Executive Assistant

Axios; Arlington (VA); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with employer match

Health insurance options

HSA contribution

Dental & vision coverage

12-week paid leave for caregivers

Learning & development stipend

Work-from-home stipend

Headspace mental health resources

OneMedical membership

Health advocacy resources

Fertility benefits

Employee support fund

Flexible work for parents

Virtual social events

Open inclusive culture

Job summary

Axios, a Virginia-based media company, seeks an Executive Assistant to support the COO and partner with the Chief of Staff on strategic initiatives. The role focuses on calendar management, scheduling complex group meetings, and coordinating cross-functional projects to drive efficiency and impact.

You will draft concise updates, manage travel logistics end-to-end, organize follow-ups, and help prepare materials for leadership discussions.

Qualifications

• Experience managing executive calendars and priorities with strong scheduling and logistics skills.
• Excellent prioritization and time management with proactive planning.
• Clear, concise communication across multiple executives and teams.
• Strong writing and editing for internal and external communications.
• Sound operational judgment and ability to handle confidential information.
• Strong coordination for meeting prep and follow-ups across teams.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional projects and driving milestones.
• Ability to synthesize information for clear written updates and presentations.
• Comfort using Google Calendar and collaboration tools to organize schedules.

Responsibilities

• Manage the COO’s calendar strategically, aligning commitments with priorities and resolving conflicts.
• Learn priorities and working preferences, offer clear options when trade-offs occur.
• Schedule complex group meetings across COO’s teams with right participants.
• Own meeting logistics, invitations and materials, coordinate preparation and changes.
• Coordinate end-to-end COO travel, maintain itineraries, manage changes.
• Organize follow-ups from meetings, track owners and deadlines.
• Maintain project plans, timelines and status updates with risk flags.
• Draft concise briefs, presentations and updates for planning and decisions.
• Take ownership of defined workstreams and special projects.
• Draft and coordinate internal/external communications for COO and Chief of Staff.
• Handle sensitive information with discretion and keep leaders informed.

Skills

Executive calendar management

Scheduling & logistics

Prioritization & time management

Clear communication

Writing & editing

Operational judgment

Cross-functional coordination

Project support

Information synthesis

AI tool familiarity

Discretion with sensitive information

Tools

Google Calendar

Job description

The big picture:

Axios is a media company dedicated to delivering trustworthy news and information with efficiency, clarity, and Smart Brevity. We're hiring a Virginia-based Executive Assistant to support our Chief Operating Officer, coordinate group meetings across her teams, and partner with her Chief of Staff on cross-functional projects and strategic initiatives.

Why it matters:

As the COO’s internal and external commitments grow, thoughtful scheduling and reliable follow-through help her and her teams spend time where it matters most. Reporting to the Chief of Staff, this role divides its time roughly equally between direct support for the COO and cross-functional coordination and project support. The Chief of Staff sets priorities for strategic initiatives, projects and broader team support.

Go deeper:

In this role, you will make an impact at Axios with the following responsibilities:

• Manage the COO’s calendar strategically, aligning internal and external commitments with her priorities and proactively resolving routine scheduling conflicts.
• Learn the COO’s priorities and working preferences, use sound judgment to resolve routine scheduling and logistical issues independently, and bring the Chief of Staff clear options when trade-offs or decisions need escalation.
• Schedule complex group meetings across the COO’s teams, working with executive assistants and participants to bring the right people together.
• Own meeting logistics, invitations and materials, anticipating preparation needs and coordinating changes so participants know where to be and what to prepare.
• Coordinate the COO’s business travel end to end, maintain accurate itineraries and calendar details, and proactively manage changes with relevant partners.
• Organize agreed follow-ups from group meetings, track owners and deadlines, and flag dependencies or outstanding items to the Chief of Staff.
• Maintain project plans, timelines and status updates; coordinate inputs across teams, follow up with owners, and surface risks, dependencies or decisions that need the Chief of Staff’s attention.
• Gather and synthesize information, conduct research, and draft concise briefs, presentations and updates to support planning, leadership discussions and decisions.
• Take ownership of defined workstreams and special projects as assigned by the Chief of Staff, and identify practical ways to improve coordination, documentation and team processes.
• Draft, edit and coordinate internal and external communications for the COO and Chief of Staff, including team updates, stakeholder correspondence and meeting follow-ups; gather input, coordinate review and approval, and ensure messages are clear, accurate and timely.
• Handle sensitive information with discretion and keep the COO and Chief of Staff informed of changes that affect their plans.

Worthy of your time:

Ideal candidates will embody an entrepreneurial spirit, a passion for Axios' mission, and have the following skills:

• Experience managing executive calendars and priorities, with strong scheduling and logistics skills in a fast-moving organization.
• Excellent prioritization, time management and attention to detail, with a proactive approach to anticipating needs and adapting as priorities change.
• Clear, concise communication and confidence coordinating across multiple executives and teams, keeping colleagues and external contacts informed as plans change.
• Strong writing and editing skills, with experience preparing internal and external communications, adapting tone and content for different audiences, and capturing an executive’s voice with accuracy, professionalism and discretion.
• Sound operational judgment: anticipate and solve routine problems, assess urgency, make decisions with limited guidance, and recognize when to escalation, while applying confidentiality.
• Strong coordination skills: organize meeting preparation and follow-ups, track deadlines, and collaborate with executive assistants and accountable owners.
• Experience coordinating projects across teams, with the ability to turn broad goals into organized plans, track progress, and follow through without constant direction.
• Ability to synthesize information and prepare clear written updates and presentations, with curiosity about business priorities and how different teams work together.
• Comfort using Google calendar, document and collaboration tools to keep schedules and follow-ups organized.

What success looks like

• A well-managed COO calendar that reflects her priorities and minimizes avoidable conflicts.
• Group meetings scheduled efficiently, with clear logistics and prepared participants.
• Accurate travel information and timely communication when plans change.
• Visible meeting follow-ups, with owners reminded and unresolved items surfaced promptly.
• Cross-functional projects advance against agreed milestones, with clear ownership, timely updates and risks surfaced early.
• The Chief of Staff has reliable project support and concise, useful materials to move strategic initiatives forward.
• Some experience and comfort using AI tools, with curiosity to learn more and apply them thoughtfully to day-to-day work.
• A trusted partnership with the COO and Chief of Staff, with clear boundaries for broader team support.

Starting salary for this role is in the range of $75,000 - $80,000 and is dependent on numerous factors, including but not limited to location, work experience, and skills. This range does not include other compensation benefits. Axios' compensation philosophy takes into account cost of labor differentials across the country. Because this is a remote-optional job posting, this salary range takes into account all possible locations within the United States, but candidates will only be eligible for the salary range for their location.

Axios is committed to embracing artificial intelligence as a core part of how we work. All team members are expected to actively develop AI literacy and use AI tools to enhance their productivity, creativity, and efficiency. We invest in ongoing learning to ensure every employee is equipped to responsibly and effectively integrate AI into their daily workflows.

What Axios brings to the table besides salary:

• 401(k) with employer match
• Robust PPO and High Deductible health insurance options on the Blue Cross Blue Shield network
• Employer Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution for the high deductible health plan option
• Dental and vision coverage
• Primary caregiver 12-week paid leave
• Annual learning and development stipend
• $100 monthly work-from-home stipend
• Tele-mental health services through Headspace
• OneMedical membership, including tele-health services
• Personal health advocacy resources through HealthAdvocate
• Inclusive fertility, hormonal health and family forming benefits through Carrot Fertility
• Access to the Axios Employee Support Fund, which was created to allow employees to request financial support when facing financial hardship or emergencies
• Increased work flexibility for parents and caretakers
• Virtual company-sponsored social events
• A strong and positive work environment
• A commitment to an open, inclusive, and diverse work culture

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

Axios is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, age, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. Axios makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.