Chief of Staff

The role

The Chief of Staff serves as a scientific and strategic partner to the Executive Director and Core Investigator. This person will drive technical initiatives, manage the Executive Director's operating rhythm, and coordinate cross-disciplinary scientific work.

What you will do

• Serve as a scientific and strategic daily thought partner to the Executive Director
• Own the operating rhythm of the Executive Director's office and manage her schedule
• Gather and synthesize technical information into clear options and recommendations
• Design strategic meeting pre-reads, agendas, and followups for leadership and scientific teams
• Drive high-priority scientific programs and collaborations from inception through execution
• Partner with the Executive Director and leadership team on defining strategic goals
• Unblock science by organizing and stewarding scientific collaborations
• Translate complex technical work for varied audiences
• Handle confidential scientific and organizational information with discretion

Required qualifications

• Ph.D. (or equivalent research training) with a demonstrated scientific track record, or comparable technical depth from a consulting or founder path
• 5-12+ years of experience
• Background in one or more relevant biology areas (e.g., genome or transcriptome engineering, functional genomics, neuroscience, molecular/cell biology, multi-omics, or computational biology)
• Demonstrated strength in technical information gathering, stakeholder and dependency mapping and management, and synthesizing complex scientific information
• Track record of managing complex, cross-functional projects in a research environment
• Evidence of translating technical or scientific work for non-specialist audiences
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience designing and facilitating highly effective meeting pre-reads, agendas and followups
• Solution-oriented and adept at navigating shifting priorities and rapid change; unflappable, proactive, and discreet

Nice to have

• Ph.D. in the life sciences or a closely related field
• Hands-on experience with CRISPR/gene- or RNA-editing technologies, functional genomic screens, or high-throughput experimental platforms
• Experience with computational biology, machine learning, or large-scale genomic data
• Experience organizing scientific collaborations or programs
• Experience supporting board preparation, scientific offsites, and executive or scientific communications
• Demonstrated staying power and increasing scope of responsibility over a career

Benefits

• Annual discretionary bonus
• Compound Cash Grant Program (CCGP) providing multi-year cash grants in semi-annual installments

About the company

Arc Institute is an independent nonprofit research organization at the interface of artificial intelligence and biology. It is based in Palo Alto and partners with Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and UC San Francisco.