Executive Assistant to Chief Executive Officer

Executive Assistant to the CEO

Subject | Austin, TX (in office)

Reports to: Michael Vilardo, Cofounder and CEO, and Ana Romero, Head of People and Performance

Location: Austin, TX. Five days per week in office, on-call seven days per week, with some travel to Los Angeles and other cities as needed, in step with the CEO's schedule.

Compensation: Base salary of $70,000, commensurate with experience.

Subject is on a mission to give every student, educator, and administrator the best possible learning experience, fusing cinematic storytelling with generative AI to build the most advanced Learning Intelligence System in education. We've grown from an idea at a UCLA coworking space into a $30M+ ARR company backed by Owl Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, and Latitude Ventures.

We're looking for an Executive Assistant to the CEO who can operate as a true extension of our CEO, Michael (Mike) Vilardo, protecting his time, sharpening his focus, and keeping the machine around him running without friction. This is a role built on trust and discretion at the center of the company, ideal for someone who thrives on speed, gets things done right the first time, and enjoys working cross functionally across the entire organization, not just within the CEO's immediate circle.

Our Vision & Mission

• Promise: Turning Every Student into a Success Story.
• Mission: To maximize the potential of all learners, regardless of circumstance.
• Vision: To become the most advanced Learning Intelligence System in the world, fusing cinematic storytelling with generative AI to deliver education that is as compelling as it is personalized.

Our Values

• Education Obsessed We obsess over the learner experience and treat every critique as fuel for improvement.
• Championship Sports Team Team success comes before personal glory; no role is beneath us.
• Grit We outwork everyone and thrive in hard environments.
• Speed Speed beats perfection; we move fast and learn faster.

What You'll Do

• Own the CEO's calendar. Proactively manage a packed, fluid schedule across investors and the Board, executive recruiting, leadership meetings, marketing and media commitments, and personal priorities, including occasional personal scheduling, resolving conflicts before they become problems and keeping the calendar private and airtight.
• Triage relentlessly. Understand the CEO's current top priorities (investor relations and the Board, company culture, brand and podcast commitments, leadership meetings, health, etc) and be comfortable saying no on his behalf to anything that falls outside them.
• Run complex travel logistics. Book flights, hotels, and ground transport to an exacting standard, efficient routing, and itineraries that protect his time and energy.
• Support leadership and board touchpoints. Help prepare materials and coordinate logistics for leadership meetings and investor or board interactions.
• Partner on people and office operations. Act as a partial office manager, working closely with the Head of People and Performance to keep HR processes, office operations, and day to day team logistics running smoothly.
• Manage the details that keep him effective. Coordinate wellness, health, and personal logistics so the CEO can stay focused on the business, with the judgment to know what's in scope and what isn't.
• Support Mike's social media presence. Help draft, schedule, and coordinate occasional social media and brand content.
• Exercise real judgment and discretion. Know what needs to reach the CEO, what belongs with the Head of People and Performance (benefits, employee relations, HR escalations), and what you can or should handle on your own.
• Communicate the Subject way. Default to Slack for daily communication; use judgment on when a call or huddle is warranted. Move fast, stick to your word, and take smart, recoverable risks.
• Handle admin with precision. Manage executive spend and card reconciliation, as well as any administrative details that come with supporting a fast moving founder.

What We're Looking For

• 3+ years supporting a founder, C suite executive, or senior leader, ideally in a fast moving startup or rapidly growing company.
• Airtight discretion with confidential information spanning the Board, compensation, hiring, and personal matters.
• A bias to action: comfortable moving fast, making judgment calls, and course correcting quickly rather than waiting for perfect information.
• Exceptional organization and follow through, so nothing falls through the cracks, even across a dozen moving priorities at once.
• Direct, clear communicator who is comfortable giving and receiving straight feedback, including hearing (and saying) no.
• A mindset that puts the team first and treats no task beneath them or too small, genuinely willing to do whatever it takes to keep the CEO and company moving.
• Comfortable working cross functionally across the entire organization, from the CEO's office to People and Performance, marketing, and beyond.
• Flexibility to work early mornings, evenings, or weekends and a schedule that shifts often.
• Based in, or willing to relocate to, Austin, with the ability to be in office five days a week, be on-call, and travel as needed.

How We Work

Subject works together in person because we believe building great products, and supporting great leadership, happens best as a team in the same room. This role requires the flexibility to adapt around the CEO's schedule, including occasional early mornings, evenings, weekends or travel.

This role is approached as a two year apprenticeship. Sitting at the center of the company gives you a front row seat to how every function operates. The last two EAs who held this role were both promoted into bigger roles inside the company, and we're looking for someone who is eager to build their path at Subject.

How to Apply

If you want to sit at the center of a company building the future of education, and you're energized rather than drained by intensity, speed, and high standards, we'd love to hear from you.

Subject is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to amplify, nurture, and empower unique identities and experiences, and we strongly encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you require accommodation during the interview process, please let your recruiter know.