Chief of Staff

AS220 Chief of Staff

Reports to: Artistic Director
Status: Full-Time, Exempt
Compensation: $70,000-$76,000 + benefits

About AS220

AS220 is a non-profit community arts organization in Providence, Rhode Island. We own three buildings downtown, where we provide Rhode Island artists of all ages with affordable access to creative education opportunities, galleries, performance venues, residential spaces, and work studios. Our largest programs are AS220 Youth and our Live/Work program. Exhibitions and performances in our galleries and venues are unjuried, uncensored, and all ages. AS220 envisions a just world where all people can realize their full creative potential.

Position Summary

The Chief of Staff is responsible for how the organization functions internally through people, systems, and accountability. This role leads Human Resources and organizational systems, ensuring that staff are supported and expectations are clear so staff can effectively serve the community. The Chief of Staff also manages how staff enter and exit their time at AS220. This role is also responsible for directly supporting the Artistic Director with any needs that arise.

Core Responsibilities

HR Strategy & Leadership

• Design and lead a people-centered HR strategy aligned with AS220’s values
• Advise leadership on personnel issues, performance, and organizational health
• Translate values into clear, humane, and enforceable policies

Hiring, Onboarding & Retention

• Oversee hiring processes, including job descriptions, recruitment strategy & rubrics
• Ensure equitable, transparent, and legally compliant hiring practices
• Design and maintain onboarding systems for staff, fellows, interns, and contractors
• Lead retention strategies and staff feedback systems

Employee Relations & Performance

• Serve as primary point of contact for employee concerns, conflict resolution, restorative processes, and disciplinary processes
• Manage performance review systems, improvement plans, promotions, and separations
• Ensure consistent and fair application of policies

Compensation, Benefits & Compliance

• Oversee payroll coordination, benefit administration, and leave management
• Maintain compensation structures and internal equitable pay frameworks
• Ensure compliance with all applicable labor laws and HR requirements
• Manage employee records and HR systems

Organizational Systems & Accountability

• Design and maintain organization-wide goal-setting frameworks
• Track progress and hold leaders accountable for priorities and outcomes
• Develop systems for gathering user feedback & input and measuring impact
• Build workflows and decision-making processes that are clear, efficient, and scalable
• Identify operational gaps and resolve issues before they become disruptions

Organizational Leadership & Coordination

• Supervise and support department and program leaders (as applicable)
• Translate organizational vision into actionable plans and structures
• Lead organization-wide initiatives, including restructuring and new programs
• Align cross-departmental work and ensure priorities are coordinated
• Coordinate organization-wide spike events and support event logistics
• Coordinate programmatic calendars and space usage to best meet community needs

Internal Communications

• Design and manage internal communications systems and cadence
• Manage board relations including meeting preparation, materials, and communications
• Coordinate all-staff meetings, leadership communication, and information flow
• Ensure staff have clear, consistent understanding of priorities and expectations
• Oversee organizational policies, handbooks, and internal documentation

Culture, Racial Justice & Leadership Development

• Collaboratively strengthen a culture of accountability, care, and respect
• Ensure systems support anti-racist, accessible, and inclusive practices
• Support and coordinate accessibility and inclusion in all programming
• Support racial justice initiatives, anti-harassment training, & inclusive workplace practices
• Develop training, leadership development, and staff growth pathways

Organizational Health & Risk

• Identify and mitigate organizational and operational risks (non-facilities)
• Support crisis response and organizational problem-solving
• Ensure policies and systems are consistently applied across the organization

What Success Looks Like

• Staff feel supported, understand their work and how it aligns to the organization’s mission & direction, and are treated fairly

Qualifications & Experience

• 5+ years of leadership experience in HR, operations, or organizational management
• Strong knowledge of HR practices, employment law, and people operations
• Experience managing teams and cross-functional work
• Able to engage in big picture planning and willing to get in the weeds to get things done
• Strong systems thinking and creative problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication and organizational skills
• Commitment to justice and equity, and value mission-driven work
• Have an affinity for the arts and understanding of AS220’s mission, vision and valuesLeaders are aligned, accountable, and effective
• Goals are defined, outcomes are tracked, and impact is articulated
• Communication is clear and trusted
• The organization has fewer emergencies and handles them well when they arise
• The Artistic Director is supported to drive the organizational vision and strategy

Important Context

Creative freedom requires structure and process to be effective. This role ensures that the people doing the work are supported by systems and expectations that are clear, equitable, and functional.

This is not a corporate HR job. AS220 is a mission-driven, community-based arts organization. The systems exist to support, not restrict, artists, staff, and community, and must be rooted in our values.

Benefits

•   Fully paid for health insurance and life insurance; voluntary vision & dental insurance.
•   Online Healthiest You (https://www.healthiestyou.com/) membership (teladoc platform)
•   A generous paid time off policy (starting at 20 days per year)
•   Supportive, racially just workplace culture
•   Benefits associated with access to AS220’s programs

To apply

Please email your resume and cover letter to jobs@as220.org by 5 PM on Thursday, May 14th, 2026.

Please email your resume and cover letter to jobs@as220.org by 5 PM on Thursday, May 14th, 2026.