Chief of Staff to the CTO

Who We Are  At Firestorm, we’re on a mission to revolutionize how defense solutions are designed and delivered. Our goal is to empower the U.S. and ally nations to effectively deter aggressors – regardless of their defense budget – through innovative, cost-effective technologies. We call this vision “democratized deterrence.” As a VC-backed company at the intersection of defense and Silicon Valley, we’re pioneering the development of mission-adaptable aerial vehicles that put power back into the hands of operators. By prioritizing operator effectiveness, we’re pioneering a new era of aerial vehicle design. We aim to upend the traditional defense procurement model by delivering world-class capabilities at a fraction of the usual cost. Join us at Firestorm as we redefine defense procurement, making cutting-edge technology accessible to all our partners.  About the Role  As Chief of Staff to the Chief Technical Officer (CTO), you will serve in a critical, high-trust, and strategic role supporting the Co-Founder and CTO across a range of responsibilities. You will help ensure alignment, execution, and momentum on the company’s technical priorities, spanning advanced additive manufacturing, autonomy, hardware, product, and software. You are proactive, anticipate needs, translate ideas into action, remove obstacles, and help drive communication and decision-making processes across the company's largest and most complex organization.  You are exceptionally organized, skilled at creating clear and compelling presentations, meticulous about grammar, and someone who steps in to fill gaps without hesitation. This position demands the highest levels of professionalism, discretion, and adaptability within the intense, fast-paced environment of a cutting-edge hard tech startup.  This role is ideal for someone with a strong technical foundation and intuition, strategic thinking ability, and a talent for synthesizing information, setting priorities, and driving execution across a complex organization. You operate equally well as an advisor and an operator, maintaining a mission-first mindset, a low ego, and the resilience needed to support a fast-moving organization.  This role will help ensure that critical work stays on track, manage high-level executive engagements with poise, and position the CTO for success in every setting. As a key point of contact for executive communication, you will help coordinate across leadership, employees, customers, partners, and other external stakeholders. As the CTO’s trusted partner, you will provide operational and strategic support to keep them focused, prepared, and empowered to lead effectively.   What You’ll Do  Executive and Strategic Enablement 

• Act as a disciplined, strategic partner to the CTO, translating their vision into plans and cross-functional execution across advanced additive manufacturing, autonomy, hardware, product, and software teams. 
• Provide high-level administrative support to the CTO, including managing schedules, meetings, and travel arrangements. 
• Act as a primary point of contact for internal and external stakeholders on all matters pertaining to the CTO. 
• Lead and manage special projects as assigned by the CTO, ensuring timely completion and alignment with company goals.  
• Prepare meeting agendas, briefing materials, slide decks, and meeting notes for internal reviews, customer engagements, and strategic sessions. Attend key meetings to ensure all documentation is readily available, ensuring action items are accurately captured and tracked. 
• Plan and manage executive travel, including engagement planning & execution, flights, secure lodging, ground transportation and detailed itineraries. Handle expense reporting, track executive expenses and reimbursements, logistical planning, and day-to-day operations with accuracy, discretion, and efficiency. 

Operational Excellence 

• Manage and drive the CTO’s operating rhythm, translating vision into execution through effective coordination of leadership team meetings, design reviews, executive check-ins, customer briefings, off-sites, and other key engagements. 
• Monitor high-impact initiatives, identify blockers, and proactively resolve issues to keep teams moving and aligned. 
• Support ongoing initiatives by tracking action items, deadlines, and key deliverables, while coordinating cross-functional efforts to ensure timely execution and maintaining clear, consistent communication on progress. 
• Represent the Office of the CTO in meetings and working sessions, escalating issues when needed and synthesizing outcomes into actionable follow-ups. 
• Own scheduling and help create calendar order out of chaos for the CTO, ensuring zero scheduling issues with internal or external contacts. 

Communication and Collaboration 

• Serve as an informatio