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Chief of Staff

San Francisco, CA (Hybrid)

About Us:

Forage is building the modern payments stack that powers inclusive commerce. Our technology enables grocers, delivery platforms, and point-of-sale systems to seamlessly accept EBT payments both online and in-store. Beyond infrastructure, we’re helping SNAP EBT shoppers stretch their grocery budgets every week, making healthy food more affordable and accessible to the 42 million Americans on food assistance.​

Backed by leading fintech investors, Forage is a fast-growing startup with a clear vision and real-world impact, feeding tens of thousands of families daily. Our team is made up of kind, driven individuals who take ownership, move quickly, and collaborate closely. We value humility, curiosity, and a shared commitment to making a difference.​

We’re not just building payments infrastructure — we’re helping feed tens of thousands of families each day, and transforming grocery access for millions more. Watch our story and see why we do what we do.

While we function as a hybrid organization, and are actively hiring across North America this role does require those that can contribute from our San Francisco office regularly.

You could work anywhere — so why Forage?

  • Build tech that matters. Play a direct role in putting food on the tables of millions of families, and help make grocery access more equitable through better payments infrastructure.
  • Join a rocket ship with purpose. We’ve grown revenue 100x in two years, with the capital, traction, and runway to keep going — all while staying mission-first.
  • Work with exceptional people. Collaborate daily with ‘Foragers’ from companies like Stripe, Instacart, Google, Affirm, Uber, and beyond — a tight-knit team with deep experience and low ego.
  • Disrupt a massive market. Help modernize a $100B+ system and shape the future of inclusive commerce as we scale toward a $1B+ business.
  • Accelerate your career. Thrive in a talent-dense environment backed by top investors in fintech (like Nyca, PayPal Ventures, and more), where ownership and growth are the norm.

What we are looking for:

Forage is looking to hire a Chief of Staff to partner directly with our CEO, driving mission-critical initiatives across the company, serving as a strategic partner to our CEO. From acting as a force multiplier and ensuring alignment and operational excellence at all levels of the organization, to solving our highest-priority problems and leading executive communications, this role will ensure Forage maintains momentum and scales to feeding tens of millions of families in need.

You will be our CEO’s sounding board, force multiplier, and right-hand person. You are: 

  • An Owner: No challenge is too complex, no issue is too hard. You act like an owner and are eager to sink your teeth into mission-critical challenges and priorities. You are a self-starter who will do whatever needs to be done to ensure we live up to our mission. 
  • An Exceptional Communicator: You communicate effectively to a wide range of audiences (from executives and new Foragers to customers and investors) and can masterfully tailor your approach to suit the circumstances. You are high EQ, have a keen eye for details, and can capture the pulse of the organization. You ensure we’re able to Forage together, driving alignment at every level of the organization. 
  • An Organized ‘Cat Herder’: You excel in managing complex, cross-functional initiatives and teams, balancing multiple packed schedules, and prioritizing ruthlessly … all while ensuring the trains run on time, record and drive key follow-ups, and ensure our CEO is levered to our top priorities. You make sure nothing slips through the cracks.
  • A Resilient And Adaptable Problem-Solver: You’re comfortable navigating ambiguity, and can proactively scope and solve critical challenges with little to no direction. You are fired up by the possibilities of what can be, and know we’re just getting started. 

Qualifications:

  • 5+ years of professional experience in strategy, operations, product, or a similar role (ex: management consulting, investment banking, venture capital). Experience in a high-growth startup is a plus. 
  • Passion for, and conviction in, Forage’s mission; demonstrated interest and relevant professional and/or academic experiences are a plus
  • Must be located in the San Francisco Bay Area or willing to relocate (you should be able to work on-site at our San Francisco HQ with our CEO twice a week)
  • Proven track record of successfully managing complex projects and initiatives
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
  • Strong analytical capabilities and data-driven decision-making approach
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion with sensitive information
  • Outstanding organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail
  • Experience in payments, FinTech, GovTech, and/or EBT preferred 
  • Bachelor's degree, MBA or equivalent experience

Key Responsibilities:

CEO Support and Leverage: Insulate CEO from disruption, maximizing leverage and accelerating decision-making time across leadership.  

  • Prepare and review briefing materials, research, reports, presentations, and key documents for the CEO and board meetings to accelerate executive decision-making
  • Serve as a trusted sounding board to the CEO and leadership team, providing insights and recommendations, and partnering on setting and tracking company priorities 
  • Support CEO on spending time effectively by managing schedule, prioritizing commitments, ensuring calendar matches strategic priorities, helping prepare for important meetings, recording and driving key follow-ups, and ensuring the CEO’s focus on mission-critical initiatives
  • Act as the CEO’s delegate in high-priority meetings and initiatives, and create accessibility and availability in CEO’s schedule as needed

Operational Excellence & Planning: Anticipate organizational challenges and proactively develop solutions, while ensuring “the trains run on time” and manage planning processes

  • Partner with the CEO to develop and execute executive initiatives and OKRs
  • Monitor progress on key goals and provide regular updates to stakeholders
  • Identify inefficiencies and bottlenecks, implement scalable processes that improve organizational effectiveness
  • Coordinate cross-functional improvement initiatives, ensuring alignment across teams and clear communication of objectives
  • Drive continuous improvement across teams by standardizing workflows

Executive Communications & Stakeholder Alignment: Serve as a bridge between CEO and leadership, operating teams, and external stakeholders. 

  • Own external communications strategies to maximize CEO’s thought leadership, and amplify and improve CEO’s communications
  • Drive internal communications strategies and processes to align CEO, leadership, and teams on priorities and updates, ensuring transparency across the organization
  • Drive alignment on meetings and strategic OKRs across CEO, leadership, and team
  • Connect people across teams, breaking down silos and building company cohesion
  • Build and maintain relationships with key partners, investors, and industry contacts

Our Offer:

Your base salary would fall within the bands below. Please keep in mind that the equity portion of your offer is not included in these numbers and represents a significant part of your total compensation.

  • Compensation: $140k-$170k USD base + equity + benefits
  • Meaningful work that makes a positive impact on our society.
  • 100% of Medical, Dental and Vision premium coverage for yourself and your dependents. 
  • Enjoy regular team lunches at our San Francisco office, fostering collaboration and connection over great food.
  • A fun and caring environment that prioritizes transparency, growth, and ownership.
  • A talented, diverse, high-achieving, and humble team with diverse backgrounds and viewpoints.

Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries at our headquarters in San Francisco, California. Individual pay is determined by work location, job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

We aim to review every application within 3 business days of submission and provide feedback on each of your interviews within 2 business days of completion. If you don't hear from us, please reach out to your recruiter or careers@joinforage.com directly to get an update on your candidacy. Max, our AI recruiter, may reach out with follow-up questions.  

Please note: We are not engaging with third-party recruiters or agencies for this role. We kindly ask that you refrain from contacting us regarding recruitment services.

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