Job Description
About the role
Political Services Company (PolServCo) is hiring a Chief of Staff / Business Operations Lead to run the firm day to day, so the founders can focus on clients and growth.
PolServCo is the back office for government affairs, political consultants, public affairs, and advocacy firms. We give government affairs firms, coalitions, and associations a full operations stack on subscription: finance and accounting, HR and payroll, benefits, IT and web support, contract processing, event logistics, executive support, and client coordination.
This role will manage a small in-house team and a bench of vendor partners (accounting and controller services, payroll, insurance, and legal). You will own how PolServCo runs: who does the work, what it costs, what we charge for it, and how we scale. You report to the founders and manage the delivery team and vendor relationships.
What you'll do
You will run the business side of PolServCo and make sure every client gets reliable service at a price that sustains the firm.
Run the firm's operations and finances
- Own PolServCo's operating model: pricing, package design, client profitability, and the monthly P&L.
- Maintain the cost model, capacity plan, and pricing model, and bring the founders clear recommendations on price, scope, and client mix.
- Oversee PolServCo's own finance function with our controller: monthly close, budget, forecast, cash flow, and annual filings and licenses.
- Set firm targets (margin, utilization, client count) and report on them monthly.
Lead delivery across service lines
You are accountable for all of it, delivering some directly and managing the rest through the team and vendors.
Operational Support
- HR, payroll, benefits enrollment, tech and website support, insurance renewals, annual filings, contract processing.
- Build and run the monthly capacity plan: forecast hours by client and service, spot crunch periods (open enrollment, year-end close, event season), and staff ahead of them.
- Set service standards and turnaround times, and make sure clients know what their package includes and what is billed as an add-on.
- Finance Support
- HR, payroll, benefits enrollment, tech and website support, insurance renewals, annual filings, contract processing.
- Manage the team and vendor bench
- Supervise and develop the delivery team (a Client Success Manager and admin and coordination staff), including hiring, onboarding, and performance.
- Manage vendor partners for bookkeeping, controller services, payroll, insurance, and legal, and hold them to scope, cost, and quality.
- Source and stand up vendors for services not yet in place: IT and managed services, web development, and compliance (LDA, state lobbying, FEC).
- Grow and systematize the business
- Run client onboarding and off-boarding, from scoping and contracts through systems access and handoff.
- Write and maintain the policies, procedures, and playbooks that let PolServCo add clients without adding chaos.
- Partner with the founder on new business: scoping proposals, pricing new clients, and launching new service offerings.
- Act as chief of staff to the founders: manage priorities, prepare for key meetings, and follow through on decisions across PolServCo and its affiliated firms.
Who you are
You are an operator who likes building the system, not just running it, and you know how political and advocacy organizations work.
Required
- 5+ years in operations, finance, or chief-of-staff roles, managing people and vendors.
- Hands-on financial skill: you can run a cost model, read a P&L, price a service, and explain margin to a founder.
- Experience in or alongside government affairs, campaigns, congress, associations, or nonprofits.
- Working knowledge of small-business HR, payroll, and benefits administration.
- Strong spreadsheet skills (Google Sheets or Excel) and comfort with tools like QuickBooks, Gusto, Google Workspace, and DocuSign.
- Sound judgment with confidential information and a calm, service-minded approach with demanding clients.
The details
Title: Chief of Staff / Business Operations Lead
Reports to: Founders and Principal
Manages: Delivery team and vendor partners
Location: Washington, DC; some onsite event support
Type: Full-time, exempt
Salary: $80,000-100,00 per year, plus equity opportunity
Start: Early December to Mid January based on availability
To apply: send a resume and a short note to support@polservco.com describing an operation you built or fixed and what changed as a result. Applications also accepted through Daybook upload. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
PolServCo is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on any basis protected by law.