Chief of Staff to the Chief Communications Officer presso American Clean Power Association (ACP)

Position Summary 

The Chief of Staff to the Chief Communications Officer plays a critical role in driving strategic excellence and operational effectiveness across the Communications Department. Serving as a trusted advisor and integrator, the Chief of Staff ensures the department operates with clarity, discipline, and alignment to ACP’s advocacy and organizational priorities. 

This role advances high-impact initiatives that require visibility with the Board of Directors, key committees, and senior leadership, translating strategy into action and ensuring consistent, high-quality outcomes. The Chief of Staff combines strong execution and project management with the ability to build trusted relationships across teams and with senior stakeholders. Acting as both a strategic thought partner and project leader, the role applies sound judgment and decision-making, strengthens cross-functional collaboration, and contributes to ACP’s planning and strategy development. 

With deep subject matter expertise in communications and public affairs, the Chief of Staff enables the department to anticipate challenges, align initiatives with ACP’s advocacy goals, and deliver results that elevate ACP’s reputation and mission. Through leadership by influence, this role champions accountability, fosters alignment, and helps ensure ACP’s Communications team consistently demonstrates excellence in service of the association’s members and strategic goals. 

Essential Functions/Major Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty and responsibility satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable an individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Other duties may be assigned to meet business needs. 

• Partner with the Chief Communications Officer to define and execute departmental priorities, ensuring communications initiatives are aligned with ACP’s advocacy strategy and organizational goals. 
• Lead strategic planning and execution of high-visibility projects, developing frameworks, timelines, and performance measures that reflect ACP’s commitment to excellence. 
• Support Board and committee engagement by preparing materials, coordinating deliverables, and ensuring communications priorities are advanced in governance forums. 
• Serve as a strategic project manager, coordinating across communications sub-teams, external consultants, and cross-functional partners to deliver integrated and impactful outcomes. 
• Anticipate risks, industry trends, and stakeholder sensitivities; apply sound judgment to propose solutions that protect and strengthen ACP’s reputation. 
• Prepare and refine executive-level deliverables—including presentations, reports, and strategy documents—that synthesize complex issues for senior audiences. 
• Act as a connector across departments, fostering collaboration with Policy, Advocacy, Membership, Events and other teams to ensure communications efforts are aligned and mutually reinforcing. 
• Track departmental budgets and resource allocations, providing reporting and insights that support accountability, efficiency, and strategic decision-making. 
• Model leadership by influence, offering guidance, coaching, and feedback to project contributors, and fostering a culture of accountability, inclusion, and continuous improvement. 
• Support departmental performance management by partnering with the Chief Communications Officer to track goals, monitor progress against priorities, and reinforce accountability across the Communications team. Ensure performance expectations are clearly communicated and aligned with ACP’s values and competency framework. 

Education, Experience & Skills 

• 10+ years of progressive experience in communications, public affairs, policy, or a related strategic and operational leadership role. 
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred (or equivalent experience). 
• Proven ability to shape strategy and translate executive vision into operational plans with measurable outcomes. 
• General understanding of / familiarity with clean energy technologies, the industry landscape, and priority industry issues. 
• Experience working with or supporting boards of directors, senior committees, and executive leadership, with demonstrated success delivering high-quality materials and insights for governance-level decision making. 
• Demonstrated expertise in strategic project management, including leading cross-functional initiatives and ensuring accountability for results. 
• Strong executive communication and presentation skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information into compelling narratives for senior audiences. 
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and decision-making in politically sensitive or high-pressure contexts, balancing competing priorities with discretion and integrity. 
• Proven track record of building trusted relationships across senior internal and external stakeholders and influencing outcomes without direct authority. 
• Experience with budget tracking, reporting, and resource analysis to support departmental planning and accountability. 
• Deep subject matter expertise in communications and public affairs, with a strong understanding of advocacy, organizational strategy, and member-driven priorities in the clean energy sector preferred. 

Job Conditions

We are a fast-paced, high-energy organization with a very ambitious agenda and a staff that is highly motivated. This position may experience high-level work demands and independent decision-making under tight timelines. Regular travel across the country for meetings or events may be required. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. ACP will not sponsor applicants for work visas. 

We reasonably believe that the base salary range for this position is $180,000- 200,000. At ACP, compensation decisions consider skills, experience, training, education, and organizational needs. ACP offers comprehensive benefits including 401k, PTO, commuter benefits, wellness reimbursement, and professional development opportunities.