Chief of Staff - Focus Learning - Brydon Portfolio Company

FOCUS Learning is a software company that provides mission-critical training and compliance solutions for highly regulated industries. The company is currently undergoing a modernization from on-premise to cloud-based technology. Backed by Brydon Group, a veteran-led private equity fund, FOCUS Learning is poised for rapid growth and is seeking a dynamic Chief of Staff to support the CEO and the Executive team.

FOCUS Learning is seeking an exceptional Chief of Staff to join the leadership team and play a crucial role in supporting the company’s strategic vision. As the Chief of Staff to the CEO, you will have broad visibility across the organization, enable company strategy, lead strategic growth initiatives, facilitate communication and cross-functional alignment across departments, and support operational effectiveness. You will be a key advisor, collaborator, and executor, working closely with the CEO to align organizational priorities, streamline operations, and foster a culture of high performance. You will have significant exposure and opportunity to drive impact across the Company ecosystem.

The right individual will thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment and possess the versatility to drive key projects both independently and in partnership with key stakeholders. They will proactively identify challenges and opportunities, translating strategic conversations into actionable roadmaps. They will be curious, efficient, and possess a high drive for excellence.

Alongside your leadership experience at the Portfolio Company, you will be part of Brydon’s Chief of Staff network – with access to peers, tools & resources, and ongoing professional development. Small business acceleration is fundamentally about talent and execution, and Brydon invests significantly in providing meaningful growth experiences to high-performing individuals.

Core Responsibilities:

1. Strategy:

• Collaborate with the CEO to build, communicate and execute the company's strategic vision, ensuring alignment across departments and functions.
• Compile facts, data, analysis to support the strategy.
• Once built, translate the strategy into actionable plans, initiatives, and metrics, and support communicating that vision internally and externally.
• Lead the annual strategic planning process.

2. Operational Excellence:

• Identify areas for improvement, implement best practices, and optimize processes to enhance productivity and profitability.
• Oversee elements of the company’s operating system, tracking data, decisions, action items, owners, and timelines to drive accountability.

3. Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Serve as a liaison between the CEO and the leadership team, fostering effective communication and alignment of goals and initiatives.

4. Performance management:

• Establish KPIs and metrics to track progress against strategic objectives.
• Collaborate with finance to monitor financial performance, including budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.
• Establish dashboards and a consistent reporting cadence to provide regular updates and insights to the CEO, leadership team and key stakeholders.
• Monitor business metrics across functions to spot trends and opportunities.

5. Project Management:

• Lead high-priority special projects on behalf of the CEO, overseeing timelines, resource allocation, and stakeholder engagement to ensure successful execution and delivery.
• Some examples: go-to-market excellence (sales, marketing, and pricing), M&A (diligence, integration, value capture)

6. Leadership Support:

• Provide direct support to the CEO, including preparing for and running key meetings (e.g., monthly business reviews, board meetings, off-sites).
• Prepare compelling presentations and memos, ensuring clear and effective communication across all levels of the company.

Requirements

Qualifications:

• Experience in a strategic leadership role, preferably as Chief of Staff or similar (consulting, strategy & operations leadership, etc.)
• Strong project management skills with the ability to lead multiple high-priority projects simultaneously, and drive toward completion.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships and influence at all levels inside and outside of the organization.
• Experience with change management and supporting a business through growth or transformation
• High level of analytical and problem-solving skills, with a track record of translating strategic conversations into actionable plans.
• Strong financial acumen and understanding of how to influence key metrics that impact shareholder returns including revenue growth, margins and cash flow
• Ability to learn quickly in a new industry segment and possess a passion for education, professional services, software and technology.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Location:

• The preference is for this role to be located on-site for at least the first 18 months (company is located in San Luis Obispo, CA - not in DC).

Benefits

Compensation & Career Path:

•  This is a full-time salary position and is eligible for benefits including health insurance, access to 401K, and paid time off. Compensation will depend on experience. Salary range below does not include any potential equity grant.
• Brydon Chiefs of Staff typically spend a minimum of 2 years at a portfolio company, after which time they may decide to pursue a different role at that company, or a role at a different portfolio company, or apply to our next CEO-in-Residence cohort.