Executive Assistant to CEO at Mission-Driven Biotech Startup

Mission-driven biotech startup developing novel cancer therapeutics is looking for an Executive Assistant to support their CEO & Co-Founder. This is an incredible opportunity to be the first EA and true right hand to a founder working to cure cancer and other immune-mediated diseases, heading into a big year with tons of momentum. In this role, you’ll own the CEO’s inbox and communications ensuring  falls through the cracks and tackle ad hoc projects from start to finish. You’ll also provide light personal and travel support, with real room to grow into a Chief of Staff or Head of Ops role as the company scales. This role is for someone who is deeply curious, sharp, and resourceful who will push things to completion with urgency, and is already using AI tools to work smarter. This is a hybrid role based in South San Francisco, with flexibility for the right candidate. 150-180K DOE + equity, benefits, and unlimited PTO.

Responsibilities:

• Own the CEO’s inbox and communications, triaging what to handle directly, what to escalate, and what doesn’t need attention.


• Track the long tail of open threads and follow up proactively so nothing gets dropped.


• Take ownership of urgent, high-priority logistical issues end to end, from escalating with vendors to getting on the phone and pushing problems through to resolution.


• Manage up, getting decisions and information from the CEO when needed to keep work moving.


• Coordinate with internal team members and a broad network of external partners, including consultants, vendors, and outside counsel.


• Book travel and handle light personal support as needed.


• Provide light administrative support to the company’s co-founder, such as booking travel.


• Support legal and corporate operations over time, such as coordinating with outside counsel, 409A valuations, and cap table management.


• Automate and streamline your own workflows using AI tools, freeing up time for higher-impact work.

• Previous experience as an Executive Assistant supporting a founder, CEO, or C-suite executive in a fast-paced environment, ideally at a startup. Exceptionally sharp operators from other backgrounds will also be considered.


• Biotech or life sciences experience is a strong plus.


• Legal or paralegal experience is a strong plus.


• Deeply curious and resourceful, excited rather than intimidated by technical material, and quick to dig in and figure things out.


• Exceptional judgment about priorities, with the ability to know when to act independently and when to escalate.


• Proactive and solutions-oriented with a strong sense of urgency and the doggedness to see tough problems through to completion.


• Confident and direct, comfortable pushing back, managing up, and holding external partners accountable with a smile.


• Polished written and verbal communication skills, and unafraid to pick up the phone.


• Thrives in ambiguity and is comfortable building structure without a defined playbook or formal onboarding.


• Responsive to urgent needs outside of core hours, including occasionally on weekends.


• Already using AI tools regularly in your work and eager to automate wherever possible.