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A senior secretariat officer in a Model UN conference responsible for coordinating staff operations, logistics, and committee support across the event.
In Model United Nations, the Chief of Staff (often abbreviated CoS) is a top-tier secretariat position that sits alongside or just beneath the Secretary-General in a conference's organizational chart. While the Secretary-General typically handles external representation, vision, and substantive direction, the Chief of Staff manages the internal machinery that keeps the conference running.
Typical responsibilities include:
The exact portfolio varies by circuit. At large North American collegiate conferences such as HNMUN, NCSC, or WorldMUN, the Chief of Staff is usually a full peer of the Secretary-General with a distinct administrative remit. At smaller high school conferences, the role may be combined with Director-General duties or split into Under-Secretaries-General for Operations and Staff.
The Chief of Staff is generally appointed by the Secretary-General as part of forming the secretariat, and together they typically select the rest of the senior staff. Because the role is operational rather than substantive, strong CoS candidates are valued for project management, calm under pressure, and institutional memory rather than debate skill. In a well-run conference, delegates rarely interact directly with the Chief of Staff — which is usually a sign the role is being done well.
The Secretary-General sets the conference's vision and represents it externally, while the Chief of Staff runs internal operations, staffing, and day-of logistics.
Rarely. The CoS works mostly behind the scenes with staff and dais teams; delegates usually only meet them during plenaries or if escalating a procedural issue.
It is primarily operational. Substantive direction usually belongs to the Secretary-General, Director-General, or USGs for committee content.