The global standard
for chiefs of staff.
We exist for one role. We set its standard, award the Certified Chief of Staff® certification that recognises it, and help organisations hire and build around it.
75+
countries in the network
One
certification for the role
The Chief of Staff Association
Certification
I'm a chief of staffBecome a Certified Chief of Staff®: the industry-recognised certification that sharpens your impact and shows it to your principal, your board and your next employer.Become a Certified Chief of Staff®Enterprise
I lead an organisationDevelop your chief of staff function and install the Chief of Staff Operating System™, so your leaders focus on what only they can do and your organisation performs better.The Operating SystemBook a consultationExecutive Search
I'm hiring, or looking for a roleOrganisations: we find and place the right chief of staff, full-time, fractional or interim. Chiefs of staff: see the senior roles we are recruiting for now, and apply.Hire a chief of staffSearch open rolesA high-trust, high-pressure role deserves a recognised standard
The chief of staff shapes decisions, strengthens leadership and defines the role itself. Certification gives that work a name your principal, your board and your next employer all recognise.
Industry recognition
The Certified Chief of Staff® certification, earned through our Online Certification Programme or our residential executive education programmes, signals to employers and stakeholders that you meet the highest professional standards the role demands.
A stronger candidate
Certification demonstrates mastery across the profession's core skills and strengthens your candidacy for chief of staff roles at the highest level. Certified members are preferred candidates in our recruitment and placement work.
An exclusive global community
Certification is your gateway to a trusted network of senior chiefs of staff across 75 countries and every sector, from Fortune 500 boardrooms to government cabinets and military command.
World-class training for professional chiefs of staff
You earn the Certified Chief of Staff® certification through our Online Certification Programme, included in every pathway, or through residential executive education at three of the world's most respected institutions.
Online Certification Programme
The online training built specifically for chiefs of staff. Learn from senior practitioners, apply each module to your own organisation and complete a capstone project alongside a peer cohort who face the same challenges you do. Completing the programme earns the Certified Chief of Staff® certification at no cost beyond your membership.
Leads to Certified Chief of Staff®
Format
Online modules in a live peer cohort
Duration
Around four hours weekly
Assessment
Capstone project applied to your organisation
Cost
Included in every pathway
SDA Bocconi, Italy
Dates: 15 to 19 March 2027
Format: classroom discussion of case studies
Duration: four days, four nights
Key themes: geopolitical risk, regulatory complexity, European frameworks for global commerce
Work with faculty from one of Europe's leading business schools and engage with leaders who understand the forces reshaping the global environment. Through discussion, debate and shared experience, you will develop the skills to interpret geopolitical complexity and bring sharper strategic thinking to your principal. By the programme's end you will have built a trusted network of chiefs of staff from around the world, one that will continue to support you long after you leave Rome.
Register interest: education@csa.org
Programme detailsLeads to Certified Chief of Staff®
University of Oxford
Dates: 28 June to 1 July 2027
Format: classroom discussion of case studies
Duration: four days, four nights
Key themes: environment scanning, transformation, stakeholder alignment, influence
Work with Oxford academics and come face to face with distinguished political, diplomatic and business leaders, who share firsthand insights on the chief of staff role and its evolving challenges. You will engage in discussion and debate, in the classroom and at informal gatherings, exchanging best practice and real-world experience. By week's end you will have built a trusted network of chiefs of staff who will continue to support you long after the programme ends.
Register interest: education@csa.org
Programme detailsLeads to Certified Chief of Staff®
Harvard Business School
Dates: Next dates to be announced
Format: classroom discussion of case studies
Duration: four days, four nights
Key themes: negotiation, building trust, AI and innovation, leading change
Immerse yourself in real-world case studies that tackle today's toughest organisational challenges. In the classroom you will analyse leadership dilemmas, practise influence and conflict-management techniques, and hone strategies for building trust and alignment across teams; outside the sessions you will exchange insights and experiences with fellow chiefs of staff. By week's end you will have a deeper understanding of your strategic impact and leave ready to influence at the highest levels.
Register interest: education@csa.org
Programme detailsLeads to Certified Chief of Staff®
Your Certification pathways
One certification, with twelve months to earn it and everything that carries you through it included: the training, the profile and the network all run for the length of your pathway. Every pathway leads to the Certified Chief of Staff®.
Every pathway leads to the Certified Chief of Staff® certification
All pricing in USD
Certification
Most popular
$4,950
Complete within 12 months
Key features
Full certification pathway
Online Certification Programme
Capstone project in your own organisation
Eligible for Harvard, Oxford and SDA Bocconi programmes
Fellowship
$19,950
Residential programme fee included
Everything in Certification, plus
Guaranteed residential programme place
Early-bird conference pricing
For teams
Custom pricing
Quoted for your team
Everything in Certification, plus
One shared pathway for your team
One rate worldwide, invoiced together
Find out how the Chief of Staff Operating System™ can transform your organisation
Included in every pathway
Chief of Staff Impact Profile™
Resource Bank: 300+ resources
In-person events in our hubs
Weekly online sessions
Leadership Series, Success Series and Circle of Influence
Slack community
Global member directory
Mentoring from the day you join
Certification through the Online Certification Programme involves no cost beyond the pathway fee, and the certification is yours to keep once earned. The residential executive education programmes are open to anyone on a certification pathway; write to education@csa.org to discuss your options.
Trusted by chiefs of staff at the highest levels
“A chief of staff is essential to any organization's success, acting as the right hand and trusted advisor to the leader, which is why I love the mission of The Chief of Staff Association to advocate for this role and define what a great Chief of Staff looks like.”
Deb Cupp
Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer, Microsoft
“The Chief of Staff Association brings together the best of the best. Here you share ideas, solve problems, innovate, learn, build life long friendships, and more. A community of excellence, where you truly become a Global Chief of Staff.”
Joseph Sciortino
Chief of Staff, FEMA Region 2
“Agents of action are the bedrock for achieving great outcomes. The Chief of Staff Association recognises this fact and provides a network to support those who execute the vision at hand.”
Ramsey Allington
Chief of Staff, Phones & Wearables, Google Inc.
Our programmes and events bring together the most senior chiefs of staff in the world alongside subject matter experts from government, intelligence, business and media.
Looking for your next chief of staff role?
We work only on the chief of staff role. See the searches we are running now.
Hire, build and develop your chiefs of staff
The same standard we certify against shapes how we recruit, place and build the function inside your organisation.
Full-time search
Retained search, run by specialists who focus only on the chief of staff role.
Hire a chief of staffFractional and interim
Senior, proven capability for three to twelve months, matched to your context.
See flexible optionsChief of Staff Operating System™
One framework and playbook for the function, across one business or a portfolio.
How it worksOne standard, two expressions
Only The Chief of Staff Association can issue the Certified Chief of Staff® certification and install the Chief of Staff Operating System™.
An effective chief of staff function depends on two things: a capable individual and an organisation designed to make full use of them. The Chief of Staff Association delivers both. We train and certify individuals through the Certified Chief of Staff® certification, and install the Chief of Staff Operating System™ within organisations. Symbiotic yet independent, they can be pursued separately or concurrently. Both rest on one foundation, the Chief of Staff Impact Framework™, and both are measured with the same instrument, the Chief of Staff Impact Profile™.
Chief of Staff Impact Framework™
Chief of Staff Impact Profile™
Certified Chief of Staff®
Chief of Staff Operating System™
Start your certification
Not ready to apply? Join a weekly online session and meet the community first.
An Influential Global Community
