Chief Of Staff

Center for Humane Technology (CHT) Overview

The Center for Humane Technology's mission is to catalyze a humane future. CHT reframes the insidious effects of persuasive technology, exposes the runaway systems beneath, and deepens the capacity of leaders across sectors and global decision-makers to take wise action. In 2020, CHT was thrilled to support the development and release of The Social Dilemma, the acclaimed Netflix documentary directed by Jeff Orlowski-Yang on the existential threats posed by social media, reaching an estimated 100 million viewers worldwide.

Learn more at humanetech.com

Who We Are

Together with its partners, the Center for Humane Technology is dedicated to radically reimagining our digital infrastructure. CHT’s mission is to drive a comprehensive shift toward humane technology that supports overall well-being, democracy, and shared information environment.

From the dinner table to the corner office to the halls of government, CHT’s work mobilizes millions of advocates, technologists, business leaders, and policymakers through media campaigns, working groups, and high-level briefings.

CHT’s journey began in 2013 when Tristan Harris, then a Google Design Ethicist, created the viral presentation, “A Call to Minimize Distraction & Respect Users’ Attention.” The presentation, followed by two TED talks and a 60 Minutes interview, sparked the Time Well Spent movement and laid the groundwork for the founding of the Center for Humane Technology (CHT) as an independent 501c3 nonprofit in 2018.

Job Description:

The Chief of Staff position is a critical and trusted leadership role serving as the strategic right-hand person to the Co-Founder & President of The Center for Humane Technology, (CHT), Tristan Harris. This role will report directly to Tristan and will work in close collaboration with him and members of the CHT Team. This candidate will own a range of day-to-day responsibilities supporting Tristan, including attending meetings with him, leading strategic planning processes, and managing the logistics of daily work.

Employment Details:

• Terms: Full-time permanent role with 90-day trial period
• Compensation & Benefits: $150k annual salary, paid time off, medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401K with 4% matching
• Location: San Francisco Bay Area is preferred

Key Responsibilities:

Strategically triage Tristan’s incoming opportunities

• Help manage Tristan’s priorities to ensure accountability and delivery
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key partners and contacts
• Work closely with Director of Scheduling to prioritize Tristan’s commitments (e.g., meetings, speaking engagements, inbound requests, and other forms of support)

Ensure strategic outcomes from all meetings

• Support Tristan through strategic preparation & background research
• Attend meetings with Tristan
• Partner effectively with the Chief Communications Officer to effectively triage and prioritize activities, communications, and opportunities
• Bring a keen attention to detail during meetings and outsource adjacent ideas to CHT’s founding allies and partners, as appropriate

Assist with written materials and presentations

• Draft emails on behalf of Tristan and in his ‘voice’
• Compose documents and other materials as a follow up to meetings
• Collaborate on presentations, op-eds, and other external communications

Education

Relevant Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Requirements:

Ideal candidates will be purposely aligned with CHT’s mission and have some combination of the following:

• Demonstrated experience in CHT mission-aligned work
• Strong understanding of the material in Foundations of Humane Technology (either by completing the course content or via other experience/training)
• Strategic thinker with an ability to plan and lead initiatives and execute with precision
• Operates with the highest level of confidentiality, always exercising discretion
• Ability to adapt to a changing environment and handle multiple priorities
• Exceptional project management skills (making messy things organized, ‘herding cats’, following up, etc.)
• Excellent communicator in written and verbal form
• Extremely versatile, dedicated to efficient productivity
• Relevant experience in one or more of the following industries: Military, Investment Management, Law firms, Government, or Consulting.
• Willingness to travel frequently, and on short notice