At garden3d – Sanctuary Computer | XXIX, we’re creating a new kind of technology studio. Based in NYC’s Chinatown—with a remote-friendly setup—our approach to building products resembles a hospitality-driven experience more than a conventional agency model. We focus on making clients feel genuinely supported, comfortable, and well cared for throughout the creative process. 

Our work spans design, branding, and engineering, partnering with organizations such as Nike, General Electric, The Nobel Prize, Herman Miller, Adobe, Dig Inn, and more. That same care and intention shapes our internal culture as well. We recognize that technologists and engineers are deeply creative professionals who thrive in environments that respect craft, integrity, and thoughtful collaboration. 
We’re currently seeking a Chief of Staff to work closely with Hugh and the broader leadership team to help scale and evolve the garden3d creative collective. 

Original job listing: (URL)  

garden3d is a worker-owned creative collective exploring innovation across branding, physical communities, connected devices, and cross-platform software. We share profits, open-source our work, launch new ventures, and invest in promising ideas through both financial and in-kind support. 

Our clients include Google, Stripe, Figma, Hinge, Black Socialists in America, ACLU, Pratt, Parsons, Mozilla, The Nobel Prize, MIT, Gnosis, Etsy, and Gagosian. We’ve helped build groundbreaking products like The Light Phone and Mill, and we operate a global, decentralized community space network called Index Space. 

We view garden3d as a home for creative thinkers, prioritizing a joyful, inclusive, and high-caliber studio culture. Our projects aim to create meaningful value in the world, while we encourage balance, curiosity, and full lives beyond work.  

Sanctuary Computer — Engineering 

Sanctuary Computer is our development arm, designed around deep collaboration between clients and makers. Our work ranges from visually rich websites to complex web platforms and native mobile applications. 

XXIX — Design 

Founded in 2013, XXIX was created to challenge traditional design studio models. We continue to evolve our creative practice by prioritizing independence, personal growth, transparency, and shared accountability. 

Index Space — Community 

Index Space is a global network of physical hubs built to foster knowledge sharing, collaboration, and access to tools. We cultivate trust within creative communities through openness, generosity, and care. 

garden3d TK — Media 

garden3d TK is an experimental media initiative exploring emerging intersections of technology, design, and culture. Our long-term vision includes monetized media, book publishing, screen productions, and music releases. 

Partner organizations:
The Light Phone • Mill • Ingredient AI  

The Chief of Staff Role 

The Chief of Staff is a senior operational leader responsible for translating garden3d’s long-term vision into coordinated execution across a diverse portfolio of creative, technical, and physical ventures, supported by a rotating network of 50+ contributors. Acting as a strategic force multiplier, this role aligns priorities, drives clarity, and ensures ideas turn into tangible, measurable outcomes. 

Working in close partnership with Founder & President Hugh Francis, the Chief of Staff will operate with significant autonomy, leading cross-functional initiatives and day-to-day decision-making. This role will collaborate with designers, engineers, strategists, finance leaders, marketers, architects, landlords, legal advisors, creatives, and operators across multiple disciplines. 

With a broad operational mandate, the role oversees client services, staffing strategy, hiring, leadership development, and performance systems across business units. The Chief of Staff will also lead special initiatives such as launching new Index spaces, developing new product ventures, building supply chains, establishing new departments, and evaluating expansion or acquisition opportunities—ensuring disciplined execution, financial rigor, and timely delivery. 

The ideal candidate is both a strategic thinker and hands-on operator, capable of building systems, leading diverse teams, and guiding complex initiatives from vision to execution. Above all, this individual serves as a trusted thought partner to leadership, bringing clarity, sound judgment, and long-term organizational resilience.  

Responsibilities & Mandates 

Quality-First Execution
Sets and upholds a high standard across design, product, and delivery. Establishes clear expectations for excellence and client experience, protecting quality as a core competitive advantage. 

Scope Transparency & Change Management
Maintains clear documentation of deliverables and enforces structured change processes, ensuring timelines, budgets, and resources remain aligned. 

Executive Relationship Stewardship
Acts as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, translating technical roadmaps into business value and unlocking long-term partnerships. 

Issue Escalation & Resolution
Owns problem resolution with a “no surprises” approach, mobilizing the right expertise to resolve challenges quickly and implementing post-incident improvements. 

Operational Excellence
Builds scalable operating systems, performance dashboards, and workflows that improve predictability, accountability, and margins—without stifling creative momentum. 

Culture & Leadership
Embodies garden3d’s values of partnership, curiosity, and accountability, fostering a supportive, high-performance environment through mentorship and recognition.  

Special Initiatives 

• Launching new Index Spaces in major cities
  
  
• Developing a sustainable campus in upstate New York
  
  
• Establishing supply chains in Asia
  
  
• Acquiring and operating complementary studios
  
  
• Incubating new ventures under the garden3d umbrella
  
  
• Building a publishing and media arm
  
  
• Scaling government-focused solutions
  
  
• Supporting hospitality ventures
  
  
• Assisting with fundraising and financing efforts
  
  
• Expanding content production across digital channels
  
  

Qualifications
 
Must-Have:
 

• 8–15+ years of leadership experience in operations or organizational management
  
  
• Background in creative, design, or software services environments
  
  
• Proven experience scaling services organizations
  
  
• Expertise in workforce planning, utilization, and performance systems
  
  
• Strong financial literacy and comfort with P&L management
  
  
• Experience operating in founder-led, fast-evolving environments
  
  
• Excellent communication and leadership presence
  
  

Nice-to-Have:
 

• Experience in Chief of Staff, COO, or GM roles
  
  
• Exposure to M&A, physical space operations, supply chains, or hardware
  
  
• Experience building KPI/OKR frameworks and learning systems
  
  
• Background in consulting or executive operations
  
  
• Strong network across enterprise and startup ecosystems
  
  

Who You Are
 
You’re thoughtful, grounded, and easy to collaborate with. You value transparency, non-hierarchical leadership, and alternative ways of working. You care deeply about quality, manage teams with empathy, and operate with intention.
 
 Interview Process
 
Our process begins with an introductory call, followed by a panel conversation with team members. Final steps include reference checks and an offer for selected candidates.
 
Compensation
 
The role begins with a 4-month paid trial engagement ($100–$125/hour). High performers will transition into a permanent, revenue-sharing leadership role with strong upside as the collective grows, with eligibility for worker ownership after a sustained period of impact.
 
How We Work
 

• Radical transparency in finances and decision-making
  
  
• Carbon-negative operations
  
  
• Values-driven client selection
  
  
• Async-first, remote-friendly culture
  
  
• Continuous product and idea incubation