How to hire a Chief of Staff for your Family Office in 2025
Hiring a Chief of Staff (CoS) for your family office in 2025 isn’t just about filling an administrative role, it’s about securing a trusted strategic partner who can navigate complexity, protect privacy and ensure continuity.
As family offices evolve, so too does the role of the Chief of Staff. In this latest blog, we explore how to hire one who’s the right fit.
The Evolving Role of Chief of Staff in Family Offices
Traditionally viewed as high-level administrative support, the Chief of Staff today plays a far more strategic role in the family office ecosystem. They are the linchpin between the family, their advisors, private household staff and operating entities.
In 2025, the Chief of Staff must be:
- A strategic advisor to the principal(s)
- A project manager overseeing family initiatives
- A culture carrier ensuring alignment across generations and teams
- A gatekeeper and integrator across business, personal and philanthropic interests
This shift demands a different kind of professional – one with emotional intelligence, discretion, and the operational acumen to manage complexity at scale.
Key responsibilities of a Family Office Chief of Staff
While every family office is unique, core Chief of Staff (CoS) responsibilities often include:
- Overseeing operations: Coordinating between household staff, legal advisors, accountants, and investment teams
- Managing family initiatives: From setting up philanthropic structures to real estate development and education planning
- Team leadership: Hiring, managing, and mentoring internal staff across functions
- Calendar and travel management: At an executive level, involving multi-jurisdictional and complex itineraries
- Liaison role: Acting as the principal’s proxy in meetings or sensitive negotiations
What qualities and experience to look for in a Chief of Staff
Top level Chiefs of Staff typically bring a blend of private sector and family office experience. Here are key attributes to look for:
- Background in private equity, consulting or high-level executive assistance
- Proven experience in complex project and people management
- Strong financial literacy
- High emotional intelligence and discretion
- Cultural fluency, especially in global family offices
- Tech-savvy – able to implement systems that streamline operations
At Cora, we’ve noticed a growing trend in 2025 – hiring those with dual backgrounds, such as former COOs or legal counsels, who can wear multiple hats.
Red flags during the Chief of Staff hiring process
- Overemphasis on administrative skills only: They need to think strategically, not just schedule meetings.
- Lack of exposure to UHNW environments: Sensitivity to privacy, security, and complexity is essential.
- Misalignment with the family’s values or communication style: This can lead to long-term friction.
- Frequent job-hopping: While some movement is normal, instability in similar roles can signal issues with adaptability or performance.
Why cultural fit is crucial
A recent Global Family Office Compensation Benchmark Report, revealed that 92% of family office professionals consider cultural fit more important than qualifications when hiring. This finding highlights a prevailing industry emphasis on shared values, emotional intelligence, and long-term alignment, especially in high trust environments like family offices.
Considerations include:
- Do they understand the unspoken rules of discretion and loyalty?
- Can they seamlessly blend into both formal and informal settings?
- Are they emotionally mature enough to manage ambiguity and shifting priorities?
In a family office, where trust, alignment, and long-term commitment are fundamental – cultural fit should be weighted as heavily as (if not more than) technical skill.
The Family Office & Recruitment Process & Timeline
Hiring a Chief of Staff isn’t a quick fix, it’s a strategic investment. A typical family office recruitment timeline looks like this:
Needs Assessment (2 – 3 weeks)
Defining role scope, deliverables, and family preferences
Search and Screening (4 – 8 weeks)
Sourcing, shortlisting, initial interviews, and psychometric assessments
Interviews & Evaluation (2 – 3 weeks)
In-depth interviews with the family and key stakeholders
Offer & Onboarding (2 -4 weeks)
Negotiating terms, setting expectations, and onboarding
In total, expect a 10 – 16 week process for optimal results.
How Family Office recruiters streamline the search
Specialist family office recruiters bring a nuanced understanding of the position and the ecosystem. Here’s how they add value:
- Curated networks: Access to pre-vetted, off-market candidates
- Cultural matchmaking: Deep experience assessing compatibility beyond CVs
- Confidentiality: Protecting the family’s identity and interests throughout
- Faster results: Targeted searches cut down on misaligned candidates
At Cora, we specialise in family office recruitment, including niche roles like Chiefs of Staff. Our consultative approach ensures that every individual is aligned in both capability and character.
Case Study: Placing a Chief of Staff for a Creative, Sustainability-Focussed Family Office
In October 2024, Cora was retained to fill a Head of Projects/Chief of Staff role for a creative and sustainability driven family based in Central London.
The Principal, a visionary entrepreneur with multiple residential and development projects, required a professional who could bring structure, clarity, and proactivity to an evolving portfolio of initiatives.
Family office job requirements
The family needed more than just an executive assistant. They were looking for someone who could:
- Synthesise complex project information and present it in clear, digestible formats
- Anticipate needs, not just react to instructions
- Coordinate a wide range of construction and development projects, ensuring deadlines were met
- Integrate smoothly into a creative and sustainability led culture while supporting the day-to-day rhythm of the Principal’s personal and professional life
Cora’s family recruitment approach
We undertook a bespoke search, engaging candidates with:
- Family office or high-end residential project experience
- A balance of emotional intelligence and operational rigour
- Exceptional communication skills and an innate sense of discretion
Over five weeks, we shortlisted candidates from both private sector and family office backgrounds, assessing not just qualifications but cultural alignment, which was critical to the Principal.
Successful placement
The successful candidate brought:
- 10+ years of experience across project management and executive support
- A proven track record of managing construction timelines and high-pressure environments
- A naturally structured communication style that matched the Principal’s working preferences
They were offered a £150,000 salary and have since become an indispensable part of the family office team, streamlining operations, improving reporting and freeing up the Principal to focus on vision and legacy.
“Placing a Chief of Staff in a family office is never purely about credentials – it’s also about trust and the ability to operate as a strategic extension of the Principal. This search demanded discretion and a deep understanding of both the job and the environment. The result is a professional who brings clarity, control and genuine value to the family office.”
— Izzy, Founder of Cora.
Strategic hiring redefining the Family Office recruitment landscape
Hiring the right Chief of Staff for your family office is about more than just experience. It’s about alignment, trust and a long-term partnership. In 2025, as family offices become more sophisticated, the role and hire of a Chief of Staff will only grow in importance.
By following a strategic hiring process, and working with expert family office recruiters, you increase your changes of finding the most suitable professional who will safeguard your family’s legacy for years to come.
Looking to hire a Chief of Staff for your family office? Cora specialises in discreet, strategic family office recruitment, connecting you with candidates who combine exceptional skills with cultural fit. Please get in touch with our team to begin your search and secure the right leadership partner for your family’s unique needs.