Chief of Staff

San Francisco, CA - In-person, full time

Reports to CEO

About Hyfe:

Every year, approximately one billion tons of nutrient-rich fruit and vegetable byproducts are discarded or under-utilized across global food systems. For processors, getting rid of this waste is costly and emissions-intensive, creating significant environmental impact with little to no economic return. Yet these byproducts contain valuable compounds that could transform the economics of businesses across the food system and help catalyze the production of sustainable chemicals and materials. Hyfé exists to change that.

Hyfé transforms food waste into high-value ingredients using a label-friendly, thermochemical refining process. Our team of scientists and engineers brings decades of expertise from the oil refining and chemical industries, specializing in scaling industrial processes and pioneering sustainable solutions.

At Hyfé, you’ll have the opportunity to build at the earliest stages of a mission-driven company—working alongside a world-class team, shaping real products, and helping define how the next generation of ingredients are made.

Our mission is simple: To transform carbon we waste into carbon we need.

Job Overview:

Hyfé is hiring a Chief of Staff to act as a force multiplier for the CEO and help scale the company through its next phase of growth. This role is highly cross-functional and execution-oriented, with ownership over CEO enablement, board and investor preparation, and strategic initiatives. The Chief of Staff will translate ambiguous inputs into clear strategy, polished materials, and decisive action. You’ll write and build constantly — decks, memos, emails, analyses — and ensure the CEO is prepared, informed, and effective in high-leverage moments with investors, partners, the board, and the broader ecosystem.

This is an ideal role for someone who thrives in early-stage environments, combines strong judgment with exceptional communication skills, and is comfortable operating both at altitude (strategy, narrative, positioning) and in the weeds (fundraising ops, budgets, follow-ups, execution). The right candidate is highly autonomous, detail-oriented, fast, and low-ego — someone who anticipates needs, spots nuance, and takes ownership to make sure critical work gets done, done well, and done on time.

Key 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

• Support CEO in identifying potential partners and building relationships, including representing Hyfé in the community

• Support and prepare CEO for external facing activities and events

Operational Execution

• Keep compensation bands up to date, leveraging industry data

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

• Embody Hyfé’s core values, setting an example for team at large

• Own budget, track spend vs plan, report on a monthly basis, facilitate spend planning

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

• Own identification and connection with strategic advisors to Hyfé

Requirements:

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

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

• Prior startup experience (ideally Series A to Series B)

• Comfortable lending a hand and making sure whatever needs to get done, gets done

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

Competencies:

• Excellent communication, writing, and organizational skills

• Ability to juggle multiple projects and items at once while delivering on time

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

• Skilled at synthesizing complex data to inform strategic direction

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

• Highly autonomous with strong intuition and strategic thinking

• Technically fluent or quick to learn new platforms

• Passionate about waste-to-value and decarbonization

• Humility, confidence, speed, and dependability

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation

• 15 days PTO, paid holidays, and year-end office closure (pending business performance)

• 401(k) plan

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

• Short-term disability coverage

• In-office snacks & drinks

• Weekly and monthly team bonding

• Opportunity for rapid growth as the company scales

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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.