Chief of Staff

About the Role

Malama Health is seeking a strategic and high-capacity Chief of Staff to serve as the operational engine and market activation leader during a period of rapid national expansion. At Malama, moms are our north star, and we are dedicated to designing care that works for those who have been historically underserved. This role is unique in its breadth, serving as both the structural foundation that keeps our organization compliant and the catalyst that gets Malama contracted, credentialed, and delivering life-changing care in new states. You will work directly with our leadership team to bridge the gap between high-level strategy and ground-level execution, ensuring that our mission-driven work is backed by operational excellence.

As the Chief of Staff, you will act as a force multiplier for the CEO and the broader leadership team. You are someone who moves fluidly between complex vendor management and sophisticated health plan strategy. You understand that in the world of healthcare, operational efficiency is a prerequisite for clinical impact. If you are a builder who thrives in the ambiguity of a high-growth environment and is passionate about maternal health equity, this role offers a clear path to executive leadership as we scale our impact across the country.

In this role, your responsibilities are split between internal organizational health and external market readiness. You will oversee the essential functions that allow our team to perform at their best while leading the charge on state-by-state expansion.

• Strategic Finance and Accounting Oversight: Serve as the management layer above our fractional finance team, including the controller, AP/AR, and grants specialist. You will hold the function accountable to deliverables and own the relationship with our fractional CFO to ensure financial accuracy and alignment with organizational priorities.
• HR and People Operations Management: Lead the relationship with our HR services provider to ensure payroll, benefits, and compliance are seamless. You will serve as the internal escalation point for people operations and foster a culture where every team member can thrive.
• Market Activation and Payer Readiness: Own the end-to-end operational path from contract execution to the first patient encounter in new markets. You will produce the readiness assessments and market entry playbooks that allow the CEO to enter health plan conversations with confidence and precision.
• State Credentialing and Enrollment: Oversee the credentialing team to ensure deadlines for licensure and provider enrollment are met across various state markets. You will maintain the source of truth for licensing status and market readiness.
• Executive Bandwidth and Operations: Shield the CEO�s time from administrative workstreams by preparing briefings and follow-up documentation for high-priority meetings. You will also manage internal team operations, including expense policies and offsite logistics.
• Building for Scale: Ensure every market entry results in a repeatable playbook. You are tasked with making each subsequent state expansion more efficient and effective than the last.

We are looking for a seasoned operator who has built and overseen functions rather than just executing within them. The ideal candidate brings a mix of healthcare complexity and startup agility.

• Professional Experience: 7+ years of experience in operations, chief of staff roles, strategy, or healthcare administration. Former founders or those with experience in high-growth startups are strongly preferred.
• Healthcare Expertise: Demonstrated experience in payer operations, Medicaid managed care, provider enrollment, or value-based contracting. You must understand how health plans function and what is required to get contracted.
• Operational Rigor: Experience managing finance and HR functions, including vendor oversight and holding professional services accountable to high standards.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Proven ability to navigate multi-state regulatory or licensing environments, particularly within a dual-entity (MSO/PC) structure.
• Communication and Judgment: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills. You can produce a payer-facing brief and an internal ops memo with equal expertise and possess the judgment to manage up effectively without creating noise.
• Mission Alignment: A deep commitment to equitable maternal health and a desire to work in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment where outcomes are measured by lives transformed.

Malama Health is committed to creating a workplace where every person can do the best work of their career while maintaining balance and purpose.

• Competitive Compensation: Competitive salary commensurate with experience and an equity stake in a consequential, early-stage company.
• Remote-First Culture: Work from anywhere with a flexible schedule, supported by a home office stipend and professional development budget.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Robust health benefits to support you and your family.
• Career Growth: A clear and intentional path to VP or COO levels as the organization scales.
• Innovative Hiring Process: We value your time; strong candidates will be invited to a paid one-week pilot project to ensure a mutual fit before joining the team full-time.

Malama is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, Latina/x, and other women of color, people with lived experience of pregnancy, and community members. We believe that diverse teams build better care.

Required Skills