Chief of Staff CV example

A Chief of Staff CV should be clear and focused – just like your approach to the job. You’re not just managing operations or overseeing communications – you’re making sure the right people, information, and systems are in place to support leadership and drive progress.

This guide will help you with producing a CV that showcases your strategic execution and the value you add at the highest level of an organisation.

In a Chief of Staff role, you’re expected to bring clarity and order – and your CV structure should demonstrate those qualities right from the start. Decision-makers won’t sift through dense paragraphs or mistakes. They want a CV that delivers key information fast and positions you as a trusted partner to leadership.

Here’s the layout to follow:

• Name and contact details – Ensure your name and personal details are easily visible at the top. A photo is optional and depends on the role.
• Profile – Craft a short introduction that showcases your professional background and key accomplishments.
• Core skills – Provide a quick overview of your top skills that show why you’re a great fit.
• Work experience – Outline your career progression in reverse order, emphasising your contributions and achievements.
• Education – Provide details on your academic background, including certifications or specialised training.
• Additional info – You can add hobbies or activities here that reflect your enthusiasm for the industry.

While writing a CV, make sure you use bullet points to nicely break down large bodies of text into skimmable points. Stick to a clean, readable font, divide sections with clear headings, and keep your CV to two pages in length. A pleasant CV format mirrors the same executive presence and discipline that the role demands, so follow these tips to impress recruiters before they even start reading.

Your profile should introduce you as a confident leader, skilled at navigating executive environments and translating big-picture goals into tactical execution. This is where you highlight your sector experience and operational scope. Since your CV profile is the first thing recruiters see when they open up your application, you’ll need to cover all the essentials in a concise and focused way.

Here’s what to include:

• Where you’ve worked – High-growth start-ups, global firms, or corporate HQs.
• Your top qualifications – MBAs, strategy training, or project management credentials.
• Core traits – Strategic operator, cross-functional collaborator, leadership advisor.
• Operational focus – Change management, internal communications, project oversight.
• Leadership support – Experience supporting founders, C-suite, or board-level executives.
  

This section should reflect the wide-ranging capabilities of your role, from managing operations to influencing executive decisions. Keep your CV skills focused and relevant to the role you’re applying for – aim to show breadth without sounding too general.

Prioritise leadership, communication, systems thinking, and strategic alignment – framed as actionable strengths rather than vague buzzwords. This section helps recruiters instantly grasp your value without needing to read between the lines.

This section is your opportunity to show how you’ve turned leadership direction into delivery. Whether you’ve worked alongside a CEO or helped launch major initiatives, focus on your ability to connect operations to outcomes.

Start with your most recent work experience position and work backwards, aiming to explain the full scope of your responsibilities and the results you delivered. Emphasise any work that helped the leadership team make faster, better decisions.

• Outline – Briefly describe the business, the leadership team you supported, and your role in the wider structure.
• Responsibilities – Use action words like “orchestrated,” “aligned,” “streamlined,” or “facilitated.”
• Achievements – Focus on impact: “Introduced cross-functional OKRs,” “Reduced leadership meeting prep time by 40%,” or “Managed a £3M transformation budget with zero overrun.”

Your education section should back up your leadership capability with academic credibility. Include degrees in business, law, economics, or any subject relevant to strategy or operations. If you have an MBA or executive leadership certification, that belongs here too.

Also include additional training in agile delivery, project management, or any specialist knowledge – but keep this section concise, as recruiters care more about your experience.