Chief of Staff to the CEO of a Pacific Northwest consulting firm

ExitBliss is a small consultancy that helps contractors and service businesses get ready for the work they want to win. We came up through government contracting and we are expanding into the private sector. Our CEO is the company's public face and holds the key relationships with the government programs and prime contractors who send us work. At the moment, she is also the person answering every email, managing her own calendar, and chasing the loose ends herself. That is not sustainable, and it is why this role exists. The right person for this role knows how to work alongside someone whose time and attention are the company's most valuable resource. You think in systems, and you represent someone else's judgment as naturally as your own. When you see an unanswered message from three weeks ago, you do not flag it for the CEO — you handle it, and she hears about it from you only if she needs to. Writing in someone else's voice comes naturally to you — you've done it enough that their cadence is already in your head before you type. You know the difference between protecting your principal's time and insulating her from things she needs to see, and you are comfortable making that call in real time. You will own the CEO's executive communications — her inbox, calendar, outreach, and the follow-up with the government programs and private-sector prospects who are the source of our business. You will stay on top of our contracts and compliance work across the agencies and programs we operate under. You will represent the CEO in writing and sometimes in person. You are one of four direct reports to the CEO, and you are treated as a department head — because that is the level this work requires. We are focused first on finding the right person. The right rate will follow from the right fit, and we will work with you to make sure the weekly commitment and the weekly compensation stay aligned as the role takes shape. LOGISTICS - Fractional role, approximately 25 hours per week (range of 20–30 on any given week) - Flat weekly rate, not hourly. Please enter your desired weekly rate assuming 25 hours per week. - Significant overlap with Pacific time expected OUR HIRING PROCESS We use a three-stage process so we can make a real decision and so you can decide whether we are the right fit for you: 1. Application — this posting, including the three questions below. 2. Paid assessment and interview — up to three candidates will be invited to a paid second stage. You will be compensated $75 to complete a short DISC personality assessment, a custom survey we have built for this role, and a structured interview with our COO. 3. Final conversation with the CEO — the candidate who most resonates with the work meets the CEO directly. We do look forward to hearing from you.