Chief of Staff to the CTO

Job description

Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company bringing the benefits of space to the masses through advanced communications technology. We are building a global network of phased array ground stations that enable real-time, reliable communication for satellite missions such as national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. With a vertically integrated approach, Northwood designs, builds, and rapidly deploys scalable systems that power the next generation of space missions. If you like solving complex challenges and seeing your work deployed around the world with real impact, Northwood is the place to do it. Role: Northwood is looking for a Chief of Staff to the CTO to help scale the impact of Northwood’s engineering leadership by translating technical expertise into execution across the company. In this role, you’ll act as the CTO’s force multiplier – owning the operational, coordination, and execution work required to keep complex product and engineering efforts moving forward. You’ll work closely with the CTO, engineering Heads, and business development teams to translate strategy into clear plans, track progress, and ensure teams stay aligned as Northwood scales. This is a highly trusted, hands-on role at the intersection of technical leadership, execution, and organizational clarity. Responsibilities: - Serve as a strategic thought partner to the CTO, pressure-testing priorities and shaping technical direction - Drive complex, cross-functional initiatives to completion, ensuring clear ownership, sequencing, and outcomes - Act as an extension of the CTO in key forums, aligning teams and reinforcing engineering priorities across the company - Partner with engineering leadership to define and continuously rebalance resource allocation across product and technical priorities - Maintain clear ownership models and execution visibility across major engineering initiative - Design and run lightweight operating rhythms (planning reviews, roadmap syncs, weekly execution checkpoints) - Synthesize progress, risks, and dependencies into concise updates for leadership - Ensure alignment across engineering, product, and BD through structured, consistent communication - Support the development and maintenance of long-term technical and product roadmaps - Help manage the process of aligning engineering execution with business and customer priorities - Surface tradeoffs and constraints to support executive decision-making Basic Qualifications: - Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline - 5+ years of experience in technical program management, engineering, product operations, or similar roles - Experience coordinating complex work across multiple engineering teams - Strong organizational skills and comfort operating with ambiguity Preferred Experience: - Experience operating as an information hub for senior technical leadership - Excellent systems thinking and the ability to reason about dependencies and tradeoffs - High judgment, discretion, and ability to operate in a trusted leadership role - Ability to drive clarity, alignment, and momentum without formal authority - Bias toward action and ownership – seeing gaps and filling them Additional Information: If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know. To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Northwood Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Northwood Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.