Chief of Staff to the CEO at Mozilla

Mozilla Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to creating a better technological future—one driven by people, built on openness, and powered by imagination.

The organization champions people-centered alternatives to today’s extractive technology systems.

Working alongside developers, innovators, and advocates, Mozilla is driven by the belief that a more open, accessible, and trustworthy digital future is possible—and that everyone has a role in building it.

The Team and Role

As Mozilla Foundation’s CEO increasingly focuses on external priorities, including Board engagement, fundraising, strategic partnerships, and public advocacy, the organization is seeking a Chief of Staff to strengthen internal leadership and support the CEO’s broader vision.

Reporting directly to the CEO, you will act as a strategic advisor, trusted partner, and extension of the CEO’s leadership.

Your responsibility will be to translate executive priorities into organizational direction, maintain alignment across teams, represent the CEO in internal discussions when appropriate, and exercise decision-making authority within clearly established boundaries.

You will help determine which matters require the CEO’s direct attention, ensure important decisions are supported by the right information, and prepare the CEO for critical engagements and organizational developments.

As part of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), you will collaborate closely with senior executives and the CEO’s Executive Program Manager to keep strategic priorities, commitments, and leadership activities coordinated.

You will also work alongside the Foundation’s Investment Committee and its technical and strategic advisors, ensuring their recommendations support organizational objectives and that funding decisions progress effectively from assessment to approval.

Key Responsibilities

Your priorities during the first six months will include:

• Building a productive relationship with the CEO, agreeing on strategic priorities, working practices, and the limits of your delegated decision-making authority.
• Establishing strong working relationships with members of the Executive Leadership Team and understanding their individual responsibilities, challenges, and objectives.
• Developing a comprehensive understanding of the Foundation’s operations and how different departments contribute to the CEO’s strategic agenda.
• Converting the CEO’s priorities into clearly defined organizational goals that provide executives with direction and support informed decision-making.
• Identifying matters that require the CEO’s involvement and ensuring they are presented with sufficient background, available options, and practical recommendations.
• Becoming familiar with the Investment Committee’s operations and helping its members and advisors maintain focus on the most important strategic and funding considerations.

In this position, you will:

• Act as a strategic thought partner to the CEO, helping develop, evaluate, and refine organizational priorities while anticipating important developments and decisions over the next 30, 60, and 90 days.
• Help protect the CEO’s time for high-impact responsibilities, including strategic leadership, external partnerships, fundraising, Board engagement, and major organizational decisions.
• Assess and prioritize information reaching the CEO, ensuring significant strategic changes, financial risks, major budget matters, and Board-related issues are presented early with relevant context and recommendations.
• Monitor the organization’s most important priorities, identify projects moving away from strategic objectives, and highlight competing demands on resources and leadership attention before they escalate.
• Strengthen collaboration across the Executive Leadership Team by ensuring executives remain aligned with the CEO’s direction and that important decisions and commitments are implemented.
• Work with executive leaders to resolve cross-departmental challenges that require senior-level coordination without necessarily requiring the CEO’s direct participation.
• Represent the CEO’s perspective during internal discussions and make decisions within the authority assigned to you, escalating matters outside that scope when necessary.
• Prepare the CEO for Board meetings, fundraising discussions, partner engagements, speeches, and public appearances through concise briefings, organizational updates, and anticipated questions.
• Identify valuable external engagement opportunities and ensure commitments made by the CEO translate into clear actions and accountability across the organization.
• Maintain alignment between the Investment Committee’s activities and the Foundation’s strategic direction by guiding discussions, identifying potential risks or differing perspectives, and escalating important decisions requiring the CEO’s input.

Understanding the Scope of the Role

This is primarily an influential leadership and coordination position designed to help the CEO lead effectively through the Executive Leadership Team.

• The Chief of Staff will not directly manage the Executive Leadership Team or oversee the Foundation’s daily operations. Departmental executives retain responsibility for decisions and execution within their respective areas.
• Decision-making authority is limited to responsibilities specifically delegated by the CEO. Matters outside this authority must be referred back to the CEO.
• The position has no direct reports and does not include responsibility for calendar management, scheduling, or traditional administrative support for the CEO.

Required Qualifications and Professional Experience

The ideal candidate should demonstrate:

• Extensive, verifiable experience serving as a strategic partner to a CEO or senior executive team, with a strong history of managing complex, high-impact initiatives and turning uncertainty into clear plans and results.
• Experience working across multiple legal entities is advantageous, particularly the ability to coordinate activities, build relationships, and navigate differences between organizations.
• A proven ability to lead complex, cross-functional projects from initial planning through execution by establishing measurable outcomes, responsibilities, milestones, and decision-making processes.
• Exceptional professional judgment, confidentiality, and discretion when handling sensitive information and navigating complex executive relationships.
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills, including the ability to earn trust across departments and at senior leadership levels without relying on formal authority.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to transform complicated information into clear executive reports, strategic recommendations, presentations, and briefings.
• Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving capabilities, including the ability to identify important questions, evaluate information, challenge assumptions, and recommend effective solutions.
• Excellent organizational and prioritization skills, with the flexibility to balance long-term strategic objectives against urgent organizational needs.
• Practical experience supporting Board governance, fundraising initiatives, or other important external relationships at an executive level.
• A history of delivering meaningful results behind the scenes, prioritizing organizational success and the effectiveness of executive leadership over personal recognition.
• A genuine commitment to Mozilla Foundation’s mission and its vision of an open, accessible, and trustworthy internet.
• The ability to collaborate across different time zones and occasionally work outside regular business hours to support Board meetings, major events, and urgent organizational requirements.
• Willingness and ability to travel for Board meetings, leadership gatherings, and significant organizational events.

Additional Experience That Would Be an Advantage

• Previous senior-level experience in nonprofit organizations, philanthropy, technology, or public-interest institutions.
• Experience advising or supporting investment committees, grantmaking bodies, or funding organizations.

How We Work

Mozilla Foundation values a collaborative, transparent, and mission-driven working environment. The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate the following principles:

Address Difficult Issues Directly: Identify disagreements involving priorities, resources, or leadership attention early. Provide honest, constructive feedback and raise concerns openly rather than allowing problems to develop unnoticed.

Remain Curious and Informed: Stay connected to developments across the organization, the technology sector, and relevant communities. Use emerging information to provide the CEO with valuable insights while continuously evaluating assumptions.

Promote Transparency: Maintain clear documentation of important decisions and the reasoning behind them. Encourage open communication and shared information rather than unnecessary private discussions.

Prioritize Results and Accountability: Keep the CEO’s strategic agenda focused on essential objectives, determine where executive involvement is necessary, and ensure that decisions and commitments are completed.

Adapt With Intention: Respond effectively to changing circumstances while maintaining consistency with the organization’s mission and leadership priorities. Adjust working approaches to suit different executives and situations.

Lead With Respect and Empathy: Maintain high professional standards while recognizing the people behind the work. Build trust, respect individual leadership responsibilities, and address challenges directly with those best positioned to resolve them.

Salary and Benefits

Mozilla Foundation is committed to providing fair, competitive, and market-aligned compensation. Salary offers are determined by the responsibilities of the position, relevant experience, and applicable market conditions. Previous salary history is not requested or considered during recruitment.

Annual starting salary ranges by location:

Location	Salary Range
Germany	€206,448 – €232,253.22
United Kingdom	£181,764 – £204,483.81
Canada	$356,400 – $400,948.65
United States	$264,000 – $296,999

Employee Benefits Include:

• Private medical insurance.
• Extended sick leave provisions.
• Global Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Employer retirement plan contributions.
• 20 days of annual paid leave, in addition to sick leave and birthday leave.
• Company holidays and an end-of-year shutdown period.
• Dedicated wellness allowance.
• Professional development budget.
• Additional support for pregnancy and parental leave.

Please note that benefits may be modified at the discretion of Mozilla Foundation.