The Role
Partners with the CEO and executive leadership team to translate strategy into execution, lead complex cross-functional initiatives, manage the enterprise operating cadence, prepare Board materials, support executive communications, and improve organizational effectiveness. Serves as a trusted advisor and enterprise resource, driving ambiguous, high-priority initiatives from analysis through measurable delivery while managing sensitive stakeholder relationships.
Summary Generated by Built In
WHO WE ARE
Lindblad Expeditions is a true pioneer in Expedition Travel. From taking the first citizen explorers to Antarctica in 1966, opening the Galapagos and Easter Island to tourism in 1967, leading the first tourist expedition through the Northwest Passage in 1984, and launching our innovative partnership with National Geographic in 2004, we're now taking almost 30,000 guests a year to some of the world’s most remote and pristine locations on our fleet of 20 ships, and are committed to ensuring our guests experience the “Exhilaration of Discovery”.
POSITION SUMMARY
Lindblad Expeditions is seeking an exceptional leader to serve as Chief of Staff. This is a highly visible enterprise leadership role partnering directly with the CEO and Executive Leadership Team (ELT) to translate strategy into execution, lead complex cross-functional initiatives, and improve organizational effectiveness.
Acting as an extension of the CEO, the Chief of Staff will help set and advance strategic priorities, strengthen the company's executive operating cadence, lead Board preparation, and take ownership of CEO-sponsored initiatives that span functions or do not have a natural organizational owner.
Success requires a distinctive combination of strategic thinking, business judgment, operational rigor, executive presence, and emotional intelligence. The successful candidate will be equally comfortable analyzing an ambiguous business problem, developing a recommendation, facilitating senior-level discussions, and rolling up their sleeves to drive execution.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES
- Serve as a trusted advisor and thought partner to the CEO, bringing perspective, analysis, and sound judgment to key business opportunities, organizational questions, and complex decisions.
- Partner with the CEO and ELT to define annual strategic priorities and translate them into clear enterprise objectives, ownership, milestones, and measures of progress.
- Build and run the enterprise operating cadence that converts strategic priorities and leadership decisions into consistent execution and follow-through.
- Maintain a holistic view across the enterprise, identifying cross-functional dependencies, emerging risks, execution gaps, and opportunities requiring CEO or ELT attention.
- Help focus the organization on its highest priorities and bring structure and momentum to issues that cut across functions or risk falling between organizational lines. CEO-Sponsored Strategic Initiatives
- Take ownership of high-priority initiatives and complex problems on behalf of the CEO, particularly those that are ambiguous, cross-functional, time-sensitive, or lack a natural functional owner.
- Frame complex business questions, conduct or coordinate the necessary analysis, develop recommendations, and mobilize the right stakeholders to move from question to action.
- Drive initiatives end-to-end, from defining the problem and determining the path forward through stakeholder alignment, execution, and delivery of measurable outcomes.
- Serve as a flexible enterprise resource who can be deployed against emerging opportunities, organizational questions, and other priorities requiring focused leadership and ownership. CEO Communications & Company Voice
- Partner with the CEO to shape internal and external communications, ensuring clear and consistent messaging aligned with company strategy, priorities, and culture.
- Understand and authentically represent the CEO's voice and perspective across communications with employees, investors, media, partners, and other stakeholders.
- Draft CEO communications, including company-wide messages, presentations, talking points, speeches, and stakeholder correspondence.
- Partner with Communications/PR, Investor Relations, People, and other teams to prepare the CEO for significant internal and external engagements. Board Materials & Meeting Preparation
- Partner with the CEO to shape Board meeting agendas, narratives, key topics, and decisions, ensuring the Board has the context and information needed for productive discussion.
- Lead the end-to-end development of Board materials, working with the CEO and ELT to synthesize company performance, strategic priorities, key opportunities, and areas requiring Board input.
- Coordinate inputs across the organization and drive preparation from initial planning through finalization, ensuring materials are clear, cohesive, high quality, and delivered on schedule.
- Bring an enterprise-wide perspective to Board materials, connecting functional updates into a coherent story about the business. Executive Leadership Team, Culture & Organizational Effectiveness
- Partner with the CEO to shape and facilitate ELT meetings and offsites, focusing leadership time on the company's most important priorities and decisions.
- Translate leadership decisions into clear ownership and action through the broader enterprise operating cadence.
- Serve as a trusted thought partner to the CEO and ELT on organizational culture and leadership effectiveness, providing candid, constructive feedback and identifying opportunities for improvement.
- Maintain a strong pulse on the organization and help the CEO and ELT reinforce desired culture and behaviors through leadership actions, communications, and company-wide initiatives. Executive & External Stakeholder Engagement
- Build trusted relationships across the organization and serve as a highly credible extension of the CEO.
- Interface effectively with senior internal and external stakeholders, adapting communication and approach to the audience and situation.
- Represent the Office of the CEO with professionalism, sound judgment, discretion, and integrity.
- Handle highly confidential and sensitive matters with exceptional trustworthiness.
Strategic Partnership & Enterprise Execution
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree required.
- 8–12+ years of experience in management consulting, corporate strategy, business operations, general management, or another role requiring significant strategic and cross-functional leadership.
- Demonstrated experience partnering directly with C-suite executives on enterprise-level strategy, operations, transformation, or other high-priority business initiatives.
- Proven ability to take ownership of complex, ambiguous problems and drive them from initial question through analysis, decision, and execution.
- Experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives and influencing senior leaders without relying on formal authority.
- Strong analytical and business judgment, including experience using financial, operational, and business data to evaluate problems, develop recommendations, and support executive decision-making.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information into clear executive-level narratives, presentations, and recommendations.
- Experience establishing or managing strategic planning processes, executive operating cadences, KPIs/OKRs, or similar mechanisms for tracking enterprise priorities and execution.
- Strong executive presence and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and credibility quickly across all levels of an organization.
- Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple high-priority workstreams while maintaining focus on broader strategic objectives.
- Advanced proficiency with Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel and comfort working with collaboration, project management, and business reporting tools.
- High degree of integrity, professionalism, discretion, and trustworthiness.
- MBA or other relevant advanced degree.
- Prior Chief of Staff experience or experience in a comparable enterprise strategy, transformation, or executive-office role.
- Experience supporting Board of Directors or executive leadership communications, presentations, meeting preparation, or strategic decision-making.
- Experience in experiential travel, hospitality, consumer brands, or another customer-focused industry.
- Experience working within a public company or other complex, multi-stakeholder operating environment.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
OUR BENEFITS
• Travel benefits for employees and their family
• Voyage of Discovery trips for employees to travel as guests
• Health insurance including Medical, Dental, Vision
• 401(k) plan with employer match
• Long-Term Disability, Life & AD&D Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to be used for out-of-pocket medical and dependent care
• Pre-Tax Commuter Benefit
• 7-8 Paid Holidays
• 1 Floating Holiday Options
• Up to 15 days of vacation (pro-rated per anniversary year)
• Parental Leave
• Sick/personal days per city & state ordinance
• Pet Insurance discount
Hybrid Work Schedule
Positions based in our New York and Seattle offices follow a hybrid work schedule, requiring employees to work in the office Tuesday through Thursday, with the option to work remotely Monday and Friday. Candidates must reside within reasonable commuting distance of their designated office.
Communication Skills
Using the English language, this person must have the ability to read, write, and comprehend policies, legal guidelines, correspondence, and memos. Must also possess the ability to effectively communicate--both in writing and orally--with a professional demeanor.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk and hear. The employee will also be required to write and type. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms.
COMPENSATION STATEMENT
Lindblad Expeditions determines the pay for positions using local, national, and industry-specific survey data. We evaluate external equity and the cost of labor/prevailing wage index in the relative marketplace for jobs directly comparable to jobs within our company. Our posted salary range is based on national data and may be refined for a candidate's region/town/cost of living.
For new hires, we strive to make competitive offers allowing the new employee room for future growth. Salaries will be based on the applicant’s location, level of experience, education, and specialized knowledge and skills. An employee/candidate with a stronger skill set will receive higher pay.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER STATEMENT
At Lindblad Expeditions, we simply could not do our work without the diverse kaleidoscope of humanity that creates and delivers our remarkable offerings across the planet. As a Company that respects and celebrates the inherent diversity in the places we explore, we recognize the need to mirror that same diversity and all the interconnected perspectives within our organization. We are committed to building a community of different genders, races, ages, sexual orientations, chosen identities, and countries of origin where every person brings their whole self to work and whose skills, talents, and abilities are valued. We believe we can explore further and in a more meaningful way by actively creating a more diverse and inclusive organization where everyone feels they belong.
Lindblad Expeditions is an equal opportunity employer. Individuals seeking employment at Lindblad Expeditions are considered without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetics, marital status, pregnancy, unemployment status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or veteran status.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree
- 8-12+ years of experience in management consulting, corporate strategy, business operations, general management, or a strategically focused cross-functional leadership role
- Experience partnering directly with C-suite executives on enterprise-level strategy, operations, transformation, or high-priority business initiatives
- Experience owning complex, ambiguous problems from initial question through analysis, decision, and execution
- Experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives and influencing senior leaders without formal authority
- Strong analytical and business judgment using financial, operational, and business data to develop recommendations and support executive decisions
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level narratives, presentations, and recommendations
- Experience establishing or managing strategic planning processes, executive operating cadences, KPIs, OKRs, or similar execution-tracking mechanisms
- Strong executive presence and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust across organizational levels
- Exceptional organization and attention to detail while managing multiple high-priority workstreams
- Advanced proficiency with Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel, plus familiarity with collaboration, project management, and business reporting tools
- High integrity, professionalism, discretion, and trustworthiness
- MBA or other relevant advanced degree
- Prior Chief of Staff experience or comparable enterprise strategy, transformation, or executive-office experience
- Experience supporting Boards of Directors or executive leadership communications, presentations, meeting preparation, or strategic decision-making
- Experience in experiential travel, hospitality, consumer brands, or another customer-focused industry
- Experience in a public company or complex, multi-stakeholder operating environment
- Residence within reasonable commuting distance of the designated New York or Seattle office
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The Company
What We Do
In 1958 Lars-Eric Lindblad, considered the father of eco travel, founded Lindblad Travel and pioneered the first non-scientific expeditions to Antarctica (1966) and Galápagos (1967), subsequently opening the Amazon, Papua New Guinea, China, Bhutan, and more to curious, respectful travelers. In 1979, his son Sven-Olof Lindblad founded Special Expeditions, eventually re-named Lindblad Expeditions, specializing in ship-based expedition travel. In 2004 Lindblad Expeditions forged an unprecedented alliance with National Geographic with a joint mission “to inspire people to explore and care about the planet through expedition travel.” Today the company operates a fleet of 10 ships, including the 148-guest National Geographic Explorer, the world’s ultimate expedition ship, and the 106-guest National Geographic Orion, the newest ship in the Lindblad-National Geographic fleet. All ships sail equipped with sophisticated exploration tools, to provide unique, immersive experiences in the planet’s capitals of wildness and culture. Our expedition ships regularly explore Galápagos, Antarctica, Alaska, Arctic Norway, Baja California, Costa Rica and Panama, Europe, the Baltics, Vietnam and Cambodia, and more.
