual strategic planning and quarterly business reviews for the company.
• Partner with the CEO and CFO in running the annual budget cycle process and preparing for board meetings

Maximizing Organizational Effectiveness:

• Plan and execute high priority meetings, including senior leadership meetings, all-hands meetings, and off-sites
• Ensure thorough meeting notes are taken, and manage meeting follow-ups
• Track and communicate progress of high-priority initiatives; identify and raise obstacles for discussion
• Facilitate cross-departmental connection and coordination for people working on similar or related initiatives
• Manage project teams that require input from multiple areas within the company
• Assess organizational issues, make recommendations for necessary changes and remove barriers to team effectiveness
• Align internal processes and create systems to streamline operations
• Establish and maintain exceptional working relationships with team members in all departments and at all levels of the organization

Communications:

• Collaborate with Communications to establish and project a consistent voice of the company. 
• Collaborate with Communications to draft speeches and presentations for internal and external communications
• Serve as a proxy for the CEO in communications with partners, government officials, vendors, suppliers, and employees, as needed.

People & Culture:

• Uphold the highest standards of ethics and personal responsibility at all times
• Lead hiring process for roles reporting into the CEO
• Hire and directly manage others in office of the CEO (assistants, special projects managers, etc.)
• Oversee culture initiatives, including team building, diversity, and continuing education
• Regularly review the organizational structure, identifying any gaps and filling them
   

Executive Support:

• Serve as a trusted advisor and confidant to the CEO
• Serve as a gatekeeper: assess inbound inquiries to the CEO, prioritize those inquiries and/or route requests to other departments or individuals as appropriate
• Assist the CEO in preparing for and following up after important meetings
• Travel with the CEO as needed, up to 50% of the time
• Attend meetings, make decisions, and manage critical relationships on behalf of the CEO, as needed

Qualifications:

• College degree, MBA is a plus but not required
• 5+ years in a management role, entrepreneurial experience preferred
• Proven success organizing and directing large teams and projects
• Impeccable written and verbal communication skills
• Versatile; comfortable serving as a pinch hitter in ambiguous and challenging situations
• Highly emotionally intelligent, with a coaching mindset.
• Exceptional prioritization and organizational skills; detail orientation
• Expert user of email, smartphone apps, Microsoft Office, wireless printers, tablets, and cloud-based technologies. Experience with Google Suite is a plus
• Flexible schedule, including availability evenings and weekends