Planet Harvest
Chief of Staff to CEO - Mission-Driven Food & Agriculture Startup
Location: Hybrid (Glencoe, IL - 3 days a week)
Reports to: Co-Founder/CEO
Type: Full-time
Overview We are seeking a strategic and highly organized Chief of Staff to partner directly with our CEO in driving the mission and operations of a fast‑growing food and agriculture company. This role is critical to maximizing leadership effectiveness in a high‑volume, fast‑paced environment where every decision impacts farmers, communities, and sustainable food systems. The ideal candidate is a proactive problem‑solver who can juggle strategic initiatives, operational coordination, and executive communications while maintaining focus on what matters most.
Key Responsibilities Strategic Support & Decision Facilitation (40%)
Frame options and facilitate decision‑making for the CEO on high‑priority initiatives
Coordinate strategic projects across departments and ensure completion
Prepare materials for key meetings and track follow‑up actions
Oversee critical projects from inception to completion
Enforce priorities and act as gatekeeper for the CEO's calendar and focus time
Identify bottlenecks and drive decision velocity across the organization
Communications Management (30%)
Triage and manage CEO email flow, drafting responses and reducing reactive work by 50%+
Track meeting outcomes and ensure follow‑through on action items
Coordinate internal communications to improve team alignment and goal clarity
Manage external partner communications on behalf of the CEO
Create systems to reduce the CEO's communication burden while maintaining relationships
Operational Coordination (20%)
Lead cross‑functional projects that require coordination across multiple teams
Identify and implement process improvements to increase organizational effectiveness
Facilitate knowledge sharing and team alignment across departments
Support the leadership team in maintaining focus on strategic goals
Create visibility into company priorities and progress
Administrative Excellence (10%)
Coordinate complex travel and high‑stakes event preparation
Support board and investor relations activities
Manage strategic documentation and organizational knowledge
Handle special projects as needed to support the CEO and leadership team
Success Metrics (First 90 Days)
Increase CEO's strategic focus time from current baseline to 15+ hours/week
Reduce meeting load by 20‑30% through better prioritization and preparation
Eliminate or significantly reduce after‑hours administrative work for leadership team
Improve decision velocity (track time from issue identification to resolution)
Increase team visibility into priorities (target: 4.0/5 in quarterly survey)
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, or related field (or equivalent experience)
3‑5+ years of experience in operations, strategy, consulting, or chief of staff roles
Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
Strong project management capabilities with attention to detail and follow‑through
Experience working directly with C‑level executives
Comfortable with ambiguity and building processes from the ground up
Mission‑aligned with sustainable agriculture and food systems
Proficiency with productivity tools (Google Workspace, project management software, etc.)
About Us Planet Harvest is a mission‑driven food and agriculture company focused on creating incremental supportive revenue for farmers through sustainable operations and waste monetization. We operate multiple business lines including ingredient supply, community food boxes, and more. Our team is talented, passionate, and growing rapidly and we’re looking for a candidate who can continue to help us scale.
Compensation Salary range: $80,000‑$125,000 depending on experience, plus benefits
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Location: Hybrid (Glencoe, IL - 3 days a week)
Reports to: Co-Founder/CEO
Type: Full-time
Overview We are seeking a strategic and highly organized Chief of Staff to partner directly with our CEO in driving the mission and operations of a fast‑growing food and agriculture company. This role is critical to maximizing leadership effectiveness in a high‑volume, fast‑paced environment where every decision impacts farmers, communities, and sustainable food systems. The ideal candidate is a proactive problem‑solver who can juggle strategic initiatives, operational coordination, and executive communications while maintaining focus on what matters most.
Key Responsibilities Strategic Support & Decision Facilitation (40%)
Frame options and facilitate decision‑making for the CEO on high‑priority initiatives
Coordinate strategic projects across departments and ensure completion
Prepare materials for key meetings and track follow‑up actions
Oversee critical projects from inception to completion
Enforce priorities and act as gatekeeper for the CEO's calendar and focus time
Identify bottlenecks and drive decision velocity across the organization
Communications Management (30%)
Triage and manage CEO email flow, drafting responses and reducing reactive work by 50%+
Track meeting outcomes and ensure follow‑through on action items
Coordinate internal communications to improve team alignment and goal clarity
Manage external partner communications on behalf of the CEO
Create systems to reduce the CEO's communication burden while maintaining relationships
Operational Coordination (20%)
Lead cross‑functional projects that require coordination across multiple teams
Identify and implement process improvements to increase organizational effectiveness
Facilitate knowledge sharing and team alignment across departments
Support the leadership team in maintaining focus on strategic goals
Create visibility into company priorities and progress
Administrative Excellence (10%)
Coordinate complex travel and high‑stakes event preparation
Support board and investor relations activities
Manage strategic documentation and organizational knowledge
Handle special projects as needed to support the CEO and leadership team
Success Metrics (First 90 Days)
Increase CEO's strategic focus time from current baseline to 15+ hours/week
Reduce meeting load by 20‑30% through better prioritization and preparation
Eliminate or significantly reduce after‑hours administrative work for leadership team
Improve decision velocity (track time from issue identification to resolution)
Increase team visibility into priorities (target: 4.0/5 in quarterly survey)
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, or related field (or equivalent experience)
3‑5+ years of experience in operations, strategy, consulting, or chief of staff roles
Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
Strong project management capabilities with attention to detail and follow‑through
Experience working directly with C‑level executives
Comfortable with ambiguity and building processes from the ground up
Mission‑aligned with sustainable agriculture and food systems
Proficiency with productivity tools (Google Workspace, project management software, etc.)
About Us Planet Harvest is a mission‑driven food and agriculture company focused on creating incremental supportive revenue for farmers through sustainable operations and waste monetization. We operate multiple business lines including ingredient supply, community food boxes, and more. Our team is talented, passionate, and growing rapidly and we’re looking for a candidate who can continue to help us scale.
Compensation Salary range: $80,000‑$125,000 depending on experience, plus benefits
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