Chief of Staff, Data

Remote from: USA
Salary, yearly, USD: 155,420 - 235,600
Department: Product & Operations
Employment type: Full Time,
Job posted: 23 Jun 2026
Apply before: 23 Jul 2026
Experience level: Senior
Views / Applies: 19 / 3

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AI Summary

Coursera is seeking a Chief of Staff, Data to serve as a strategic integrator for the Chief Data Officer, connecting strategy and execution across the Data organization. This role involves designing and improving frameworks for planning, governance, decision-making, and resource allocation to ensure alignment and accountability. The ideal candidate will translate company strategy into operational systems, drive cross-functional collaboration, and enable high-quality decision-making. This position is critical for scaling the Data organization effectively and fostering agility. A strong background in strategy, operations, and data leadership is essential.

Role DNA

Job Complexity

Easy Hard

Pace & Pressure

Relaxed Fast-paced

Autonomy Level

Guided Full Ownership

Communication Load

Independent Highly Collaborative

AI Insight This is a senior strategic role requiring extensive experience in operations, data, and cross-functional leadership, making it highly challenging but not exceed-it all.

Salary Analysis

AI Insight The offered salary range of $155,420 to $235,600 is competitive for a Chief of Staff role in the data space, with a median of $195,510 falling within the typical US market range of $120,000 to $300,000. This reflects the seniority and strategic impact of the position.

Key Skills

Chief of Staff Data Strategy Operations Cross-functional Leadership Strategic Planning Governance Resource Allocation Decision-making Analytics Organizational Design

Cover Letter Sample

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am thrilled to apply for the Chief of Staff, Data position at Coursera. With a strong background in strategy and operations within data-driven organizations, I have a proven track record of translating executive vision into actionable plans and driving cross-functional alignment. Your mission to democratize learning resonates deeply with me, and I am eager to contribute to scaling the Data organization.

In my previous role, I designed and implemented governance frameworks that improved decision-making speed by 30% while ensuring accountability. I am confident that my experience in planning, goal-setting, and resource allocation will enable me to support the Chief Data Officer in achieving Coursera’s ambitious goals.

Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss how I can help drive clarity and execution within your Data team.

Sincerely, [Your Name]

Possible Interview Questions

Can you describe a time when you translated a company-wide strategy into a functional operating system for a data team?

At my previous company, the CEO set a new strategy focused on data-driven growth. I designed a quarterly planning framework that linked company OKRs to data team goals, established weekly review rhythms, and created dashboards to track progress. This ensured alignment and accountability across multiple data sub-teams, resulting in a 20% increase in project completion rates.

How do you approach designing governance models for data-driven decision-making?

I start by identifying the key decisions that need to be made and the data inputs required. Then I map out decision rights, escalation paths, and cadences. For example, I implemented a tiered governance structure where strategic decisions were made by the executive committee, while tactical decisions were delegated to team leads. This clarified ownership and sped up execution.

Describe a situation where you had to drive cross-functional alignment in a complex organization.

I led the integration of data analytics across product, engineering, and marketing teams. I facilitated workshops to align on shared KPIs, created a cross-functional steering committee, and established a bi-weekly sync. This reduced silos and improved collaboration, leading to a unified data strategy that increased ROI by 15%.

How would you handle resource allocation conflicts between competing data initiatives?

I would use a transparent framework based on impact, urgency, and strategic priority. For instance, I would convene a resource allocation meeting where stakeholders present their cases, then use a scoring model to rank initiatives. This data-driven approach ensures decisions are objective and aligned with company goals, minimizing friction.

What experience do you have with scaling organizational processes in a high-growth environment?

At a fast-growing tech startup, I scaled the people operations from 50 to 200 employees. I standardized onboarding, implemented performance management systems, and built cross-functional communication channels. This allowed the company to maintain agility while accommodating rapid growth, and I applied similar principles to data team scaling.

About Coursera

Coursera and Udemy are now one company, creating one of the world’s most comprehensive skills development platforms for the AI era. This strengthens our ability to accelerate AI-powered innovation and shape how the world discovers and builds skills at a pivotal moment of change. Read more about the combined company by visiting our blog.

Coursera was launched in 2012 by Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller with a mission to provide universal access to world-class learning. Coursera partners with leading university and industry partners to offer a broad catalog of content and credentials, including courses, Specializations, Professional Certificates, and degrees. Coursera’s platform innovations — including AI-powered personalized guide and features, like Role Play and Course Builder, and role-based solutions like Skills Tracks — enable instructors, partners, and companies to deliver scalable, personalized, and verified learning. Institutions worldwide rely on Coursera to upskill and reskill their employees, students, and citizens in high-demand fields such as GenAI, data science, technology, and business, while learners globally turn to Coursera to master the skills they need to advance their careers. Coursera is a Delaware public benefit corporation and a B Corp. Coursera recently combined with Udemy to create one of the world’s most comprehensive skills development platforms.

Why Join Us

At Coursera, we’re looking for inventors, innovators, and lifelong learners ready to shape the future of education. You’ll help build global programs and tools that power online learning for millions turning bold ideas into real impact. People who thrive here are customer-first builders who move fast, simplify ruthlessly, and iterate relentlessly on the metrics that matter.

We’re a globally distributed team that comes together intentionally for collaboration, complex problem-solving, and key milestones — creating opportunities for teams to do their best work together. Our virtual hiring and onboarding experience makes it easy to join us and start making an impact from anywhere. If you’re ready to make a global impact, help scale unique products across Coursera + Udemy, and grow your career, apply below.

Job Overview:

We are looking for a Chief of Staff to join our team and serve as a strategic integrator for the Chief Data Officer, operating across a major function or business domain to connect strategy and execution. This role ensures that the Data organization scales effectively, translating company strategy into a cohesive operating system that drives alignment, accountability, and results across multiple teams.

At Coursera, we’re evolving how we operate to enable sustained growth and agility. The Chief of Staff plays a central role in that evolution, designing and improving the frameworks that underpin performance, including planning, governance, decision-making, and resource allocation. Operating at the intersection of strategy and operations, this role enables the executive and leadership team to deliver Coursera’s goals with greater clarity, speed, and discipline.

Objectives of this role:

Translate company strategy into functional operating systems that connect priorities, plans, and execution across teams
Drive cross-functional alignment within and adjacent to the Data organization, ensuring shared accountability for results
Design and evolve frameworks that bring structure, discipline, and visibility to planning, goal-setting, and performance tracking
Enable high-quality decision-making through data, narratives, and governance models that clarify tradeoffs and resource allocation
Ensure organizational readiness and adaptability, balancing scale with speed as Coursera continues to evolve
Strengthen the leadership system within the Data org, increasing focus, follow-through, and clarity across teams

Responsibilities:

Manage and continuously improve the CDO Org operating rhythm, including timely review and action of key performance indicators (KPIs)
Partner with executive-enabling function – People, Finance, Administration – to drive CDO’s strategic change and improvement initiatives org-wide
Drive the strategic and operational planning system for the CDO organization, defining and continuously improving processes that enable the CDO to effectively and efficiently manage their large team with ongoing visibility into results and impact
Oversee a portfolio of strategic projects, structuring and driving to completion complex, ambiguous initiatives, steering large, cross-functional projects, and building consensus with senior leadership across the organization
Lead employee engagement strategy, in collaboration with People Business Partner, crafting initiatives that foster a positive, inclusive, and dynamic work environment. Plan and execute internal communications within the team, ensuring that all team members are informed, aligned, and motivated
Create cross-functional connections between the principal’s org and adjacent functions to accelerate decision-making and remove friction
Facilitate strategic meetings, ensuring alignment and clarity on objectives, and drive follow-through on action items. Represent the CDO in certain cross-functional meetings and projects, advocating for their priorities and ensuring alignment with overall company strategy
Build and develop relationships with the CDO’s direct reports and other individuals in critical roles – providing an unbiased ear – to understand the need and opportunities in existing ways of working and helping define new strategies to address

Required Qualifications:

12-15 years in a business or executive management role
In-depth experience driving results in a Data organization
Extremely versatile, dedicated to efficient productivity
Experience defining, planning, and driving top-level strategic initiatives
Excellent communicator in written and verbal form
Demonstrated experience organizing and directing multiple teams and departments
Proven track record of data-driven approach to complex decision-making

Preferred Qualifications:

Master’s degree in Business Administration or similar field
Experience with data analysis
Experience with budget management
Consulting experience with a focus on operations management
Proven success in a project management role
Nimble business mind with a focus on developing creative solutions
Strong project reporting skills, with a focus on interdepartmental communication

Compensation:

This role is available in the following US Pay Zones:

US Zone 1: $188,480 – $235,600
US Zone 2: $180,120 – $225,150
US Zone 3: $167,200 – $209,000
US Zone 4: $155,420 – $194,275
At Coursera, we offer competitive, zone-based pay aligned to your location, experience, and role level across four U.S. pay zones. Our total rewards package goes beyond salary, with comprehensive health and wellness benefits, bonus and RSU equity programs, and global perks designed to help you grow and thrive wherever you are.

US Pay Zones:

US-Z1: Bay Area
US-Z2: NYC and Seattle Metro
US-Z3: CA, WA, NY, NJ, CO, CT, DC, GA, IL, MA, MD, OR, RI, TX, VA
US-Z4: AK, AZ, DE, FL, HI, ID, IN, IA, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NV, NH, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, UT, VT, WI

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Coursera is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to building a welcoming and inclusive workplace. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to legally protected characteristics and provide reasonable accommodations upon request at [email protected].

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