RETAINED CHIEF OF STAFF EXECUTIVE SEARCH
Your Chief of Staff search, solved.
The right Chief of Staff changes everything.
The wrong one will cost you time, momentum, money, trust, and opportunities you may never get back.
Don’t leave this consequential hire to chance.
WHY ELEVATE?
Expert search. Exceptional talent.
With over 15 years of firsthand Chief of Staff experience, we know what separates a capable operator from an indispensable strategic partner. It's more than a skill set. It's the mindset, judgment, instincts, and chemistry that make each unique CEO x CoS relationship successful.. or not.
Elevate combines our insider expertise and curated network of exceptional talent with a rigorous, personalized assessment process to find Chiefs of Staff who are uniquely suited to your leadership style, business priorities, and stage of growth.
Better Insights
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Better Matches
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Transformative Hires
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True Expertise
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Better Insights | Better Matches | Transformative Hires | True Expertise |
THE ELEVATE DIFFERENCE
When you can’t afford to get it wrong.
| Factor | Hiring on your own | Traditional executive search | ElevateChief of Staff Search |
|---|---|---|---|
| Role expertise | You define the role alone | Generalist recruiters, often lacking experience with the Chief of Staff role | Elevate draws on 15+ years in and around the Chief of Staff role. That experience in the seat, as well as coaching, training, and speaking with thousands of Chiefs of Staff and the executives who hire them, gives us unmatched insights into what will make this hire uniquely effective for you. |
| Candidate access | Whoever applies | Cold outreach | 1,000+ vetted operators already in our talent pool, plus the credibility to reach talent that’s not on the market |
| Fit assessment | Interviews and instinct | Resume and phone screens | Two-sided Chief of Staff Match Assessment |
| Fee | Months of your time | 25–35% of first-year compensation | Flat $15,000, with no hidden fees: $5,000 to initiate your search, balance due after your candidate’s start date |
| After the hire | You’re on your own | Ends at signing | Onboarding support, 90 days of unlimited relationship enablement coaching, and a 120-day success guarantee |
Not sure whether Elevate is the right fit for your search? Let’s talk it through.
Book a Strategy SessionA Search Process Built Around You
INVESTMENT
$15,000. One flat fee. Two payments. No percentages or hidden costs.
To begin your retained search.……………………………..………….…. $5,000
Within 30 days of your Chief of Staff’s start date.…………….…. $10,000
NOTE: Most recruiting firms charge 25 to 35% of first-year compensation. On a $150,000 role, that’s $37,500 to $52,500, and their fee rises with every dollar of salary.
EVERY SEARCH INCLUDES
✔️ Role scoping and partnership definition
✔️ Sourcing from our network of 1,000+ vetted operators and beyond
✔️ A detailed weekly shortlist of at least 10 qualified finalists
✔️ The Chief of Staff Match Assessment™ for you and every finalist
✔️ Guided interview support and offer strategy
✔️ Onboarding support and 90 days of unlimited relationship enablement coaching for both the CEO and the Chief of Staff
✔️ 120-day success guarantee
What Past Clients Have Said
Still have questions?
Hiring a Chief of Staff is a big decision. Get answers to the questions founders and CEOs ask most about finding the right fit, navigating the search process, and what makes Elevate different.
IS IT TIME?
To get to the next level, your leadership needs leverage.
Most leaders don't randomly decide to hire a Chief of Staff. They hit a wall that makes the need obvious.
If any of these sound familiar, now’s the time to hire a Chief of Staff.
Strategy isn’t reaching execution.
Priorities shift faster than your team can absorb them, and follow-through depends on you chasing it.
You’ve become the bottleneck.
Decisions that shouldn't need you are waiting on you, and the company moves at the speed of your inbox.
You’re working every weekend.
Your week is full, but the work only you can do keeps getting pushed to Saturday.
Not sure where to start?
Some of our clients already know exactly what they need. Others are still thinking things through. Wherever you’re at, our complimentary Recruiting Strategy Session will be your best next step. No pressure or pitches. Just helpful guidance and support, whether you choose to work with us or not.
Why Founders and CEOs Choose Elevate Search to find their Chief of Staff:
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A great Chief of Staff needs more than an impressive resume. We know how to recognize the judgment, instincts, emotional intelligence, executive maturity, and ownership mentality that separate good operators from truly exceptional strategic partners.
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Our reach extends well beyond traditional recruiting channels. Alongside our established talent pool, Elevate founder Melanie Jones brings recognized credibility and trusted relationships within the global Chief of Staff community. That reputation opens doors to accomplished, often passive talent who might otherwise overlook job boards or cold outreach and ignore generic recruiting pitches.
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We understand the chemistry. The leadership dynamics. The subtle nuances.
And the difference between someone who supports you… and someone who elevates you. -
Unlike traditional executive search firms that charge 25–33% of first-year compensation, Elevate charges a flat $15,000 structured to keep our incentives fully aligned with yours.
We're able to offer this rate because we operate as a lean, AI-augmented team and because we've spent years building genuine credibility and warm relationships in the Chief of Staff space, which means we move faster, with less overhead, and without having to waste time building a net to cast. We also don’t lean on outdated recruiting traditions that solely profit recruiters at your expense.
Frankly, when you know what you’re doing with Chief of Staff recruiting, it doesn’t cost $30k+ to do it…
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No two CEOs need the same Chief of Staff. We invest time upfront to understand your leadership style, organizational dynamics, business priorities, and where you need the greatest leverage. Every search is designed around finding the person who will make you more effective.
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We personally evaluate candidates for strategic thinking, sound judgment, operational excellence, communication, and executive alignment. Our firsthand experience allows us to ask deeper questions, recognize subtle red flags, and assess qualities that conventional recruiting processes often miss.
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We manage the heavy lifting, from sourcing and outreach to screening, evaluation, and interview coordination. You'll have a dedicated, highly responsive search partner who keeps the process moving, communicates transparently, and respects the demands on your time.
Your Chief of Staff hire carries outsized impact and asymmetric risk.
That’s why Elevate doesn’t just “find talent.”
We help you de-risk a very high stakes hire. We do this by rigorously refining the scope, pressure testing assumptions, and assessing factors that don’t show up in interviews.
Our discernment protects your time, your culture, your bottom line, and your momentum.
