Chief of Staff
About the role
The Chief of Staff for the Office of the CEO is responsible for ensuring the CEO's time, priorities, and operating rhythm are aligned with the strategic needs of the organization. This role provides orchestration, structure, and clarity across executive priorities.
Responsibilities
Operating Rhythm Management: Lead Northern Trust’s operating routines, including agenda setting, materials preparation, and action-item management. Ensure topics are appropriately prioritized and that decisions and follow-ups are clearly communicated and tracked to completion.
Participate in meetings, as required, to understand strategic context and translate discussions into clear follow-up actions.
Strategic Performance Management: Partner with Corporate Strategy to manage Quarterly Operating Reviews (QORs) and enterprise performance routines, synthesizing insights into CEO-ready narratives, metrics, and dashboards that clearly reflect performance against strategic priorities.
Lead ad-hoc analyses to refine performance metrics, challenge existing assumptions, and ensure measures are fit for purpose through cross-team collaboration.
Ensure metrics are appropriately cascaded into Board and Committee materials and performance scorecards.
Anticipate issues, remove obstacles, and create the conditions for the Leadership Team to operate with clarity and forward momentum.
Communication and Relationship Management: Partner with the Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, and Head of Corporate Strategy to shape and deliver CEO-driven internal communications, including town halls, EVP forums, and partner messages.
Support select CEO external engagements by preparing follow-up correspondence.
Board Operations: Partner with the Chief Administrative Office and Corporate Secretary’s office to prepare for Board and Committee cycles. Coordinate all aspects of Board engagement logistics, including agenda sequencing, visit itineraries, director communications, seating plans, and event coordination.
Qualifications
7–10 years of experience in financial services (e.g., investment banking), management consulting, corporate strategy, or a comparable executive-level environment.
Demonstrated ability to manage senior-level operating routines, navigate complex organizational dynamics, and drive cross-functional execution at scale.
Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex data, generate insights, and produce decision-ready recommendations.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft concise, compelling narratives for CEO, Board, and enterprise audiences.
Experience preparing high-impact executive communications and large-scale internal events; ability to translate complex topics into clear messages.
Proven ability to manage multiple, competing priorities under tight deadlines and operate effectively amid changing circumstances.
High emotional intelligence, discretion, and the ability to influence without authority.
Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
Skills
Sound judgment and the ability to move work forward with urgency while maintaining high standards of quality and judgment.
Ability to toggle seamlessly between strategic thinking and tactical execution, often across multiple priorities in the same day.
Service-focused mindset, along with the resilience and discretion essential to the role.
Comfortable operating in a highly matrixed organization and navigating ambiguity with composure and sound judgment.
Benefits
Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits. Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.