Caribou Services
Chief of Staff
Caribou Services, Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60290
About Caribou
At Caribou, we care about giving people financial freedom so they can focus on what's most important to them. Today, less than two percent of Americans refinance their auto loans despite drastic increases in the cost of new and used cars. We see huge potential to help folks reduce their monthly auto expenses, as well as increase the predictability of those expenses over time. We do this by building technology to pair customers with community banks and credit unions, and ushering them through the process quickly. On average, our drivers save $115/month on their car loans while protecting their investment long term.
Caribou is led by leaders from the technology, automotive, and finance industries. We're proud to be backed by a great team of investors, including QED Investors, Goldman Sachs, Moderne Ventures, Accomplice, Link Ventures, Motley Fool Ventures and others.
About the Role
Caribou is looking for a Chief of Staff (COS) to join our team and partner closely with our CEO and senior leadership to lead internal communications and keep multiple internal and external projects moving forward simultaneously. The COS will report to the CEO and will be accountable for maximizing the impact, efficiency and time of Caribou's Leadership Team's cross functional work. This key role will be an integral member of the senior leadership team (S-team), acting as a strategic thought partner, integrator, communicator, and confidant. You will play a crucial part in setting and implementing strategies, anticipating problems, and ensuring the alignment of our vision with day-to-day operations. This is an ideal growth opportunity for someone with aspirations for senior operating roles.
Key Responsibilities:Strategic Planning and Execution:
Drive strategic planning and goal setting alongside the CEO and senior leadership team. Translate the company's vision, mission, and objectives into long-term strategic and annual operational plans.Project Management:
Manage complex projects and critical initiatives, define objectives, establish timelines, coordinate stakeholders, and monitor progress to ensure successful outcomes.Special Projects:
Lead special projects and initiatives as they arise, filling gaps in capacity and taking on strategic assignments as needed, which may include interim functional leadership roles or strategic initiatives.Data Analysis and Insights:
Gather and analyze data, assess market trends, and provide insights and recommendations to inform key decision-making processes.Meeting Management:
Own senior leadership and board meetings, ensuring meeting effectiveness and preparedness, driving follow-through, and improving decision-making processes.CEO Communications:
Lead CEO communications, including monthly company all-hands meetings and external (Board, Investors, Media, Industry) ensuring clear and engaging dissemination of important information.Qualifications:
Experience : 6+ years of professional experience with increasing responsibility. Background should include roles as a leader at a top-tier management consulting firm or equivalent, or a banker at a leading investment bank, with at least a couple of years of operating experience at a technology company.Education : Top-tier MBA preferred, or equivalent additional experience, with a bachelor's degree in business, finance, or a related field.Skills : Highly analytical and critical thinker with strong project management skills and a love for the details. Ability to anticipate future needs and trends, streamline operations, and enhance productivity and efficiency.Communication : Clear and effective communicator with strong written and verbal skills. Ability to build trust and partnerships at all levels of the organization.Functional Experience : Foundational knowledge around many of the broad areas of our business, from understanding financials and strategic planning to communications and change management. Operating experience in at least one of the following: sales, contact centers, marketing, business development, or product management.Values : Demonstrated alignment with Caribou's core values: Give a Damn, Velocity, and Make the Assist. Proven track record of success in highly ambiguous situations and a strong drive to achieve goals.Location:
This role is based out of Chicago, IL. While we don't have an office here yet, you should plan to spend time in person with our CEO, who is located in the area. This role also requires about 25% travel, including attendance at monthly in-person team meetings, often held in Denver or DC.
About You:
You, like us, are driven to achieve your goals. At Caribou, we have three core values:
Give a Damn, Velocity, and Make the Assist.
We're motivated, we race towards our goals, and we help each other along the way.
You are a curious and action-oriented problem solver with the ability to build trust and partnership at all levels of an organization. You demonstrate the highest levels of ownership and have a proven ability to take ideas and turn them into results. You have a strong strategic mindset and operational expertise, with the ability to see what pressures the leader faces and find ways to lessen them. You recognize the importance of key relationships and are adept at strengthening them.
Join Us:
If you're ambitious, strategic, and ready to make a significant impact, we want to hear from you. Apply today to join our team and help us drive growth and provide financial freedom to our customers.
How we will take care of you
Everyone at Caribou is a valued team member. Our compensation and benefits package includes:
Competitive compensationEquity options401k savings programGenerous paid time off including: Flexible Time Off (FTO) for all employees and 100% paid parental leave for all parents.Robust wellness benefits including company-paid plans for health, dental, vision, mental health, disability and basic life insurance.Optional benefits to suit your individual circumstances such as HSAs, FSAs, supplemental life and medical insurance, and pet insurance.Up to $1,000 per year for eligible professional development expenses.Our Core Values
We come from all walks of life and are joined together by our shared values, which guide our work and how we work together.
Give a damn.
What we're doing matters. We show up determined to deliver results, and we love it.Velocity.
We're intentional about where we're going and we race towards it.Make the assist.
We have diverse strengths. We offer and ask for help so we all win.
Caribou is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, pregnancy status, marital status, military or protected veteran status, genetics, or any other characteristic protected by law. This position is not restricted solely to the responsibilities listed above, and the scope and responsibilities are subject to change. A pre-employment background check is required as a condition of employment.
*Caribou does not currently have employee operations in AL, AK, AR, CT, HI, ID, IN, IA, KY, MS, MT, NE, NM, ND, OK, RI, SD, WV, WY.
California Consumer Privacy Act
At Caribou, we care about giving people financial freedom so they can focus on what's most important to them. Today, less than two percent of Americans refinance their auto loans despite drastic increases in the cost of new and used cars. We see huge potential to help folks reduce their monthly auto expenses, as well as increase the predictability of those expenses over time. We do this by building technology to pair customers with community banks and credit unions, and ushering them through the process quickly. On average, our drivers save $115/month on their car loans while protecting their investment long term.
Caribou is led by leaders from the technology, automotive, and finance industries. We're proud to be backed by a great team of investors, including QED Investors, Goldman Sachs, Moderne Ventures, Accomplice, Link Ventures, Motley Fool Ventures and others.
About the Role
Caribou is looking for a Chief of Staff (COS) to join our team and partner closely with our CEO and senior leadership to lead internal communications and keep multiple internal and external projects moving forward simultaneously. The COS will report to the CEO and will be accountable for maximizing the impact, efficiency and time of Caribou's Leadership Team's cross functional work. This key role will be an integral member of the senior leadership team (S-team), acting as a strategic thought partner, integrator, communicator, and confidant. You will play a crucial part in setting and implementing strategies, anticipating problems, and ensuring the alignment of our vision with day-to-day operations. This is an ideal growth opportunity for someone with aspirations for senior operating roles.
Key Responsibilities:Strategic Planning and Execution:
Drive strategic planning and goal setting alongside the CEO and senior leadership team. Translate the company's vision, mission, and objectives into long-term strategic and annual operational plans.Project Management:
Manage complex projects and critical initiatives, define objectives, establish timelines, coordinate stakeholders, and monitor progress to ensure successful outcomes.Special Projects:
Lead special projects and initiatives as they arise, filling gaps in capacity and taking on strategic assignments as needed, which may include interim functional leadership roles or strategic initiatives.Data Analysis and Insights:
Gather and analyze data, assess market trends, and provide insights and recommendations to inform key decision-making processes.Meeting Management:
Own senior leadership and board meetings, ensuring meeting effectiveness and preparedness, driving follow-through, and improving decision-making processes.CEO Communications:
Lead CEO communications, including monthly company all-hands meetings and external (Board, Investors, Media, Industry) ensuring clear and engaging dissemination of important information.Qualifications:
Experience : 6+ years of professional experience with increasing responsibility. Background should include roles as a leader at a top-tier management consulting firm or equivalent, or a banker at a leading investment bank, with at least a couple of years of operating experience at a technology company.Education : Top-tier MBA preferred, or equivalent additional experience, with a bachelor's degree in business, finance, or a related field.Skills : Highly analytical and critical thinker with strong project management skills and a love for the details. Ability to anticipate future needs and trends, streamline operations, and enhance productivity and efficiency.Communication : Clear and effective communicator with strong written and verbal skills. Ability to build trust and partnerships at all levels of the organization.Functional Experience : Foundational knowledge around many of the broad areas of our business, from understanding financials and strategic planning to communications and change management. Operating experience in at least one of the following: sales, contact centers, marketing, business development, or product management.Values : Demonstrated alignment with Caribou's core values: Give a Damn, Velocity, and Make the Assist. Proven track record of success in highly ambiguous situations and a strong drive to achieve goals.Location:
This role is based out of Chicago, IL. While we don't have an office here yet, you should plan to spend time in person with our CEO, who is located in the area. This role also requires about 25% travel, including attendance at monthly in-person team meetings, often held in Denver or DC.
About You:
You, like us, are driven to achieve your goals. At Caribou, we have three core values:
Give a Damn, Velocity, and Make the Assist.
We're motivated, we race towards our goals, and we help each other along the way.
You are a curious and action-oriented problem solver with the ability to build trust and partnership at all levels of an organization. You demonstrate the highest levels of ownership and have a proven ability to take ideas and turn them into results. You have a strong strategic mindset and operational expertise, with the ability to see what pressures the leader faces and find ways to lessen them. You recognize the importance of key relationships and are adept at strengthening them.
Join Us:
If you're ambitious, strategic, and ready to make a significant impact, we want to hear from you. Apply today to join our team and help us drive growth and provide financial freedom to our customers.
How we will take care of you
Everyone at Caribou is a valued team member. Our compensation and benefits package includes:
Competitive compensationEquity options401k savings programGenerous paid time off including: Flexible Time Off (FTO) for all employees and 100% paid parental leave for all parents.Robust wellness benefits including company-paid plans for health, dental, vision, mental health, disability and basic life insurance.Optional benefits to suit your individual circumstances such as HSAs, FSAs, supplemental life and medical insurance, and pet insurance.Up to $1,000 per year for eligible professional development expenses.Our Core Values
We come from all walks of life and are joined together by our shared values, which guide our work and how we work together.
Give a damn.
What we're doing matters. We show up determined to deliver results, and we love it.Velocity.
We're intentional about where we're going and we race towards it.Make the assist.
We have diverse strengths. We offer and ask for help so we all win.
Caribou is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, pregnancy status, marital status, military or protected veteran status, genetics, or any other characteristic protected by law. This position is not restricted solely to the responsibilities listed above, and the scope and responsibilities are subject to change. A pre-employment background check is required as a condition of employment.
*Caribou does not currently have employee operations in AL, AK, AR, CT, HI, ID, IN, IA, KY, MS, MT, NE, NM, ND, OK, RI, SD, WV, WY.
California Consumer Privacy Act