Chief of Staff

The US-China Business Council (USCBC) is seeking a full-time chief of staff for our Washington, DC, office to serve as the USCBC president’s principal strategic advisor and organizational integrator. Reporting directly to the president, the chief of staff ensures that USCBC’s strategic priorities are executed effectively across the organization by coordinating initiatives and information flows across departments, aligning priorities, anticipating emerging issues, facilitating decision-making, and tracking organizational commitments and follow-through. The chief of staff works closely with the president and other senior leadership and enables them to focus on high-value strategic issues, external engagement, and member value.

Success in this role is measured by USCBC’s ability to execute its strategic priorities with discipline and consistency.

USCBC is a private, non-profit organization of around 270 American companies that do business with China. USCBC has provided unmatched information, advisory, advocacy, and program services to its membership since its founding in 1973. Through its offices in Washington, DC; Beijing; and Shanghai, USCBC is uniquely positioned to serve its members’ interests in the United States and China.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as the president’s principal advisor on organizational priorities, strategic planning, and cross-functional execution;
• Act as the central integrator across USCBC’s functions, ensuring that work aligns with organizational priorities, information flows efficiently among teams, leadership decisions are communicated effectively, and strategic initiatives are executed successfully;
• Lead USCBC’s management operating system, including executive meeting cadence, organizational priority tracking, decision management, and executive follow-through;
• Coordinate strategic initiatives across departments, facilitate effective executive decision-making, and ensure alignment among organizational leaders;
• Develop and maintain systems to track organizational priorities, major initiatives, and key decisions;
• Ensure timely follow-up on commitments made to the board of directors, member companies, government stakeholders, donors and partners, and staff;
• Monitor progress on strategic initiatives, identify execution risks, recommend corrective action, and elevate issues requiring leadership attention;
• Strengthen organizational alignment by improving the systems, processes, and communication that enable effective collaboration across departments;
• Ensure accountability for agreed upon deliverables, deadlines, and organizational objectives;
• Prepare strategic briefings, executive decision memoranda, board materials, and background papers for the president and senior leadership;
• Support annual planning, organizational design, resource prioritization, special initiatives, and continuous improvement efforts that strengthen USCBC’s effectiveness;
• Engage in business development activities, including new member recruitment and account management of existing members;
• Other responsibilities as assigned by direct supervisor, the USCBC president.

Qualifications:

• At least 10 years of relevant working experience;
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex, cross-functional initiatives in a fast-paced environment;
• Demonstrated experience leading organizational change or major institutional initiatives;
• Strong strategic thinking, organizational, and project management skills;
• Exceptional judgment and ability to prioritize competing organizational demands;
• Executive presence and credibility with senior executives, boards, and external stakeholders;
• Ability to influence outcomes and drive execution without relying solely on formal authority;
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills;
• Experience supporting a CEO, president, or executive leadership team is strongly preferred;
• Experience with or substantive knowledge of the US-China business environment is strongly preferred.

The US-China Business Council is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sex, handicap, pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

Salary will be in the range of $120,000 – $200,000, commensurate with the candidate’s experience. Benefits are competitive for non-profit organizations and include a hybrid work from home and office schedule, excellent health insurance options, generous vacation, holiday and sick leave allowances, and 100% of salary employer contributions into an SEP-IRA after one year of employment.

Submission Guidelines:

Application Deadline: Applicants will be considered on a rolling basis.

Preferred Start Date: August 2026

Application Materials: 

• Resume
• Cover letter explaining your interest in and qualifications for the position
• Contact information for three professional references

Submit Materials to:

• Andrew Barr, Senior Director, Finance & Administration at [email protected]

Applicants should submit all materials. Incomplete applications will not be considered. No telephone calls please. For background on USCBC, see www.uschina.org.