Chief of Staff, External Relations
About the role
The ideal candidate will possess exceptional strategic planning, project management, data analysis, and stakeholder management skills to propel our organization forward. Reporting directly to the Chief External Relations Officer and working closely with all members of the External Relations leadership team, the Chief of Staff will play a vital role in identifying and executing impactful strategies and processes, enabling our school district, philanthropy, and strategic partnerships teams to operate effectively and scale.
Responsibilities
Business Operations: Lead the operating rhythm for the External Relations organization, including planning cycles, leadership meetings, quarterly business reviews, and performance tracking against OKRs and key risks.
Implement and continually improve organizational systems and processes for goal-setting, decision-making, data tracking, and accountability.
Support the External Relations team with accurate, timely data by working with the analytics team to analyze and surface insights from performance dashboards and guide strategic prioritization; ensure dashboard data fidelity.
Build cross-team culture and engagement, including organizing and facilitating leadership offsites, External Relations all-hands meetings, and internal communications that strengthen cohesion and transparency.
Strategic Projects: Lead and manage high-impact projects that advance Khan Academy’s growth and revenue goals. Provide analytical and strategic support to External Relations Leadership in evaluating business performance and new opportunities. Build revenue and impact models to guide strategic discussions and planning. Translate ambiguity into structure - define success metrics, clarify ownership, and ensure progress against strategic priorities. Serve as a trusted thought partner for the Chief External Relations Officer in preparing for board meetings, external engagements, and major presentations.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Act as connective tissue between teams to ensure shared goals are clear, dependencies are managed, and execution is coordinated. Partner with Analytics to define business rules, success metrics, and performance frameworks that inform decision-making. Work closely with Product, Content, and Finance teams to align on shared goals, co-develop offerings, and ensure go-to-market plans reflect the needs of learners, teachers, parents and administrators. Collaborate with the other Strategy & Operations leaders to coordinate on central processes such as: OKR planning, Quarterly Business Reviews and ad hoc projects.
Requirements
7+ years of professional experience, including at least 5 years in a strategic, operational, or Chief of Staff–type role within a mission-driven, fast-paced organization.
Proven success in project management and organizational operations, with a track record of leading complex, cross-functional initiatives to completion.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with experience using data to inform strategic decisions, measure outcomes, and build analytical models.
Experience in K-12 education go-to market strategy or B2B go-to market roles.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing executive-level materials such as board decks, OKR reports, or strategy memos.
Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships across teams and levels, serving as a connector, advisor, and thought partner to senior leaders.
Deep commitment to Khan Academy’s mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere, and an understanding of the public education ecosystem (districts, philanthropy, and partnerships).
Qualifications
A high degree of organization, attention to detail, and follow-through; able to manage multiple work streams and deadlines simultaneously.
A background in consulting, investment banking or business operations is a plus.
Motivated by the Khan Academy mission “to provide a free world-class education for anyone, anywhere."
Proven cross-cultural competency skills demonstrating self-awareness, awareness of other, and the ability to adopt inclusive perspectives, attitudes, and behaviors to drive inclusion and belonging throughout the organization.
Skills
Strategic Planning
Project Management
Data Analysis
Stakeholder Management
Organizational Systems and Processes
Business Operations
Strategic Projects
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Benefits
We may be a non-profit, but we reward our talented team extremely well! We offer:
Competitive salaries
Able to take ample paid time off as needed – Your well-being is a priority
8 pre-scheduled Wellness Days in 2026 occurring on a Monday or a Friday for a 3-day weekend boost
Remote-first culture - that caters to your time zone, with open flexibility as needed, at times
An exceptional team that trusts you and gives you the freedom to do your best
The chance to put your talents towards a deeply meaningful mission and the opportunity to work on high-impact products that are already defining the future of education
Opportunities to connect through affinity, ally, and social groups
All those other typical benefits as well: 401(k) + 4% matching & comprehensive insurance, including medical, dental, vision, and life
Pay
The compensation band for this role is $120,800 - $135,900 USD annually for candidates based in the United States and $163,238 - $183,643 CAD annually for candidates based in Canada. The pay range for this position is a general guideline only. The salary offered will depend on internal pay equity and the candidate’s relevant skills, experience, qualifications, and job market data.
Schedule
Remote-first culture - that caters to your time zone, with open flexibility as needed, at times
Company Values
LIVE & BREATH LEARNERS: We deeply understand and empathize with our users. We leverage user insights, research, and experience to build content, products, services, and experiences that our users trust and love. Our success is defined by the success of our learners and educators.
TAKE A STAND: As a company, we have conviction in our aspirational point of view of how education will evolve. The work we do is in service to moving towards that point of view. However, we also listen, learn and flex in the face of new data, and commit to evolving this point of view as the industry and our users evolve.
EMBRACE DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES: We are a diverse community. We seek out and embrace a diversity of voices, perspectives and life experiences leading to stronger, more inclusive teams and better outcomes. As individuals, we are committed to bringing up tough topics and leaning into different points of view with curiosity. We actively listen, learn and collaborate to gain a shared understanding. When a decision is made, we commit to moving forward as a united team.
WORK RESPONSIBLY AND SUSTAINABLY: We understand that achieving our audacious mission is a marathon, so we set realistic timelines and we focus on delivery that also links to the bigger picture. As a non-profit, we are supported by the generosity of donors as well as strategic partners, and understand our responsibility to our finite resources. We spend every dollar as though it were our own. We are responsible for the impact we have on the world and to each other. We ensure our team and company stay healthy and financially sustainable.
BRAVE THE JOY: We are committed to making learning a joyful process. This informs what we build for our users and the culture we co-create with our teammates, partners and donors.
CULTIVATE LEARNING MINDSET: We believe in the power of growth for learners and for ourselves. We constantly learn and teach to improve our offerings, ourselves, and our organization. We learn from our mistakes and aren’t afraid to fail. We don't let past failures or successes stop us from taking future bold action and achieving our goals.
DELIVER WOW: We insist on high standards and deliver delightful, effective end-to-end experiences that our users can rely on. We choose to focus on fewer things — each of which aligns to our ambitious vision — so we can deliver high-quality experiences that accelerate positive measurable learning with our strategic partners.