interim executive recruitment

Hire an Interim Chief of Staff

Hire an Interim Chief of Staff: define the leadership transition the interim must hold, what authority the CEO will delegate, and the record the successor needs at handover.

Brief us on this role →

Chief of Staff briefChoose a part of the brief

Part 01 / 04

Transition

State the vacancy or change that requires temporary CEO-office leadership.

Transition

State the vacancy or change that requires temporary CEO-office leadership.

Decision rhythm

List the meetings, papers and priorities that cannot pause.

Authority

Define what the interim may coordinate or decide for the CEO.

Handover

Name the successor and the decisions, relationships and risks they must receive.

Hire an Interim Chief of Staff: what must the role own?

State the vacancy or change that requires temporary CEO-office leadership.

TransitionState the vacancy or change that requires temporary CEO-office leadership.

Decision rhythmList the meetings, papers and priorities that cannot pause.

AuthorityDefine what the interim may coordinate or decide for the CEO.

HandoverName the successor and the decisions, relationships and risks they must receive.

Role reference: Chief of Staff Association: the role’s strategic purpose. The Association’s practitioner account describes priority setting, information flow and strategic work with the CEO, with role clarity and authority.

What changes when the Chief of Staff is interim?

An interim chief of staff carries a defined CEO-office assignment through a gap or change. The end point is a working decision rhythm and a documented handover, rather than an indefinite part-week arrangement.

interimChoose a part of the brief

Part 01 / 04

Outcome

Write the transition or programme outcome before searching.

Outcome

Write the transition or programme outcome before searching.

Term

Agree the expected end, a review point and what could extend the assignment.

Authority

Give the interim the authority needed to hold the seat during the assignment.

Handover

Name the person or team who takes ownership when the interim leaves.

How would this work in a real brief?

The hiring decision becomes clearer when the work and its boundary are written down together.

Illustrative brief · a chief of staff vacancy during a board cycle

A chief of staff has left before a board meeting and a continuing appointment will take time. The CEO needs priorities and papers to keep moving.

The interim chief of staff runs the meeting rhythm, maintains the decision record and coordinates the next board cycle.

The appointment owns

The interim chief of staff runs the meeting rhythm, maintains the decision record and coordinates the next board cycle.

Another owner retains

The CEO owns reserved decisions and the permanent search; functional leaders remain accountable for their teams.

How should you assess Chief of Staff candidates?

Put the same work and evidence in front of each candidate before comparing answers.

The evidenceChoose a part of the brief

Part 01 / 04

First review

Ask what the candidate would read and whom they would meet before changing the rhythm.

First review

Ask what the candidate would read and whom they would meet before changing the rhythm.

Comparable gap

Ask for a defined leadership gap they held and how it ended.

Board judgement

Test how they would escalate an incomplete or contested board paper.

Successor

Ask to see the structure of a handover they have made.

Acas recommends a consistent, fair selection process: choosing who to interview.

Does this hiring pattern fit the work?

Test the amount of the week, the expected end and the continuity needed before writing the contract.

How much of the week does the work fill?

Is this a defined assignment with an end?

For a continuing part-week role, is this an employee?

The working pattern · interim

An interim Chief of Staff

An executive holds a defined assignment or transition. Agree the outcome, authority and handover before the start.

Read the interim Chief of Staff hiring brief →

What must happen before the Chief of Staff starts?

Agree the assignment end, review date and handover owner.

A clear startChoose a part of the brief

Part 01 / 04

Outcome

Agree the assignment end, review date and handover owner.

Outcome

Agree the assignment end, review date and handover owner.

Access

Provide priorities, board timetable, papers, decision log and key contacts.

Authority

Tell leaders which requests the interim may resolve for the CEO.

Handover log

Record open decisions, risks and relationships from the first week.

1
Outcome
Agree the assignment end, review date and handover owner.
2
Access
Provide priorities, board timetable, papers, decision log and key contacts.
3
Authority
Tell leaders which requests the interim may resolve for the CEO.
4
Handover log
Record open decisions, risks and relationships from the first week.

A useful Chief of Staff brief names the decision, the working pattern and the evidence before it names a candidate.

What should the brief say?

Hire an Interim Chief of Staff begins with transition, a stated working pattern and the evidence you will ask every candidate to show.

15 minutes · video or phone

Brief us on a Chief of Staff

Tell us what the role must own, how it will work and when it must start.

01A brief built around the decisions and working pattern.
02A shortlist of 3–5 with pay or day rate, availability and IR35 position set out.
03Five-stage vetting before a candidate reaches you.

Prefer email? Use the booking page →

Pick a day that suits · live availability

Open the booking calendar →

Hire an Interim Chief of Staff

Hire an Interim Chief of Staff: what must the role own?

What changes when the Chief of Staff is interim?

How would this work in a real brief?

How should you assess Chief of Staff candidates?

Does this hiring pattern fit the work?

What must happen before the Chief of Staff starts?

What should the brief say?

Brief us on a Chief of Staff

Bring the brief. We bring the shortlist.