Startup Roles

Hiring guide · Updated 2026-08-04

How to hire a Chief of Staff

A Chief of Staff at a startup is a leverage multiplier for the CEO. They translate strategy into weekly execution, close loops across functions, and take on any zero-to-one project that does not yet warrant a full-time hire. The role only works when the founder is disciplined enough to give it real scope.

Short answer

Hire a Chief of Staff once you pass roughly twenty employees and cross-functional friction is the founder's top bottleneck. Expect £85k–£140k / $140k–$220k base plus 0.15%–0.75% equity, a loop built around a written memo on a real strategic question, and three real projects handed over on day one.

Also searched as: CoS · Founder's Chief of Staff.

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When to hire

  • You have twenty or more employees and cross-functional friction is your top bottleneck.
  • You can hand over three real projects on day one, not just calendar management.
  • You are prepared to be genuinely transparent with them about the business.

What they own

  • Run the CEO's operating cadence: staff meetings, board packs, OKRs.
  • Own two or three high-priority projects at any time, cross-functional.
  • Prepare and drive strategic reviews (pricing, org design, market entry).
  • Act as a sounding board and pre-editor for major decisions.

Must-haves

  • Strong written communication — a real portfolio of memos and decisions.
  • Analytical rigour: comfortable in a spreadsheet, notebook, and BI tool.
  • Track record of shipping across functions in ambiguity.

Nice-to-haves

  • Consulting or investment banking foundation, but with real operating time after.
  • Prior founder or early-employee experience.

Red flags

  • Sees the role as a two-year stepping stone to a title.
  • Cannot name a project they killed and why.
  • Wants to run meetings but not own outcomes.

Where to source

  • Ex-consultants (BCG, Bain, McKinsey) with 2+ years of subsequent operating experience.
  • Ex-founders whose company did not survive but who ran a real team.
  • Warm intros from other founders who have had a CoS.

Interview loop

  1. Founder chat: what leverage looks like in the current quarter.
  2. Written case: 90-minute take-home memo on a real strategic question.
  3. Live decision review: you walk through a hard call, they push back live.
  4. References from a manager and a peer.

Compensation bands (2026)

MarketBaseEquity
UK seed£85k–£110k0.25%–0.75%
UK Series A£100k–£140k0.15%–0.5%
US seed$140k–$180k0.25%–0.75%
US Series A$170k–$220k0.15%–0.5%

Copy-paste JD template

**Chief of Staff to the CEO at [Company]**

[Company] is [context]. We are hiring a Chief of Staff to give the CEO leverage across strategy and execution.

**What you will own**
- The operating cadence: staff meeting, board pack, OKR reviews.
- Two or three high-priority cross-functional projects at any time.
- Strategic reviews on pricing, org design, and market entry.

**About you**
- Strong writer with a portfolio of memos.
- Analytical: spreadsheet, notebook, and BI tool fluency.
- Have shipped across functions in ambiguity.

**Comp**
[Base] + [equity]. Direct exposure to the full business.
See the full JD template page

Frequently asked questions

Is Chief of Staff a pathway to a specific role?
It should not be marketed as one. The best CoS hires join because the scope is uniquely broad, not because it is a fast route to a VP title. Framing it as a pipeline attracts the wrong candidates.

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