Chief of Staff to the Chief Operating Officer

Take Your Corporate Career to the Next Level  

Kleinfelder, a Forbes' Top Employer for Engineers in North America, is committed to a people-first culture, technical excellence, and creating opportunities where employees can thrive!

Are you ready to be challenged, make a difference, and experience professional growth in your career? Kleinfelder’s Corporate Services team is looking for you! From Accounting & Finance, Human Resources, Marketing & Communications, and Information Technology to Legal and Health & Safety, our corporate employees are part of the Kleinfelder ecosystem – supporting the projects that improve the communities we work and live in.   

Step into Your New Role  

Executive Administrative Specialist/ Chief of Staff to the Chief Operating Officer

The Chief of Staff (CoS) to the COO serves as the primary execution partner, responsible for driving COO-sponsored initiatives, managing enterprise programs, and ensuring operational alignment and accountability across the firm.

This role combines executive support, enterprise program leadership, and organizational enablement, ensuring that strategic priorities are translated into action. The CoS is accountable for execution velocity, cross-functional coordination, and disciplined follow-through.

This role is execution-focused, program-driven, and relationship-heavy, with selective administrative responsibility focused on executive effectiveness.

Key Responsibilities

1. Executive Enablement & Prioritization

• Serves as trusted partner to the COO and executive team in: Priority management, Strategic planning, and Executive decision facilitation.
• Demonstrates discretion, confidentiality, and the highest level of professionalism.
• Prepares executive briefings, leadership materials, and board content.
• Represent the COO in meetings as delegated.

2. Program Leadership & Enterprise Execution

• Drives the portfolio of COO-sponsored initiatives including:
  • Operational improvement programs,
  • Operational coordination,
  • Corporate cross functional coordination & initiatives,
  • System improvement implementations.
  • Organizational effectiveness programs.
• Interprets company and internal administrative policies and procedures and implements improvements as needed.
• Establish governance structures, project plans, milestones, and reporting for operational process improvement programs.
• Drives accountability and follow-through across business units and functions.
• Remove execution barriers and resolve cross-functional friction.

3. Cross-Functional Integration & Change Leadership

• Act as enterprise integrator for COO sponsored initiatives across Operations, Finance, HR, IT, Safety, Communications, Sales & Growth, and Strategy.
• Supports organizational change management, communications, and adoption by working across operations and corporate functional groups to ensure well thought out program roll out and communication to minimize negative operational impacts and drive quick adoption of programs.

4. Select, Executive Administrative Support

• Prepares special reports, analyses, and memos. Obtains data from various Kleinfelder systems and interprets and communicates as necessary.
• Answers questions and respond to requests by clients or other Kleinfelder staff on behalf of the COO and executive leadership team.
• Manages and schedules meetings, conferences, interviews and appointments. Coordinates various functions and events, makes travel arrangements and reservations as needed.
• Arranges internally sponsored training sessions, including location identification, vendor interaction, attendee registration, budget maintenance, invoicing, general logistics management.

Position Competency Requirements:

Building and Supporting Teams

• Shows enthusiasm toward being a member of the team
• Actively participates in team meetings and activities
• Leverages the skills and interests of coworkers to achieve goals and solve problems
• Supports team decisions

Delivering High Quality Work

• Critically reviews work processes to ensure quality
• Addresses problems that could impact quality
• Makes sure project deliverables and services meet all requirements and expectations
• Does not make the same mistake twice

Making Accurate Judgments and Decisions

• Bases decisions on a systematic review of relevant facts and information
• Avoids making assumptions or rushing to judgment
• Provides clear rationale for decisions

Managing Resources

• Accurately estimates resources and time required to complete projects 
• Identifies and secures resources needed to complete tasks and initiatives
• Makes efficient use of resources 

Supporting Organizational Goals

• Actively supports organizational goals and values
• Demonstrates enthusiasm toward the company's goals and mission
• Aligns actions around organizational goals

Health & Safety (9a)

• Demonstrates commitment to using LPS and other Health and Safety tools to identify and correct hazards, at-risk behavior, and near-losses

Key Performance Metrics

• Execution velocity of COO lead initiatives.
• Adoption rate of improvement and policy initiatives.
• Executive alignment and satisfaction.
• Measurable operational performance improvement.

Experience and Education Requirements:

• Associates degree or equivalent from a 2-year college or technical school
• Bachelor's degree (preferred)
• 8-10 years of proven, related experience
• Superior communications skills and in-depth knowledge of company products and operations
• Knowledge of financial and CRM computer systems

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines that requires constant and repetitive motions.

Move Forward with Kleinfelder: Kleinfelder and its’ subsidiaries and affiliates, has been connecting great people to the best work since 1961. We are engineers, scientists, and construction professionals providing solutions that improve our clients’ transportation, water, energy, and other private infrastructure. As a responsive, cross-disciplinary team of bright, curious, and innovative problem-solvers, we are dedicated to doing the right thing, every day, on every project from over 110 offices in the US, Canada, and Australia. Connecting great people to the best work is our purpose – together, we deliver.  

Progress with an Employer that Values You 

Kleinfelder, and its’ subsidiaries and affiliates, is an inclusive organization free from discrimination. We are a stronger organization when we are a diverse workforce and believe that through diversity, equity, and inclusion comes creativity, innovation, and unity. We are proud to offer the following:  

Benefits: Kleinfelder, and its’ subsidiaries and affiliates, offers an excellent compensation and benefits package, including: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401(k) plan, and paid holidays.  The expected salary range for the position is displayed in accordance with the California Pay Transparency Law.  Final agreed upon compensation is based upon individual qualifications and experience. Salary Range: $60,196-105,487. 

Career Development: We are committed to investing in the professional development of our staff, offering each employee every opportunity to grow, develop, and take control of their career paths. We support these efforts through reimbursements for continuing education as well as many of the expenses associated with trainings and certifications, and opportunities for career development through our internal Mentoring Program.  

Equal Opportunity: Kleinfelder, and its’ subsidiaries and affiliates, is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Minorities/Women/Disabled/Veterans. (Compliant with the new VEVRAA and Section 503 rules)  

NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES   

Please note that Kleinfelder, and its’ subsidiaries and affiliates, does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed Recruitment Fee Agreement, Kleinfelder, and its’ subsidiaries and affiliates, will not consider or agree to payment for any referral compensation or recruiter fee. In the event a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without a previously signed agreement, Kleinfelder, and its’ subsidiaries and affiliates, explicitly reserves the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resume, including those submitted to hiring managers, are deemed to be the property of Kleinfelder.