Executive Legal Assistant (Paralegal Experience a Plus)

We are seeking an exceptional Executive Legal Assistant to serve as a critical operational pillar of the company. This is a multi-hat role for someone who is sharp, organized, and comfortable supporting corporate legal, governance, and people-operations work at a fast-moving startup. Paralegal training or certification is a strong plus, but we’re equally interested in candidates with excellent legal secretary or executive assistant backgrounds who have picked up equity, governance, or corporate securities exposure on the job.

You will report directly to the COO & General Counsel and work alongside company founders on a daily basis.

This is not a role for someone who needs direction on every task. It is a role for someone who sees what needs to be done, takes ownership, and gets it done — with precision, discretion, and professionalism.

What You’ll Do

Legal & Corporate Support

• Support the cap table in Carta or similar cap table management software — helping process option grants, track vesting, and keep equity documentation organized and audit-ready
• Assist with 83(b) election paperwork — coordinating between founders, employees, and outside counsel to keep filings on track
• Help administer the equity plan — grant agreements, exercise notices, vesting schedules, and employee communications
• Maintain corporate governance records — board and shareholder minutes, written consents, officer certificates, and resolutions
• Support financing and investor documentation — organizing data rooms and helping keep the cap table accurate through financing rounds
• Draft and manage routine corporate documents — NDAs, consulting agreements, vendor contracts, offer letters, and IP assignments
• Serve as a liaison to outside counsel — preparing materials, tracking deliverables, and following through on action items
• Track state and federal compliance filings — registered agent relationships, good standing, annual reports, and foreign qualifications
• Provide general legal research support as directed by the COO & General Counsel

People Operations Support

• Coordinate with ADP TotalSource on HR administration — onboarding, offboarding, employment changes, and benefits
• Draft and maintain employment documents — offer letters, employment agreements, NDAs, PIIAs, and separation agreements
• Support company policies and the employee handbook
• Track the HR compliance calendar — filings, notices, and required trainings
• Assist with recruiting coordination — job postings, candidate tracking, and reference checks

Financial Operations Support

• Serve as a point of contact with our outside fractional accounting firm — coordinating requests and tracking deliverables
• Help manage accounts payable — reviewing and routing invoices for approval
• Support basic financial recordkeeping and budget tracking
• Handle corporate credit card reconciliation and expense reporting
• Help ensure timely payment of registered agent fees, state filings, and vendor contracts

What We’re Looking For

Required:

• 3-5+ years of experience as a legal secretary, executive legal assistant, corporate paralegal, or similar legal/startup operations role
• Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail — nothing falls through the cracks on your watch
• Comfortable managing multiple workstreams and shifting priorities without losing track of details
• Strong written communication skills — comfortable drafting and formatting professional documents
• Discretion and sound judgment handling sensitive legal, financial, and personnel information
• Startup experience, or a clear ability to adapt to fast pace and ambiguity
• Ability to work fully in-office in La Jolla, CA — this is not a remote role
• Robust professional references required — references will be contacted

Nice to Have (Not Required):

• Paralegal certificate or JD — corporate, securities, or transactional focus a plus
• Hands-on Carta experience or familiarity with cap table management
• Exposure to 83(b) elections, option grant documentation, or equity plan administration
• Experience with ADP TotalSource or a similar PEO platform
• Basic bookkeeping literacy — comfortable reviewing financial reports and coordinating with an accounting firm
• Familiarity with QuickBooks or similar accounting software
• Experience with cryptocurrency or digital asset company operations
• Background supporting a General Counsel, COO, or founder in a dual legal-operations capac…