Chief of Staff/Strategic Executive Assistant to the CEO at Early-Stage, Industry-Defining AI Company

Seed-stage AI infrastructure company building the foundational systems that power the next generation of AI is looking for a Chief of Staff/Strategic Executive Assistant to be the right hand to its CEO. This is a rare opportunity to join a category-defining company at the ground floor and work directly alongside a world-class technical founder during the most formative stretch of its growth. In this high-visibility role, you’ll own calendar and inbox management, set context for meetings, help decide what needs the CEO’s time versus what can be delegated, keep deadlines and deliverables on track, and pick up the ambiguous, high-priority projects that fall between the cracks. Someone senior and entrepreneurial who ramps up quickly, matches an intense pace, and operates with extreme ownership. Incredible opportunity for a former founder or early-stage operator to have a front-row seat at a rapidly growing company, and a direct role in solving the highest-priority strategic and operational challenges. This is an in-office role, 5 days/week, based in Palo Alto. This role requires a 24/7 mindset and someone energized by that pace. 180-200K+ DOE + equity, benefits, 401K, and lunch/dinner provided daily.

Responsibilities:

• Provide high-level strategic support to the CEO.
• Own the CEO’s calendar end-to-end, proactively scheduling, building in buffers, catching conflicts before they happen, and making sure they are where they need to be and on time.
• Support the CEO with time management by assessing where time is best spent, determining which meetings or events to attend, recommending delegation when needed, and managing related communications.
• Manage and prioritize the inbox, surfacing what matters, prompting timely responses, following up persistently so nothing slips through the cracks, and ghostwriting communications.
• Act as a trusted representative of the company internally and externally, operating with discretion in a high-visibility seat that puts you in the room for many of the CEO’s most important conversations.
• Set context around the CEO’s day, preparing pre-meeting notes and briefings, capturing post-meeting summaries, and tracking follow-ups and action items to completion.
• Track key deadlines, deliverables, presentations, and project timelines for the CEO and broader team, ensuring the team is always prepared in advance.
• Coordinate leadership meetings, company-wide communications, and internal content needs.
• Take on high-priority strategic and operational projects end-to-end, from identifying the problem to building and implementing scalable solutions.

Qualifications:

• 6+ years of experience as a strategic Executive Assistant, Chief of Staff, or operator supporting senior leadership in a fast-paced, early-stage environment. Bonus if you are a former founder or bring a technical background.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, early-stage environment with shifting priorities and a high level of intensity.
• Hands-on and willing to take ownership of both strategic and administrative work, including scheduling, coordination, follow-ups, and special projects.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to operate independently and make sound decisions with limited guidance.
• Fast learner who can quickly absorb new business priorities, team dynamics, and technical concepts.
• Highly organized, proactive, and trusted professional with strong judgment, discretion, and emotional intelligence.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to operate effectively with executives, team members, and external stakeholders.
• Familiarity with AI, AI infrastructure, or highly technical environments is a plus.
• Mandarin speaking is a plus but not required.