Chief of Staff

Overview

The Office of State Senator James Skoufis seeks a full-time Chief of Staff (COS) to serve as the primary strategic advisor to the Senator, and to manage, direct, and support his interdisciplinary team of approximately a dozen staff members across offices in Cornwall, Middletown, and Albany. The COS will oversee and advance a diverse policy portfolio while ensuring effective implementation of the Senator’s priorities, community outreach efforts, communications strategy, and service on behalf of Orange County constituents.

In this dynamic role, you will:

• Provide ongoing strategic guidance and support to the Senator, translating priorities into actionable items and work output for staff
• Proactively identify opportunities to advance the Senator’s agenda, as well as areas of local/regional need
• Serve as primary gatekeeper to ensure the Senator’s – and the office’s – time and resources are thoughtfully managed
• Establish and maintain key relationships with community leaders, advocacy organizations, thought leaders, and other stakeholders
• Collect and synthesize information critical to advancing the Senator’s agenda and facilitating effective decision-making
• Manage all personnel matters, including recruitment, hiring, onboarding, regular training, retention efforts, and performance evaluation
• Maintain open communication with local, county, state, and federal officials and staff to help identify and escalate issues of local/regional importance
• Lead regular meetings among senior staff members, staff members, and individual departments; assign and track short- and long-term projects
• Enable effective internal communication and a collegial work environment, including keeping team members reasonably informed on the Senator’s strategic priorities and elevating individual strengths and interests

Candidates must be highly dependable, organized, and have strong verbal and written communication skills. The ideal person for this role thrives in self-driven environments, maintains deep ties within/familiarity with Orange County and/or the Legislature, and demonstrates a passion for public service. To be considered, you must possess:

• A bachelor’s degree
• Three or more years of management experience in a policy-oriented or public service setting
• A valid driver’s license, access to a personal vehicle, and live within reasonable commuting distance to Cornwall, NY

• Previous experience within state or federal government
• Existing familiarity with Orange County
• Existing familiarity with the legislative process or state government
• Preferred software familiarity:
  Google Suite (Sheets, Docs, Forms), Microsoft Suite

This full-time position is based in the District Office of State Senator James Skoufis (45 Quaker Ave, Cornwall, NY 12518) with frequent travel throughout the district and to Albany during the legislative session (January – June). The salary range is $90,000-$105,000, commensurate with education and experience. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume with three references, and three writing samples to fuentes with the subject line:
Skoufis Chief of Staff. Submissions that do not include all of these items will not be considered. Please keep in mind that we are looking for cover letters that tell us in your own words why you are a great candidate for the job and not something that simply repeats the information in your resume.

Due to the volume of applications, we will not be able to respond to each applicant.

The NYS Senate offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that includes a health and wellness in the workplace program that you and your family can benefit from:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Retirement plan
• Sick time
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance
• Wellness Program

The New York State Senate is an Equal Opportunity employer that values a diverse and equitable workplace. We do not permit discrimination based on race, age, creed, color, religion, gender/sex, military status, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, national origin, predisposing genetic characteristics, or physical or mental disability, domestic violence victim status, arrest/criminal conviction record, pregnancy and related conditions, gender identity or expression, sexual harassment, immigration status, or hair texture or protective hair styles.

Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.

New York State