Chief of Staff, External Relations

Notice to applicants:

We have seen a rise in recruitment scams. Please note that outreach from Khan Academy recruiters will only come from the @khanacademy.org domain. Our team does not use Gmail or other personal accounts for contacting potential candidates. Khan Academy will never solicit money, equipment fees, or sensitive financial information at any stage of the hiring process. We also do not work with external recruiting agencies, so outreach from headhunters presenting opportunities on behalf of Khan Academy is illegitimate. Please always check the email domain and cross-reference the position with the official Khan Academy Careers page to confirm an opening is valid.

ABOUT KHAN ACADEMY

Khan Academy is a nonprofit with the mission to deliver a free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere. Our proven learning platform offers free, high-quality supplemental learning content and practice that cover Pre-K - 12th grade and early college core academic subjects, focusing on math and science. We have over 181 million registered learners globally and are committed to improving learning outcomes for students worldwide, focusing on learners in historically under-resourced communities.

OUR COMMUNITY 

Our students, teachers, and parents come from all walks of life, and so do we. Our team includes people from academia, traditional/non-traditional education, big tech companies, and tiny startups. We hire great people from diverse backgrounds and experiences because it makes our company stronger. We value diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as necessary to achieve our mission and impact the communities we serve. We know that transforming education starts in-house with learning about ourselves and our colleagues. We strive to be world-class in investing in our people and commit to developing you as a professional.

THE ROLE

We are seeking a dynamic and driven Chief of Staff  to join our External Relations team. The ideal candidate will possess exceptional strategic planning, project management, data analysis, and stakeholder management skills to propel our organization forward. Reporting directly to the Chief External Relations Officer and working closely with all members of the External Relations leadership team, the Chief of Staff  will play a vital role in identifying and executing impactful strategies and processes, enabling our school district, philanthropy, and strategic partnerships teams to operate effectively and scale. As the Chief of Staff, you will be challenged with a diverse array of opportunities to make a meaningful impact on our organization.

1. Business Operations

• Lead the operating rhythm for the External Relations organization, including planning cycles, leadership meetings, quarterly business reviews, and performance tracking against OKRs and key risks
• Implement and continually improve organizational systems and processes for goal-setting, decision-making, data tracking, and accountability
• Ensure the External Relations team has accurate timely data by working with the analytics team to analyze and surface insights from performance dashboards and guide strategic prioritization; ensure dashboard data fidelity 
• Support organizational design, hiring priorities, and onboarding for new External relations team members
• Build cross team culture and engagement, including organizing and facilitating leadership offsites, External Relations all-hands meetings, and internal communications that strengthen cohesion and transparency

2. Strategic Projects

• Lead and manage high-impact projects that advance Khan Academy’s growth and revenue goals  
• Provide analytical and strategic support to External Relations Leadership in evaluating business performance and new opportunities
• Build revenue and impact models to guide strategic discussions and planning
• Translate ambiguity into structure - define success metrics, clarify ownership, and ensure progress against strategic priorities
• Serve as a trusted thought partner for the Chief External Relations Officer in preparing for board meetings, external engagements, and major presentations

3. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Act as  connective tissue between teams to ensure shared goals are clear, dependencies are managed, and execution is coordinated
• Partner with Analytics to define business rules, success metrics, and performance frameworks that inform decision-making
• Work closely with Product, Content, and Finance teams to align on shared goals, co-develop offerings, and ensure go-to-market plans reflect the needs of learners, teachers, parents and administrators
• Collaborate with the other Strategy & Operations leaders to coordinate on central processes such as: OKR planning, Quarterly Business Reviews and ad hoc projects 

WHAT YOU BRING

• 7+ years of professional experience, including at least 5 years in a strategic, operational, or Chief of Staff–type role within a mission-driven, fast-paced organization.
• Proven success in project management and organizational operations, with a track record of leading complex, cross-functional initiatives to completion.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with experience using data to inform strategic decisions, measure outcomes, and build analytical models.
• Experience in K-12 education go to market strategy or B2B go to market roles.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing executive-level materials such as board decks, OKR reports, or strategy memos.
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships across teams and levels, serving as a connector, advisor, and thought partner to senior leaders.
• High degree of organization, attention to detail, and follow-through; able to manage multiple work streams and deadlines simultaneously.
• Deep commitment to Khan Academy’s mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere, and an understanding of the public education ecosystem (districts, philanthropy, and partnerships).
• A background in consulting, investment banking or business operations is a plus.
• Motivated by the Khan Academy mission “to provide a free world-class education for anyone, anywhere."
• Proven cross-cultural competency skills demonstrating self-awareness, awareness of other, and the ability to adopt inclusive perspectives, attitudes, and behaviors to drive inclusion and belonging throughout the organization.

PERKS AND BENEFITS

We may be a non-profit, but we reward our talented team extremely well! We offer:

• Competitive salaries
• Ample paid time off as needed – Your well-being is a priority
• 8 pre-scheduled Wellness Days in 2026 occurring on a Monday or a Friday for a 3-day weekend boost
• Remote-first culture - that caters to your time zone, with open flexibility as needed, at times
• Generous parental leave
• An exceptional team that trusts you and gives you the freedom to do your best
• The chance to put your talents towards a deeply meaningful mission and the opportunity to work on high-impact products that are already defining the future of education
• Opportunities to connect through affinity, ally, and social groups
• And we offer all those other typical benefits as well: 401(k) + 4% matching & comprehensive insurance, including medical, dental, vision, and life

At Khan Academy we are committed to fair and equitable compensation practices, the well-being of our employees, and our Khan community. This belief is why we have built out a robust Total Rewards package that includes competitive base salaries, and extensive benefits and perks to support physical, mental, and financial well-being.

The compensation band for this role is $120,800 - $135,900 USD annually for candidates based in the United States and $163,238 - $183,643 CAD annually for candidates based in Canada.

The pay range for this position is a general guideline only. The salary offered will depend on internal pay equity and the candidate’s relevant skills, experience, qualifications, and job market data. 

MORE ABOUT US

• Sal’s TED talk from 2011
• Sal’s TED talk from 2015
• Sal's TED talk from 2023
• Our team:  http://www.khanacademy.org/about/the-team

OUR COMPANY VALUES

Live & breathe learners

We deeply understand and empathize with our users. We leverage user insights, research, and experience to build content, products, services, and experiences that our users trust and love. Our success is defined by the success of our learners and educators.

Take a stand

As a company, we have conviction in our aspirational point of view of how education will evolve. The work we do is in service to moving towards that point of view. However, we also listen, learn and flex in the face of new data, and commit to evolving this point of view as the industry and our users evolve.

Embrace diverse perspectives

We are a diverse community. We seek out and embrace a diversity of voices, perspectives and life experiences leading to stronger, more inclusive teams and better outcomes. As individuals, we are committed to bringing up tough topics and leaning into different points of view with curiosity. We actively listen, learn and collaborate to gain a shared understanding. When a decision is made, we commit to moving forward as a united team.

Work responsibly and sustainably

We understand that achieving our audacious mission is a marathon, so we set realistic timelines and we focus on delivery that also links to the bigger picture. As a non-profit, we are supported by the generosity of donors as well as strategic partners, and understand our responsibility to our finite resources. We spend every dollar as though it were our own. We are responsible for the impact we have on the world and to each other. We ensure our team and company stay healthy and financially sustainable.

Bring out the joy

We are committed to making learning a joyful process. This informs what we build for our users and the culture we co-create with our teammates, partners and donors.

Cultivate learning mindset

We believe in the power of growth for learners and for ourselves. We constantly learn and teach to improve our offerings, ourselves, and our organization. We learn from our mistakes and aren’t afraid to fail. We don't let past failures or successes stop us from taking future bold action and achieving our goals.

Deliver wow

We insist on high standards and deliver delightful, effective end-to-end experiences that our users can rely on. We choose to focus on fewer things — each of which aligns to our ambitious vision — so we can deliver high-quality experiences that accelerate positive measurable learning with our strategic partners.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, or Veteran status. We value diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we encourage candidates from historically underrepresented groups to apply.

As part of this commitment, Khan Academy will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact [email protected]