Chief of Staff to the CEO - C3.ai

C3 AI (NYSE: AI), is the Enterprise AI application software company. C3 AI delivers a family of fully integrated products including the C3 Agentic AI Platform, an end-to-end platform for developing, deploying, and operating enterprise AI applications, C3 AI applications, a portfolio of industry-specific SaaS enterprise AI applications that enable the digital transformation of organizations globally, and C3 Generative AI, a suite of domain-specific generative AI offerings for the enterprise. Learn more at: C3 AI

C3 AI is seeking a Chief of Staff to serve as a force multiplier to the Chief Executive Officer. This role is a unique blend of strategy, operations, and execution, partnering directly with the CEO on the most consequential decisions facing the company. The Chief of Staff will drive cross-functional initiatives, operationalize the CEO’s priorities across the executive leadership team, and ensure decisions translate into measurable outcomes across the organization. The role is located onsite at our Redwood City, CA headquarters.

Responsibilities

• CEO Thought Partnership: Serve as a trusted advisor and sounding board to the CEO on strategy, prioritization, and the most important open questions facing the business. Pressure-test thinking with rigor, structure, and intellectual honesty.
• Strategic Initiatives: Lead high-priority, cross-functional initiatives end-to-end — from problem definition and analysis through alignment and execution. Initiatives may span pricing strategy, market entry, organizational design, M&A diligence, or new product bets.
• Executive Operating Cadence: Own the rhythms that drive alignment across the company, including executive leadership team meetings, OKR cycles, all-hands, and quarterly planning. Ensure decisions are documented, communicated, and followed through.
• Decision Memos and Analysis: Translate complex, open-ended business problems into structured plans, decision memos, and data-driven recommendations the CEO and leadership team can act on within compressed timelines.
• Technical Depth: Engage substantively with the product, platform, and data. Read code and architecture documents, query the data warehouse, and reason about technical tradeoffs alongside engineering leadership.
• External Representation: Represent the CEO in select internal and external forums, including customer executive briefings, partner discussions, and executive recruiting.
• Organizational Health: Identify gaps, bottlenecks, and broken processes before they surface elsewhere — and either drive resolution directly or assign the right owner.

Qualifications

• 8–12 years of progressive experience combining top-tier management consulting (McKinsey, Bain, BCG) and an operating role at a high-growth technology company.
• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related technical discipline; MBA from a top-tier program strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated technical fluency — able to engage credibly with engineering and product leaders on architecture, AI/ML, and data infrastructure topics.
• Exceptional structured problem-solving: ability to decompose ambiguous problems, build the underlying analysis, and produce executive-ready written recommendations under tight deadlines.
• World-class written and verbal communication, including experience drafting executive memos and presentations for senior leadership audiences.
• High-agency operator who defaults to action, navigates ambiguity without a playbook, and consistently closes loops without prompting.
• Discreet, low-ego, and trusted with highly sensitive information, decisions, and relationships.
• Genuine intellectual curiosity about enterprise AI and a long-term commitment to the mission.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior Chief of Staff, founding team, or early operator experience at a high-growth enterprise software or AI company.
• Experience operating in a CEO Office or executive staff function at a public or late-stage company.
• Direct experience with AI/ML, enterprise SaaS, or cloud infrastructure markets.

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future company sponsorship.

C3 AI provides excellent benefits, a competitive compensation package and generous equity plan.

California Base Pay Range

$280,000—$400,000 USD

C3 AI is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected characteristics, including disabled and veteran status.