Chief of Staff – Security & Technology

Position Overview

Do you thrive in dynamic environments, wearing multiple hats and tackling diverse challenges? Are you looking to help formulate strategic decisions at a high growth startup while helping ensure agile, meaningful delivery?

We are seeking a strategic, execution-focused Chief of Staff for the Chainguard Security & Technology organization. In this role, you will serve as the trusted right-hand to our senior leaders across security and enterprise technology teams, helping ensure both their success and the success of our overall mission. This is a mission-critical role at the intersection of cybersecurity, infrastructure, and business operations—ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, high-impact environment.

The Chief of Staff will act as a force multiplier for the CISO, ensuring alignment across internal stakeholders, managing cross-functional special projects, and helping the teams in Security & Technology ensure they operate with world class performance. This role is a position of trust and the holder of this role always conducts themselves with the utmost discretion and tact.

Responsibilities

Strategic Planning & Operations

• Drive quarterly and annual planning processes; track goals and key results (OKRs) across the Security & Technology org
• Design and implement operational rhythms, including leadership meetings, project reviews, and status updates

Executive & Team Enablement

• Serve as trusted advisor to the CISO and leadership team, helping prioritize initiatives and escalate blockers
• Craft executive briefs, board materials, and internal communications

Program & Project Management

• Lead cross-functional initiatives and special projects
• Build and maintain program dashboards, timelines, and risk tracking to ensure on-time delivery

Process Improvement

• Coach org leaders and teams on process improvement and workflow scalability in areas such as TPRM, asset lifecycle, and security operations
• Partner with HR, Finance, and Engineering on headcount, budget, and resourcing plans

Requirements

• Can-do attitude, runs through walls, anticipates and solves problems. Expeditor and can inspire others to get things done.
• Curious and inquisitive; not happy with second-rate results.
• Executive presence, as this job interacts extensively with other executives and investors.
• North America-based preferred, with US-based travel approximately 6 times per year (2 company summits, 4 executive team offsites / board meetings).
• Exceptional skills with Google Sheets, Slides, Docs, dashboards, etc.
• Proven track record managing cross-functional initiatives in fast-paced environments (startup or growth-stage preferred).
• Strong understanding of cybersecurity concepts and business operations and enterprise IT domains (preferred).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate between technical and business audiences.

Compensation

• Base Salary Range: $215,000 - $245,000 USD

About Us

Chainguard is the secure foundation for software development and deployment. By providing guarded open source software, built from source and updated continuously, Chainguard helps organizations eliminate threats in their software supply chains.

Founded by the industry's leading experts on open source software, security and cloud native development, Chainguard has built the largest library of open source software that is secure by default.

Chainguard’s mission is to be the safe source for open source.

We live and breathe our company values:

• Customer obsessed: We focus on delivering solutions to our customers that create value and make their lives better.
• Bias for intentional action: We prioritize, plan, try things, and fail fast.
• Don’t take ourselves too seriously (but we do serious work): We are solving an important problem which takes focus, but we also like to enjoy the journey.
• Trust each other: We trust each other.