Chief of Staff

POSITION OVERVIEW:

Hyfé is seeking a mission-driven Chief of Staff to the CEO—someone ready to take bold action on climate change by helping decarbonize chemical and materials value chains. This role is for a strategic operator who thrives in the earliest, most ambiguous stages of company-building. If you're a self-proclaimed Type A who loves taking risks, moving fast, and feels at ease holding the unknown, this is for you.

You’ll ensure the CEO delivers on company goals by driving cross-functional initiatives, managing operations and HR (including hiring), leading special projects across business and R&D, and owning preparation for fundraising and board meetings.

We’re looking for someone who can manage up, drive clarity in ambiguity, and take full ownership of execution. Agility, precision, and follow-through are key.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES: 

CEO Enablement & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with the CEO to execute company strategy, including data collection, modeling, writing, stakeholder communications, and event planning

• Lead preparation for board meetings, investor updates, and all-hands, including materials and follow-ups

• Craft and implement internal and external communications strategies

• Drive cross-functional alignment on key priorities across business and R&D functions

• Support investor relations and own fundraising activities, including pitch deck preparation, data room creation, outreach, tracking, and follow ups

Operational Execution

• Execute key operational functions across HR, legal, compliance, and finance, including weekly and quarterly budget tracking

• Manage end-to-end hiring and onboarding; support people management and lead culture-building initiatives

• Own office and facility operations

• Maintain Hyfé’s online presence and voice; ensure website is current

Strategic Initiatives

• Collaborate with the CEO and Head of Commercialization to shape and optimize Hyfé’s go-to-market strategy and business model through market research, customer interviews, and pain point analysis

• Monitor market trends and proactively identify strategic opportunities

• Own grant, award, and program applications, as well as Hyfé’s thought leadership and conference strategy

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, bonus for MBA or engineering/science background 

• 3-5+ years of experience in early stage ventures, or relevant venture capital, management consulting, or investment banking experience  

• Prior startup experience (especially Seed to Series B)

• Comfortable doing cold outreach 

COMPETENCIES: 

• Proficient in Canva, PowerPoint, Excel, AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT), modeling, memo writing, and email management software

• Skilled at synthesizing technical data to inform commercial strategy

• Familiarity with venture capital and startup financing; bonus for former VC associates

• Fast-moving, innovative, and committed to operational excellence

• Exceptionally organized, communicative, and collaborative

• Highly autonomous with strong intuition and strategic thinking

• Technically fluent or quick to learn new platforms

• Passionate about waste-to-value and decarbonization

BENEFITS: 

• Competitive annual salary, commensurate with experience 

• 401k plan 

• 15 days of vacation, in addition to paid holidays, sick leave, and closed office the last week of December

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance 

• Short-term & long-term disability coverage

• In-office snacks & drinks 

ABOUT HYFE:

Hyfé transforms plant waste into chemical alternatives to petroleum. As the world transitions to clean energy, our materials economy must evolve in parallel. Petrochemicals account for 7% of global emissions and drive over a third of oil demand—yet they remain one of the most overlooked contributors to climate change.

Meanwhile, more than four billion tons of plant biomass waste are generated globally each year—containing enough carbon to entirely replace petroleum-derived chemicals.

Hyfé tackles this challenge with a novel biorefining platform that converts low-value plant waste into high-value chemical intermediates. This enables the production of the same essential materials—without relying on petroleum. Our technology can double the output of critical chemicals, preserve strategic oil reserves, redirect billions into strengthening the food processing sector, and power domestic manufacturing that revitalizes rural communities.

Led by a team with decades of experience in oil refining and industrial scale-up, Hyfé is uniquely positioned to commercialize the refining infrastructure of the future. 

SALARY:

$133K–$146K based on experience, plus equity

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Equal Employment Opportunity: Hyfé is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.