POSITION OVERVIEW
Title: Chief of Staff
Company: CURiO Brands
Reports to: CEO
Oversees: Executive Assistant to the CEO
Location: Minneapolis, MN
ABOUT CURiO Brands
CURiO is a designer and marketer of luxury branded fragrance across the home fragrance and bath & body categories. CURiO Brands is home to Capri Blue and the cult favorite fragrance Volcano, and Thymes, with the iconic fragrance, Frasier Fir. CURiO products are purveyed through major retailers, independent specialty stores, internationally, as well as Amazon and their own brands' websites.
CURiO has an employee base of 150+ and operates from two locations, their headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota and a manufacturing location in Starkville, Mississippi. CURiO is more than just a place to work. It's a company that values creativity, being courageous and connected, and is full of ambition, providing great opportunity for employee development and growth.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Chief of Staff will serve as a key partner to the CEO, optimizing time management, enhancing team cohesion, and driving strategic initiatives. This role is crucial in ensuring that the CEO's time is focused on high-impact activities and strategic priorities. Working closely with the Executive Assistant, the Chief of Staff will act as a gatekeeper, anticipating needs, managing workflows, and stepping in as a proxy when appropriate. Additionally, the Chief of Staff will foster a collaborative environment, aligning team efforts and improving information flow to keep decision-making and execution on track. This individual will be both a strategist and an executor, translating high-level vision into practical steps and delivering results that advance the CEO’s goals.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Chief of Staff’s responsibilities will encompass three primary areas:
Ensure CEO's highest and best use of time
- As the CEO’s role evolves, ensure time is properly rationalized and spent in priority areas; create opportunities for the CEO to engage in strategy creation, internal coaching and mentoring, and external matters.
- Attend meetings and events on behalf of the CEO, ensuring prompt follow-up on action items and providing relevant briefing information.
- Anticipate the CEO's needs, prepare solutions, and facilitate internal meetings to ensure smooth operations, while proactively preparing team members.
- Serve as culture and accountability champion.
- Act as a trusted confidant who can provide the CEO with honest feedback.
- Manage and develop the Executive Assistant (EA) to align with the CEO’s priorities.
Enhance cohesion and information flow
- Introduce necessary structures and processes to enhance alignment, facilitate information sharing, and ensure key individuals are involved in relevant discussions.
- Clarify and amplify the CEO’s messaging, acting as a communication bridge between the CEO and the Executive Team to ensure information flows both ways.
- Foster a collaborative, tightly knit team aligned on strategic goals and objectives.
- Maintain awareness of organizational dynamics and help secure buy-in for changes as needed.
Deliver results on behalf of the CEO
- Translate the CEO's visions into actionable steps, secure stakeholder buy-in, and manage strategic projects to completion without direct CEO involvement.
- Implement and teach a standardized decision-making process to foster consistency and clarity in decision-making.
- Drive strategic execution across the organization.
- Conduct research and monitor industry innovations and emerging trends.
- Analytical – demonstrates a strong ability to leverage data and information for problem solving and decision making.
KEY QUALIFICATIONS
- 10-12 years’ professional experience, including supporting organizational evolution and high-level executive functions.
- Skilled in aligning executive schedules with strategic goals, ensuring time is dedicated to high-impact areas that drive organizational success.
- High emotional intelligence and ability to cultivate strong relationships with tact and diplomacy.
- Professionalism and discernment to operate across a wide range of stakeholders while maintaining a high level of confidentiality.
- Strong analytical skills with a proven track record of leveraging data for decision-making and effective problem-solving.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate and implement change, secure buy-in, and resolve conflicts to ensure smooth transitions, while remaining composed and solution-focused.
- Strong verbal and written communication abilities.
- Skilled at professionally challenging perspectives, offering constructive feedback and alternative viewpoints with tact and respect.
- Strong systems thinker with experience in process enhancement, applying judgment to introduce change as needed.
- Proactive in researching and staying informed about industry trends, innovations, and emerging best practices.
- Effective in managing complex and organization-wide initiatives, ensuring projects are executed with strategic alignment.
- CPG and/or brand experience a plus but not required.
Salary
$160,000 - $190,000
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
CURiO is proud to offer equal employment opportunity to qualified individuals without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We strongly believe that cultivating a diverse workplace gives a company strength. The combination of unique skills, abilities, experiences, and backgrounds creates an environment that produces extraordinary results.
