Chief of Staff, Commercialization Team

Newlab is seeking an execution-oriented and highly strategic Chief of Staff to support the Global Head of Business and Commercialization team. Based in Brooklyn, this role is a crucial engine designed to create leadership leverage. You will help our teams deliver high-quality work, operate proactively, and maintain strategic alignment across a complex portfolio of engagements.

The Chief of Staff will act as a trusted sounding board and force multiplier for the Global Head of Business. Bridging strategy and execution, you will oversee day-to-day delivery and maintain high quality across all deliverables while collaborating directly with project leads to structure internal leadership conversations and ensure teams are fully prepared for key partner touchpoints. Example early projects include: Developing an internal assessment of the strength of external partner relationships, supporting sprints to maximize

project success, auditing recent and in- progress proposals to recommend a checklist and potential training module, building a Commercialization AI toolkit, and working with Finance & Ops to assess and improve staffing and project margins. This role requires an ability to monitor the details against big-picture outcomes, identifying operational blind spots, and unlocking the bandwidth needed to drive Newlab’s most critical initiatives forward.

This role is in person and will be based out of Newlab Brooklyn.

Roles & Responsibilities

Delivery Excellence & Portfolio Impact

Track delivery and drive outcomes:

Maintain high-level visibility into project statuses and deliverables, ensuring the commercialization portfolio consistently drives toward successful outcomes and the highest quality of work.

Orchestrate leadership touchpoints:

Proactively pull in the Global Head of Business and other Newlab leadership at the right moments. You will organize internal conversations to strengthen partner relationships and project delivery, and help teams prepare for high-quality, well-timed partner touchpoints.

Connect day-to-day to the big picture:

Track daily delivery progress against intended outcomes that Newlab is partnering with external stakeholders to achieve.

Drive proactive escalation:

Implement workflows and foster a culture that empowers teams to identify risks early and seek strategic guidance before challenges emerge.

Commercialization Tools & AI Integration

Optimize utilization and staffing:

Monitor and continuously improve existing commercialization tools, including our staffing dashboard and billable utilization tracker. You will work with our Finance and Ops teams to ensure projects are delivered on track and on budget, and that we have the right expertise mapped to the right projects for maximum impact.

Build and scale AI tools:

Develop and integrate AI tools for delivery. You will identify the best tools and practices currently being used by various teams and make them available across the entire commercialization team, and you will flag and resolve execution gaps to improve efficiency and output.

Business Development Support

Ensure engagement executability:

Support Strategy and Business Development leads to ensure proposed engagements are fully executable from an operational and delivery standpoint before they are finalized.

Strengthen internal proposal development:

Develop internal frameworks and provide strategic review to help teams assess proposal quality, clarity, operational feasibility, and alignment with Newlab's goals.

Strengthen partner engagement strategy:

Develop internal frameworks and tools to help Newlab teams prepare for effective partner conversations and workshops and translate insights / partner needs into successful project delivery.

Strategy

Navigate the organizational matrix:

Work seamlessly with people across Newlab, engaging effectively with different roles, disciplines, and levels of seniority to drive initiatives forward. Lead and influence cross-functional teams without direct reporting lines, earning trust through clarity, consistency, and delivery.

Act as a dedicated support partner:

Partner with the Global Head of Business to pressure-test ideas, navigate organizational challenges, and inform strategic priorities as a trusted sounding board.

Create leadership leverage:

Expand the bandwidth of the commercial leadership team by taking ownership of key internal initiatives and driving them forward independently.

Elevate organizational standards:

Identify and execute on opportunities to standardize delivery frameworks and elevate the quality of work across all engagements.

Evolve resource planning

Work with the Global Head of Business to strengthen how the Commercialization team maps internal capabilities and expertise against strategic priorities and the incoming project pipeline.

Attributes & Skills

Outcomes-oriented mindset:

Capable of distinguishing between granular activity and high-impact results, with a constant focus on the broader strategic goals.

Internal orchestrator:

Exceptional ability to work behind the scenes to track projects, manage quality, and facilitate the right conversations without needing to be the primary external face of the project.

Systems thinker:

Strong capability in monitoring dashboards, building tools, and leveraging AI to streamline operations and ensure projects stay on budget and on track.

High emotional intelligence:

Act as a cohesive force within the team, encouraging proactive communication and collaboration across a matrixed organization.

Entrepreneurial operator:

Ability to deliver meaningful, polished outcomes with minimal structure, adapting quickly to shifting priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• 2-4+ years of professional experience in strategic operations, project management, or chief of staff roles.
• Track record of tracking project delivery, ensuring high-quality deliverables, and driving overarching portfolio impact without direct authority.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and projects through influence and to drive progress while building trust.
• Experience working in the public sector and/or in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) contexts.
• Experience coaching and directing peers and more junior team members.