In This Blog:
- ➤What Does a Chief of Staff Do? (Clearing Up the Role)
- ➤What Does an Operations Manager Do? (It’s a Completely Different Job)
- ➤Chief of Staff vs. Operations Manager: The Line Most Businesses Miss
- ➤How a Chief of Staff Saves a CEO 15+ Hours a Week
- ➤Australian Businesses Are Hiring Their Chief of Staff Remotely
- ➤FAQs About Chief of Staff vs Operations Manager
- ➤Chief of Staff Work is for Chiefs of Staff
What’s the difference between an operations manager and someone hired to extend the CEO’s capacity to lead?
Unsure? That’s okay. So many AU SMBs are, too.
It’s one of those questions business owners dance around, without getting a solid answer to. So they hire and rehire roles that don’t meet what they need:
The professional who helps keep the business pulse steady, and without every issue and decision circling back to the CEO.
A Chief of Staff.
But why this role? Why is it important to differentiate between a Chief of Staff vs Operations Manager?
If you wanted someone to keep business operations consistent over time, you have the OM. But if you’re expecting the same person to carry priorities across teams and take pressure off your decision-making, “hiring wrong” isn’t the point here.
You need a different kind of support for a different problem.
What exactly is a Chief of Staff? How can you tell whether you need one or not? Let’s start separating the role of a CoS vs an OM first, their differences, and which one gives time back to you.
What is the role of a Chief of Staff? (Chief of Staff job description)
A Chief of Staff (CoS) is the CEO’s strategic partner responsible for turning leadership priorities into coordinated action and strategic initiatives across the business. Rather than managing a department or owning day-to-day operations, they extend the CEO’s capacity by aligning teams, moving decisions forward, and ensuring initiatives don’t stall between functions. Their role is to protect executive bandwidth by filtering information, preparing decisions, and creating follow-through without requiring the CEO’s direct involvement in every detail. In growing businesses, a Chief of Staff helps leaders spend less time managing internal movement and more time leading the business forward.
What Does a Chief of Staff Do? (Clearing Up the Role)
This professional is a strategic partner to the CEO, or the “Principal,” the company owner, or the founder. Not to be confused with a department-level role, they’re the extension of the CEO’s judgment. The role of a chief of staff is to “extend” the CEO’s priorities and capacity across the business. Their responsibilities aren’t output-based, nor do they manage a business function.
The Chief of Staff increases how much impact the CEO can create without the CEO personally doing everything.
Day-to-day Scenario: A CEO only has so much bandwidth to make good decisions in a day. The CoS is there to protect and multiply that bandwidth. In simpler terms, they exist to turn the CEO’s decisions and priorities into coordinated action, from teams to departments. From meetings to escalations and approvals. Without the CEO being personally involved in everything.
Other Roles Often Commonly Confused With a CoS
A CoS is NOT to be interchanged with an Executive Assistant. For instance, an EA manages the CEO’s schedule or calendar, while the CoS manages what happens because of that calendar.
The EA gets the CEO into the right “rooms,” and the Chief of Staff takes care of what happens as a result of said schedule, whether it’s decisions or next steps, according to the CEO’s priorities.
Chiefs of Staff is NOT Chief Operating Officer (COO). A COO runs the business operationally at a senior executive level. The “right hand” of the CEO. They set operational goals and priorities and oversee multiple functions and leaders. A CoS doesn’t manage departments or operational foundations and deliveries, but helps turn the CEO’s direction into action.
Illustration: Henry is a Melbourne-based business owner. He started out with 5. Now, he has a 25-40 person company. He realizes that whenever teams need alignment or a decision affects more than one department, everyone still turns to him. Nobody else is in a position to bring teams together and make a call.
What Does an Operations Manager Do? (It’s a Completely Different Job)
We’re keeping this section short because the role this article is bent on unpacking is the Chief of Staff.
Think of your Operations Manager as the one responsible for how day-to-day work runs: operating routines and keeping them consistent in everyday work. They ensure consistency so that operations remain aligned with intended standards and stay stable. That can mean creating enough structure for work to continue smoothly.
Operations Managers never step into a CEO’s time or thinking.
What is the role of an operations manager? (What does an operations manager do?)
An Operations Manager is responsible for keeping the business running consistently through stable processes, efficient workflows, and day-to-day execution. Their role is to oversee how work gets done across teams or functions by improving coordination, maintaining standards, and solving operational bottlenecks before they affect output. Unlike a Chief of Staff, an Operations Manager does not extend the CEO’s decision-making capacity or carry executive priorities across the business. Instead, they focus on creating structure so teams can operate smoothly without constant intervention.
Chief of Staff vs. Operations Manager: The Line Most Businesses Miss
Now, the core differentiator. Let’s really drive the difference home. Though both roles are generally thought of as “take things off your plate,” they take different things off different plates.
Who’s “loyal” to how the business runs? The Ops Manager.
Who’s “loyal” to the CEO’s/Principal’s priorities? The Chief of Staff.
The Ops Manager’s work is within the org chart, inside departments and teams. They’re accountable to the process.
On the flip side, the Chief of Staff’s responsibilities are horizontal, from department to department (not within one). The distinction: they operate with the CEO’s backing.
A CoS is accountable to the CEO. They’re directly accountable to you.
The CoS’s job is measured by whether the right things get the CEO’s attention and whether priorities go through departments, the way the CEO envisions them. They also see to it that the CEO’s time is spent where business decisions are to be made.
Operations Manager → the professional responsible for keeping day-to-day operations consistent
Chief of Staff → the CEO’s right hand for priorities, alignment, and follow-through across the business
CoS vs OM: Each Role’s Position/Part in the Business
It follows that the two roles report differently. An Operations Manager typically reports into a department head, a COO, or the CEO for visibility (not always, because again, the CEO shouldn’t have to dip their fingers in every part of every workflow and daily operations).
A Chief of Staff reports to the CEO, and their duty is to extend the CEO’s reach. They do NOT manage team outputs.
The difference is in what they’re allowed to do with the information they have. For example, an Operations Manager is expected to fix, or at least come up with recommendations, for broken processes.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff is expected to spot where decisions are stuck. They help the CEO move them forward. Often, without the CEO being in the same room.
Very different duties.
What To Do: List out three or four recurring friction points in your business right now. For each one, ask: is this a problem with how a process runs, or a problem with who gets to decide what happens next? Process problems point to an Operations Manager. Decision and alignment problems point to a Chief of Staff.
Chief of Staff Qualities and Soft Skills: How a Chief of Staff Saves a CEO 15+ Hours a Week
Take a look at what the data says about a CEO’s week (Harvard Business School research):
HBS researchers Michael Porter and Nitin Nohria tracked 27 CEOs around the clock for thirteen weeks. Their study logged how those CEOs spent their time in 15-minute blocks. All in all, that adds up to 60,000 hours of data.
These are their findings:
- CEOs worked an average of 62.5 hours per week
- 72% of total work time was spent in meetings (37 meetings per week on average)
- 61% of communication happened face-to-face (or virtual); the rest of the comms were done via email, calls, and written correspondence
- CEOs admitted that many one-hour meetings could have been shortened to 30 minutes or less (post-study debriefs)
Among the core findings of the research was that much of that time went to things that didn’t need the CEO specifically:
Meeting lengths tended to follow a duration mainly out of habit, and necessity wasn’t part of the why. Decisions that could’ve been concluded within teams always traveled to the CEO because there was no one to buffer and confidently give them the green.
Where a Chief of Staff Recovers That Time
A Chief of Staff saves hours by intercepting the work that doesn’t, and in many cases, never, need the CEO’s fingerprints on it.
Here’s what that means:
- Holding the weekly cross-functional alignment meeting so the CEO doesn’t have to attend each and every one of them, or keep following up on what’s discussed
- Sorting through requests and problems as they come in; deciding which ones actually require the CEO’s input, and which ones can go to someone else’s to-dos
- Reviewing and pulling together key points in reports, proposals, and updates so they’re ready for the CEO; this helps them make decisions more efficiently (no need to go through hours upon hours of recordings and transcripts)
- Serving as the point of contact among department heads and extending the CEO’s strategic perspective
- Acting as the CEO’s representative to move routine decisions forward and escalating only what genuinely requires the CEO’s judgment
1/3 of a CEO’s 37 weekly meetings that can be shortened or intercepted by someone who knows the full context of the CEO’s priorities? That’s bound to land on double digits. Think 37 hours cut down to around 12 hours. Maybe even less.
Afterwards, some may still have to do follow-ups and “digesting” of unorganised information. Even if you bump that up from 12 to 15, it’s still about half more time saved than without a CoS doing their job well.
A note: Remember that a Chief of Staff’s primary value is in reducing how much of the CEO’s week gets consumed by decisions and information that shouldn’t have been served on their plates to begin with.
What To Do: For one week, log every meeting and decision request that gets stacked on your desk. At the end of the week, sort them into two: one column for things that genuinely required your judgment.
The second column, for what could have been taken over by a professional who’s got a sense of how you think (because you’ve laid it out for them), and understands what your priorities are.
Related Read: Role misdefinitions are leading to role ambiguity and crossovers that aren’t healthy to any team. Here’s something about “What Does a Project Manager Do and what the Best Industries for Project Management are.
Australian Businesses Are Hiring Their Chief of Staff Remotely
This highly valuable, high-demand role is one where the job description doesn’t require in-office presence. The entirety of their duties happens online and within platforms and tools.
It’s why Australian SMBs have no reservations about going remote when hiring, instead of searching locally. We should also mention that local market pools are on the scarce end when it comes to such roles.
Remote Staff has been placing professionals with Australian SMBs for over 18 years. We screen to match the CoS’s background and skills to your business and to your sector. HR, payroll, onboarding, and admin work are on us.
One of the things that comes up often is cost. Yes, hiring offshore equals a friendlier cost. But only because the talent pool is in a different part of the globe. You get the same quality talent and quality support.
Learn How to Calculate Outsourcing Cost in Australia and use our Free Outsourcing Calculator Tool to know what your numbers are.
Related Read: Understand the Modern Slavery Act Australia and Payday Super 2026 to stay compliant in all areas of your business.
FAQs
Is a Chief of Staff the same as an Executive Assistant (EA)? (What exactly does the Chief of Staff do?)
No. An Executive Assistant manages calendars (schedules) and logistics. This means meeting and agenda coordination. Inbox management. Preparing documents and materials. Arranging events. Follow-ups and administrative work.
Can my Operations Manager just take on Chief of Staff responsibilities?
No. That’s because both roles have separate responsibilities. The assumption is that these two overlap, but the job descriptions are completely different. The Operations Manager is focused on the “operations” side—workflows, schedules, team, or departmental coordination. These have nothing to do with a Chief of Staff’s responsibilities.
A CoS is in charge of freeing up the CEO’s calendar by handling things that can be done without the CEO signing off. They’re the CEO’s extension. They have the CEO’s authority.
How much does a Chief of Staff cost in Australia?
Current salary data places the lower end at AU$115,000–$130,000 annually. The broader strategic Chief of Staff roles are commonly around AU$170,000+, with higher-end and executive-level placements reaching AU$250,000–$300,000+ in some cases.
The difference from one level to the next has to do with how some businesses hire for executive coordination, while others hire for a “true extension” of the CEO’s hand, from decision-making to cross-business alignment responsibilities.
Is a remote Chief of Staff practical for a role this close to the CEO?
The role is definitely practical, remote-wise. Most of their job descriptions don’t require physical presence, but instead, depend on access to information and leadership decision-making contexts.
For many growing businesses, even businesses that have gone beyond the “SMB” definition, hiring remotely also widens access to experienced talent without the full cost of a local executive hire.
What’s the first sign my business needs a Chief of Staff?
One of the earliest signs is actually three. Too many decisions, updates, and communications depend on you to approve or disapprove where they go. Your teams may be capable. But slowdowns and low productivity take a hit when almost every single thing has to go through you before getting passed on to the next phase.
The other side of it is that because you’re essentially doing the work of a CoS, you’ve no time for where your leadership as a business owner should be.
Chief of Staff Work is for Chiefs of Staff
Let your CoS fulfill the role their job description requires of them. Not your OM. Don’t substitute one for the other, because their responsibilities align with different parts of your business.
If you don’t have a Chief of Staff yet, but are seeing signs that either you or your OM is fulfilling duties meant for a CoS, you know whom to hire next.
Once you set your sights on what needs to be done about the direction of your business and how to keep plans moving forward, you’ll realize you’ve needed a CoS all along. It won’t take too long working with them before you have more time and more room to lead again.
Thinking about where to start? Call us or Request a Callback today. We’re here to ensure you hire the right Chief of Staff for your business.
Vaune Everis Cura has always been a writer in the truest sense, drawn to the art both as a personal creative pursuit and as a profession. Her experience penning content across digital marketing spaces and collaborating with business owners and market shapers has broadened her craft to include strategic direction and SEO insight. Having spent years with the InterContinental Hotels Group before stepping boldly into freelancing, she understands that at the centre of it all are genuine, meaningful brand–customer relationships built on purposeful, human content.
