Executive Assistant to the CEO (with Office + Recruiting Ops)

About Watney

Watney develops autonomous robots to enable the growth of critical infrastructure. Having recently raised $21 million in seed funding from Conviction, Abstract and A*, we’re partnering with the world’s largest hyperscalers to accelerate datacenter buildout and breakfix.

Join now for a ground-floor seat with outsized ownership and visibility as we scale from prototype to production fleets. Ship real systems, shape the rollout playbook, and leave fingerprints on a category-defining robotics company.

The Role

You’ll be the CEO’s force-multiplier and the operational glue for our San Francisco HQ. This is a hybrid EA / Office Lead / Recruiting Coordinator role: protect the CEO’s time, keep the office humming, and run candidate logistics so we hire fast and well. High judgement, high discretion, and a bias for action are non-negotiable.

You Will

CEO Enablement

• Own complex calendar, travel, and meeting prep across time zones; anticipate conflicts and negotiate priorities.

• Prepare briefs, pre-reads, agendas, and follow-ups; track action items to closure.

• Triage inbox, draft crisp communications, and coordinate investor/board and key customer touchpoints.

• Support special projects (fundraising materials, customer visits, demos, vendor negotiations) with tight confidentiality.

Office Operations (SF HQ)

• Stand up and run day-to-day office ops: access/badges, supplies, lab/meeting spaces, vendor management, shipping/receiving coordination.

• Plan onsite events, exec offsites, customer walk-throughs, and all-hands.

• Manage facilities vendors (IT, cleaning, snacks/catering, safety/EHS basics) and track budget vs. plan.

Recruiting Coordination

• Partner with hiring managers and recruiting to drive a tight funnel: scheduling interviews, booking travel for candidates, onsite hosting and receipt reimbursement.

• Maintain candidate comms and a white-glove experience; including a fast response time.

• Help run interview panels, take notes where needed, and chase decisions within 24–48 hours.

Rhythm of the Business

• Own the exec and company operating cadence: weekly staff, OKR reviews, QBRs, board prep.

• Build lightweight systems (templates, checklists, trackers) that make the team faster every week.

90-Day Outcomes (what success looks like)

• CEO time back: ≥30% of recurring conflicts resolved before they occur; weekly priorities documented by Monday 9am.

• Office uptime: vendors consolidated, SLAs in place; zero stock-outs; spaces ready for guests daily.

• Recruiting velocity: time-to-schedule Cadence: staff/OKR/board cycles running on time with actionable notes and owners.

What You Bring

• Experience supporting a founder/CEO or senior exec in a fast-moving startup; exposure to hardtech/robotics or enterprise customers is a plus.

• Scheduling mastery across time zones; you protect focus time and land complex, multi-party meetings.

• Operational chops: you’ve run an office/facilities program or owned vendor management and budgets.

• Communication excellence: concise writing, clean docs, strong presence with investors, customers, and internal leaders.

• High judgement & discretion: trusted with sensitive information; calm under pressure.

• Tools: Google Workspace, Slack, Zoom, Notion, G-Drive; basic spreadsheets; Expensify/Concur; bonus for light design (Slides/Canva), event logistics, and Ashby ATS.

How You Work

• Owner mindset; no task too small, no scope too big.

• Urgency with polish—mission control, not back office.

• Systems thinker who standardizes once the path is clear.

• Service-oriented and tough-minded: you say “no” when it protects the mission.

Location, Hours & Travel

• Onsite in San Francisco (4–5 days/week).

• Occasional early/late coverage for global partners; limited travel for offsites/events.

Why Join Watney

• Immediate impact: be the operational heartbeat behind a category-defining robotics company.

• Uncommon scope: EA + Office + Recruiting in one role, reporting close to the CEO.

• Growth: build systems now; scale them as we grow from pilots to fleets.

We’re committed to building a diverse, inclusive team. At Watney Robotics, we welcome people of all backgrounds and identities, and we make hiring decisions based on skills, experience, and potential. If you’re passionate about robotics but don’t meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply!

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