Chief of Staff

Worker Type

Regular

Summary

Job Description

The Chief of Staff to the CEO is a high-impact, strategic role responsible for driving operational excellence, ensuring follow-through on executive projects and initiatives, and acting as an extension of the CEO across a dynamic, fast-paced, mission-driven organization. This individual contributor role requires a highly organized, well-spoken, and strong willed professional, who can manage multiple projects and tasks within the CEO office, while building strong relationships with the rest of the CEO staff. The Chief of Staff partners closely with all the senior leaders across the company to support the CEO in meetings, internal and external communications, and project and individual task execution.

This position is based in either Simi Valley, CA or Washington D.C.

Position Responsibilities

• Follows through on all the tasks and action items, which come out of any meeting or engagement the CEO participates.
• Drives forward key actions from weekly, monthly and quarterly staff & off-site meetings, ensuring completion and alignment across the executive team.
• Develops and maintains tools, processes, and cadences to ensure strategic initiatives and CEO office projects progress to completion with clear ownership, timelines, follow ups, and status reporting.
• Prepares CEO meeting agendas, presentation material, and coordinates leadership schedules. Ensures briefing materials and data are accurate, timely, and professional.
• Sometimes, represents the CEO in meetings or events where there is a schedule conflict, while providing continuity and follow-up.
• Reviews and approves lower-level operational items (e.g. capital requisitions, purchase requisitions, etc.) on behalf of the CEO with sound judgment and attention to detail.
• Crafts and manages high-level written communications, including follow-up emails, external letters, and executive correspondence to customers, industry leaders, partners, and heads of state.
• Proactively monitors organizational dynamics, identifies risks and opportunities, and advises the CEO on where to focus attention or escalate issues.
• Serves as a professional and persistent driver of progress across the executive team, helping maintain a high-tempo operating rhythm.
• Maintains absolute discretion and demonstrates strong judgment, presence, and integrity in all engagements.

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, English, Journalism, Engineering, Public Policy, Government, History, or a related field; MBA or equivalent advanced degree preferred.
• 5 to 10 years of progressive experience in project management, business strategy, operations, management consulting, or executive-level support roles.
• Demonstrated experience working with or supporting senior executive leadership.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills, with a proven ability to create structure, processes, dashboard, and tool within a large technology, engineering, and manufacturing company.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with experience drafting high-level correspondence and messaging (internal and external).
• Ability to work at a fast pace, manage multiple priorities, and stay composed and effective under pressure.
• High degree of emotional intelligence and situational awareness; Able to read the room and adapt accordingly.
• Comfort operating in complex, technical, or defense/aerospace-related environments.

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

• Experience in the aerospace & defense, federal government, or high-tech sectors is preferred.
• Previous experience in a Chief of Staff or similar strategic advisor role is a strong plus.
• Ability to influence without authority and drive alignment across senior-level stakeholders without causing damage.
• Strong initiative, ownership mentality, and bias toward action.
• High attention to detail and commitment to accuracy in work product.
• Displays leadership, collaboration, and a team-first mindset.
• Comfortable holding others accountable and pushing through resistance when needed.
• Committed to continuous learning and personal development.
• Highly trustworthy, discreet and capable of handling confidential information.
• Flexibility and ability to travel.

Physical Demands

• Ability to work in an office environment (Constant)
• Required to sit and stand for long periods; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard (Frequent)

Special Requirements

• U.S. Citizen

The Salary Range For This Role Is

$185,000 - $225,000

AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.

ITAR Requirement

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR

• 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits: AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.

We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

Principals only need apply. NO agencies please.

Who We Are

Based in California, AeroVironment (AVAV) is a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical missile systems. Founded in 1971 by celebrated physicist and engineer, Dr. Paul MacCready, we’ve been at the leading edge of technical innovation for more than 45 years. Be a part of the team that developed the world’s most widely used military drones and created the first submarine-launched reconnaissance drone, and has seven innovative vehicles that are part of the Smithsonian Institution’s permanent collection in Washington, DC.

Join us today in developing the next generation of small UAS and tactical missile systems that will deliver more actionable intelligence to our customers so they can proceed with certainty – and succeed.

What We Do

Building on a history of technological innovation, AeroVironment designs, develops, produces, and supports an advanced portfolio of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical missile systems. Agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense and allied military services use the company’s hand-launched UAS to provide situational awareness to tactical operating units through real-time, airborne reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.

ITAR