Executive Assistant to the CEO

Job Description

Job Description

About the Company

We are a renewable energy and ocean technology company committed to rapidly developing and deploying technologies that will ensure a sustainable future for Earth by unlocking the vast energy potential of its oceans. Our focus is on capturing civilizational levels of ultra-low-cost renewable energy for applications including computing and affordable renewable fuels delivered to shore.

The company is a public benefit corporation headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and backed by leading venture capitalists, philanthropic investors, university endowments, and private investment offices. We operate as an idea meritocracy in which the best ideas change the company's direction on a regular basis.

About the Job

This role provides direct support to a fast-moving CEO, designing and administering the core systems that keep his world running smoothly in a rapidly changing environment. This is a hands-on, high-trust role. Your job is to ensure nothing gets dropped and that the CEO is responsive, on time and prepared, and free to focus on the highest-leverage work.

This is a no-task-too-small role that requires sound judgment at every level. You work closely with the Chief of Staff to the CEO and own the CEO's day-to-day, including inbox, calendar, travel, coordination, events, and external engagements, while also managing personal logistics to make his life run more efficiently. 

The work requires speed, discretion, strong writing, practical problem-solving, and context switching between professional and personal support throughout the day. You should be equally enthusiastic about coordinating a board meeting and picking up dry cleaning. 

You should be fastidious about excellence, extremely organized, attentive to detail, and motivated by the service function itself. You have low ego, strong follow-through, high personal energy, and the ability to be warm and good-humored while maintaining polish. You communicate clearly and effectively in writing and in person and handle sensitive information with absolute discretion. You are energized by the dynamic nature of the role. 

This is not a role for someone who needs a rigid operating system, a predictable workday, or a principal whose working style always follows a set process. This role requires a great degree of flexibility, and in return offers unusually valuable experience for someone wanting to sharpen their judgment in a high-dimensional environment while making a large impact.

Responsibilities

• Inbox & Communications: Manage the CEO's inbox and inbound communications with exceptional responsiveness. Raise urgent items, draft crisp, clear, tactful communications, and develop and send predetermined responses as appropriate.
• Calendar & Scheduling: Own the CEO's calendar and scheduling, including prioritization, protecting focus time, and optimizing for efficiency and daily flow. Coordinate effectively with internal and external stakeholders cleanly and without creating friction. Support scheduling for other company leaders at the CEO's discretion.
• Event & Visit Coordination: Own planning, coordination, and execution for site visits and external engagement including investor visits, group tours, speaking opportunities, and media appearances. 
• Travel: Arrange CEO travel including last-minute bookings, transportation, required documentation, and occasional on-the-ground support. Support travel arrangements for other company leaders at the CEO's discretion.
• Meeting Preparation & Follow-Through: Ensure the CEO is on time and prepared for meetings and commitments by managing reminders and capturing key details such as important decisions, follow-ups, and next steps.
• Confidentiality & Judgment: Handle sensitive personal and professional information with absolute discretion. Read situations well, including when to engage, when to be brief, and when not to interrupt.
• Personal Assistance & Life Infrastructure: Help make the CEO's life easier in practical, concrete ways by noticing and addressing needs and reducing recurring sources of friction. Build and maintain low-touch, reliable systems for facilitating household management, appointments, errands, and other personal logistics.

Required Qualifications

• This is not a 9-to-5 role; you should be willing to monitor and respond to time-sensitive communications across a wide daily window, including evenings and weekends
• Proven professional experience in a role requiring exceptional organization, judgment, discretion, and coordination of complex priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Fast response times and reliable follow-through, with the ability to move quickly on email, scheduling, travel, and logistics without becoming frantic or careless
• Experience partnering with executives and senior leaders, coordinating seamlessly across multiple stakeholders, and driving complex priorities to completion while building trust and maintaining strong relationships
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to represent executives and the company with professionalism and discretion 
• Fast and accurate typing skills to support rapid drafting, note-taking, and communication 
• Exceptional organization and attention to detail, with a proven track record of managing multiple complex workstreams simultaneously 
• Strong relationship memory and social awareness, including tracking names, organizations, prior interactions, relevant context, and connections across a broad network
• Strong computer proficiency and demonstrated skill in quickly learning and adapting to new software, systems, and digital tools; familiarity with Google Workspace, Slack, spreadsheets, relational databases, and comparable platforms
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively amid ambiguity and rapid change in a low-control environment, with comfort context switching throughout the day
• A grounded demeanor under pressure, and a consistent ability to create and maintain a low-friction working environment
• A service-oriented, no-task-too-small mindset and willingness to handle both strategic responsibilities and day-to-day operational functions with equal care 
• High personal energy, tact, warmth, and good humor
• Strong interpersonal instincts, sound situational awareness, and a track record of building trust in relationships
• Absolute discretion with sensitive personal, professional, and company information
• Willingness to seek, receive, and incorporate direct feedback as part of Panthalassa's high-trust, high-performance culture

Desired Qualifications

• Experience in an executive assistant, personal assistant, or founder support role
• Strong travel-planning experience, including complex itineraries and frequent changes
• Familiarity with AI tools and comfort using them to improve speed, organization, research, drafting, scheduling, and day-to-day workflows
• Curiosity and judgment about where automation can reduce friction without compromising quality, discretion, or accuracy
• Track record of actively seeking and incorporating feedback

Strong candidates may come from a range of backgrounds. We encourage you to apply if you are a strong candidate with only some of the desired skills and experience listed.

Additional Requirements

• Must be based in or near Portland, Oregon, or willing to relocate rapidly (relocation assistance provided)
• Must have a valid driver's license

Compensation and Benefits

If hired for this full-time role, you will receive:

• Cash compensation of $130,000–$195,000.
• Equity in the company. We're all owners and if we're successful, this equity should be far and away the most valuable component of your compensation.
• A benefits package that helps you take care of yourself and your family, including:
  • Flexible paid time off
  • Health insurance (the company pays 100% of gold-level PPO plan for full-time employees, their partners, and dependents)
  • Dental insurance (the company pays 100% for full-time employees, their partners, and dependents)
  • Vision insurance (the company pays 100% for full-time employees, their partners, and dependents)
  • Disability insurance (the company pays 100% for a policy to provide long-term financial support if you become disabled)
  • Ability to contribute to tax-advantaged accounts, including 401(k), health FSA, and dependent care FSA
• Relocation assistance to facilitate your move to Portland (if needed).

Location

This is an on-site position. Our offices are located in Portland, Oregon.