Chief of Staff at PowerLines in Washington, DC

Overview

PowerLines is a national nonprofit organization that aims to modernize the utility regulatory system for American energy consumers to lower utility bills and grow the economy. It focuses on state public utilities commissions (PUCs), which play a critical role in determining how much people pay for utility bills, how utilities invest in different types of energy, and where new energy projects are built. These 200 commissioners oversee more than $200 billion in utility spending each year and have significant influence over the future of our energy system.

Rising utility bills is quickly becoming a national economic and political issue. In 2025, utilities requested a record-setting $31 billion in rate increases, double the previous record, while 80 million Americans are struggling to pay their utility bills. Meanwhile, the U.S. grid is experiencing the fastest rise in electricity demand in decades with the growth of AI data centers and manufacturing. Utility bills have become a defining national economic and political issue.

Recognized on the 2025 “TIME100 Next” list, PowerLines is rapidly becoming a go-to source and leader in informing the national discussion of this issue and has already shaped the conversation in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Politico, Bloomberg, CBS News, NPR, Marketplace, Financial Times, TIME, Vox, The Daily Mail, and MIT Technology Review.

PowerLines is in a period of significant organizational growth and seeks a full-time Chief of Staff to directly support its Founder and Executive Director. The Chief of Staff will act as a force multiplier for leadership and the organization by operating as an “air traffic controller” by supporting operational execution of strategy, managing up and across the organization, and streamlining internal processes and clearing bottlenecks. This person should be eager to wear multiple hats and maintain adaptability in a nimble, high-velocity startup environment.

This will not be a static, slow-paced role. PowerLines is a rapidly growing, early-stage startup nonprofit organization. Every day at PowerLines looks different. The person in this role will be expected to work at a rapid pace. In exchange, the Chief of Staff will have significant opportunities for professional and personal growth, including the opportunity to interface with a diverse group of high-profile stakeholders, have a front row seat to a variety of interesting opportunities and settings with the potential to shape the energy landscape, build strategy and project management muscles, and tackle an important national problem at a critical time. This person will be expected to drive organizational efficiency, tackle complex problems, turn strategy into execution, translate ideas into execution, and keep the trains running.

PowerLines is headquartered in Washington, DC. The Chief of Staff can be remote but must be able to be present in-person in Washington, DC on a regular basis. Significant travel is expected for this role (up to 25%). This is not a traditional “9 to 5” role and may involve work on evenings and weekends. The Chief of Staff will work closely with and report directly to the Founder and Executive Director.

Key Responsibilities

• Operations
  • Run weekly team meetings and lead preparation for internal team meetings, including development of agendas and notetaking
  • Manage internal and external workstreams and personnel, untangle internal bottlenecks and advance clarity, and ensure optimal organizational success
  • Lead organizational project management including management of team progress tracker and development of organizational KPIs, success metrics, and progress of workstreams
  • Support development of external engagement strategy and implementation plan for the organization, including conferences, media engagement and speaking opportunities, and strategic events and convenings
  • Support organizational and individual review processes, including development of organizational and individuals goals
  • Provide operational support to PowerLines projects and teams as needed
  • Support strategic planning and execution, keeping plans up to date to ensure our approach is relevant, responsive, and dynamic
  • Lead, develop, and assign ad hoc requests and special projects as needed
  • Develop and maintain internal databases, including team folders, customer relationship management (CRM) databases, and internal dashboards
  • Embed technological and AI solutions within the organization for efficiency and streamlined operations
  • Oversee planning and execution of logistics for strategic events and convenings
  • Execute processing of reimbursements, receipts, and other expenses
  • Manage hiring and onboarding of new team members, including drafting of role descriptions and contracts
• Executive Support
  • Serve as an extension of the Executive Director, including attending internal and external meetings on behalf of the Executive Director as needed
  • Oversee development of briefing book for the Executive Director including internal documents for review and preparatory materials for meetings
  • Develop internal and external strategic memos, decks, and other materials
  • Work with the Executive Director on a regular basis to ensure that priorities and key tasks are completed
  • Draft internal memos and organizational messages to ensure strong internal communications and alignment
  • Ensure follow up with key contacts that the Executive Director makes during external engagements and coordinate follow up
  • Travel with the Executive Director as needed
• Fundraising
  • Support the Executive Director in coordination with major philanthropic partners
  • Support drafting of fundraising decks, grant proposals and budgets, memos, reports, and other updates
  • Support development of impact and tracking reports, dashboards, annual impact report
• Team Culture
  • Support building of organizational and team culture, including planning for team retreats, happy hours, and other team building events
  • Develop systems to ensure strong cross-departmental communications and collaboration
  • Support professional development opportunities for PowerLines team members

The ideal candidate will be a scrappy individual who brings a “get stuff done” mindset, can carry a project from design to execution, has excellent written and communication skills, takes initiative, and brings a high degree of emotional intelligence in dynamic settings. They will bring a “low-ego” and “builder” mentality that will help scale PowerLines in its current growth and development trajectory.

Required Qualifications:

• 4-10 years of experience in strategy or management consulting, business, operations, project management, nonprofits, government, or a related field, preferably in a startup setting
• An ability to “manage up” and engage effectively with team members
• Strong project management skills, including an ability to track progress of complex workstreams
• An orientation towards strategically removing organizational bottlenecks and streamlining internal processes and operations to maximize efficiency and impact
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, as well as an ability to multitask and prioritize high-volume, high-priority initiatives to deliver operational excellence
• Excellent ability to communicate complex ideas in clear, concise terms, including verbally, in writing, and in presentations
• A highly motivated self-starter with a “get stuff done” and “whatever it takes” mentality to deliver success and execute strategy
• Strong emotional intelligence skills, including savviness in navigating complex settings with a diverse set of stakeholders
• Capacity to thrive in an early-stage, fast-paced, dynamic, and uncertain startup environment, including an ability to identify priorities, function independently, and operate with tight timelines
• A passion for advancing PowerLines’ mission of modernizing the utility regulatory system to lower utility bills and grow the economy through a consumer-centered lens

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with artificial intelligence (AI) tools and resources to strengthen organizational performance
• Strategic thinking and creative problem solving skills, including an ability to think big-picture and translate ideas into strategy
• Experience managing relationships with senior principals, including C-Suite executives, elected officials, or other high-level decision makers
• Deep intellectual curiosity and thoughtfulness

Compensation and Benefits

• The expected salary range for this role is $100,000-$150,000 per year plus benefits. Compensation will be based on skills, qualifications, experience, location, and other factors.
• The benefits package includes unlimited PTO, paid holidays, health insurance, a 401k employer match, sick leave, and health and wellness benefits.

How To Apply:

• Please include your CV/resume and a detailed, specific response regarding why you are interested in the Chief of Staff role at PowerLines. All materials submitted will be carefully read and considered.
• Priority consideration will be given to applications received by March 31, 2026, but applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.