Chief of Staff
Job Title: Chief of Staff
Hiring Range: $255,000 - $275,000
Employment Type: Full-Time
Location: Remote - U.S. location required
Department: Executive
Reports To: Chief Executive Officer
Job Posting Close: 12/17/2025, 7:00pm ET
About Us
Illustrative Mathematics (IM) is dedicated to creating a world where all learners know, use, and enjoy mathematics. As a problem-based curriculum developer, we foster equity and deep understanding in math education through high-quality materials and professional learning. Our collaborative and mission-driven environment supports innovative thinkers who are passionate about transforming math education.
Position Overview
The Chief of Staff serves as a strategic advisor, integrator, and cross-functional alignment lead for the brand, product, and partnership work in the organization. The role ensures that the daily execution of cross-functional IM’s product, partner, and brand initiatives is anchored in its vision, strategic priorities, and long-term goals. This role oversees the centralized project management function and, in collaboration with the Chief Operations Officer, drives coherence across teams, systems, and initiatives.
As part of the Executive and Senior Leadership teams, this role's key responsibility is to collaborate with IM’s leaders to meet our vision of creating a world where all learners know, use, and enjoy mathematics. This role requires a “one team” approach to developing a cohesive strategy that integrates the IM Digital Experience, our products and services, the IM Partner Ecosystem, and IM’s brand.
Key Responsibilities
Executive and Senior Leadership
- Develop and support organizational infrastructure to create best-in-class products, services, and partnerships in collaboration with SLT members.
- Create and implement the operations strategy for IM’s products, services, partnerships, and brand initiatives, informed by SLT’s insights and organizational needs.
- Identify opportunities to enhance cross-functional efficiency, effectiveness, and long-term sustainability.
- Lead annual and quarterly organizational goal setting and help plan and execute ongoing strategic planning.
Planning and Prioritization Strategy
- Translate the CEO’s vision into clear, actionable priorities and initiatives for IM’s products, services, partnerships, and brand initiatives.
- Maintain and regularly update the CEO’s priority roadmap to ensure the highest-priority work receives focus, resourcing, and alignment.
- Lead development, communication, and execution of IM’s multi-year strategic plan, ensuring organization-wide buy-in and progress tracking.
- Lead leadership and quarterly strategic meetings, ensuring clarity of objectives, effective decision-making, and strong follow-through.
- Provide high-quality decision support—including analyses, models, briefs, and reports—to inform executive and Board decision-making.
- Develop and optimize systems and processes that improve IM’s operational and financial performance.
- Participate in Board meetings as needed and provide related preparation and follow-up support.
Project Management Oversight
- Ensure centralized project management aligns with organizational priorities so that the right work is done at the right time.
- Design and maintain project governance frameworks, including stages, reporting cycles, and escalation structures.
- Develop and manage risk identification, mitigation, and escalation systems across the organization.
- Oversee project management budgets, forecasts, and resource planning in partnership with relevant leaders.
- Lead continuous improvement efforts in project management tools, delivery practices, and performance metrics.
- Lead or sponsor organizational change initiatives, including process transformations and system implementations.
Process Improvement and Optimization
- Direct organizational efforts that promote communication, innovation, and evolution of IM’s product and service, partnership, and brand strategies.
- Design, implement, and evaluate policies and processes that address workflow gaps and improve operational clarity.
- Oversee creation of project plans, requirements, controls, and remediation strategies.
- Recommend and refine systems and processes that ensure data accuracy and reliability.
- Monitor strategic metrics and benchmarks to support continuous improvement efforts.
Relationship Management
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO and executive leaders by offering insights, recommendations, and alternative perspectives.
- Develop work plans that support action planning, feedback loops, evaluation cycles, and training and development systems.
- Negotiate, approve, and manage vendor contracts or agreements as needed.
- Lead cross-department initiatives that advance collaboration, reduce silos, and enhance organizational performance.
People Management
- Lead and manage employees by setting goals, providing guidance and support, and ensuring they have the resources that they need to be successful.
- Evaluate employee performance by providing appreciation, coaching, and evaluative feedback.
- Submit performance feedback as described by IM.
- Mentor employees by helping them develop their skills and capabilities and by leveraging professional development opportunities.
- Collaborate and actively participate in IM's Management Professional Learning Community (MPLC) and organizational initiatives.
Qualifications & Skills
Required
- 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in operations, strategy, or project management.
- 4+ years of experience working closely with senior leadership.
- 4+ years of leadership experience.
- Experience in K-12 education, either nonprofit, EdTech, or strategy/management consulting.
- Evidence of success leading high-functioning teams.
- Must reside in and be legally authorized to work in the USA
Preferred
- Bachelor’s degree in business, education, or a related field.
- Experience working in a remote environment.
- Proficiency with Google Workspace, Asana, Notion, Slack, and/or Zoom.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
Illustrative Mathematics welcomes applicant use of AI as a tool for preparation - such as researching, organizing ideas, or refining their resume and cover letter. However, we kindly ask that AI not be used to create original content related to the performance-based parts of our recruitment process, such as application question responses, interviews, and the completion of performance tasks. It is important to us that those reflect your own authentic perspective, ideas, and experiences. We are excited to get to know the real you and believe your genuine voice is your greatest strength.
What We Value
At IM, we are committed to making a lasting impact through our work. We value a supportive, mission-driven culture where our shared purpose guides us. We take responsibility for the quality and impact of our work. We build trust through meaningful relationships, shared purpose, and inclusive collaboration. We embrace change, creativity, and continuous learning to meet evolving needs.
Our Benefits
In addition to competitive pay, we offer a robust and wide array of benefits to our employees. Here are the highlights:
- Fully remote work environment. Everyone works from home!
- Flexible work schedules within our Monday-Friday work week.
- Flexible paid time off.
- Closed for 10 company-recognized holidays, plus Winter Break.
- Competitive compensation and benefits package
- Three medical insurance plans to choose from, plus dental and vision plans.
- Employer-paid Life & AD&D Insurance, and Voluntary Life & AD&D
- Employer-paid short-term and long-term disability insurance.
- Voluntary accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity insurance plans are available.
- 403(b) retirement plan with a matching employer contribution after 90 days of employment.
- Allowances for internet, phone, wellness, and professional development expenses.
Please complete all areas that are indicated as required (*) on the application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Illustrative Mathematics is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and does not discriminate against any applicant, candidate, or staff member on the basis of actual or perceived ancestry, age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.
In compliance with federal law, all persons hired for employee roles will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.