Executive Assistant

Ikon Search; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Ikon Search partners with a fast-growing, venture-backed technology startup in the defense space seeking an exceptional Executive Assistant to work closely with the Founder and become a trusted right hand as the company scales.

This is not a checkbox role; you will own calendars, travel, recruiting coordination, and high-level stakeholder communications while staying flexible in a dynamic, high-velocity environment.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting a founder or C-level executive in a startup, tech, aerospace or defense setting is highly valued.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to anticipate needs and work in ambiguity.
• Ability to manage calendars, travel, correspondence, and external relationships with discretion.

Responsibilities

• Manage a complex, evolving calendar, meetings, correspondence and travel.
• Coordinate recruiting activity, candidate scheduling and interviews as the team grows.
• Manage follow-ups across clients, government stakeholders, legal partners and other external relationships.
• Coordinate vendors, procurement and ongoing requests.
• Support special projects and broader business operations.
• Help coordinate events, hospitality, expenses and day-to-day office needs.
• Keep priorities moving when the Founder is unavailable and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
• Take on broader responsibilities as the company scales.

Skills

Executive support

Calendar management

Travel planning

Stakeholder management

Discretion

G Suite / Google Workspace

Slack

Tools

G Suite / Google Workspace

Slack

Job description

We're partnering with a fast-growing, venture-backed technology startup in the defense space that is looking for an exceptional Executive Assistant to work closely with the Founder and become a key part of the business as it scales.

This is not a traditional, checkbox administrative role. The Founder operates in an extremely fast-moving environment where priorities can shift quickly, and this person will serve as a trusted right hand, bringing structure, anticipating needs, and taking ownership of whatever needs to get done.

The Role

You’ll work directly alongside the Founder with exposure across the business, including:

• Managing a complex and constantly evolving calendar, meetings, correspondence and travel
• Coordinating recruiting activity, candidate scheduling and interviews as the team grows
• Managing important follow-ups across clients, government stakeholders, legal partners and other external relationships
• Coordinating vendors, procurement and ongoing requests
• Supporting special projects and broader business operations
• Helping coordinate events, hospitality, expenses and day-to-day office needs
• Keeping priorities moving when the Founder is unavailable and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks
• Taking on broader responsibilities as the company continues to scale

Who We’re Looking For

We’re keeping the profile intentionally broad. Previous experience supporting a Founder or C-level executive within a startup, technology, aerospace or defense environment would be highly relevant, but we’re ultimately looking for evidence of exceptional ability rather than checking every box.

You’ll likely be someone who is:

• Highly organized, proactive and exceptionally reliable
• Comfortable operating with ambiguity and rapidly changing priorities
• Able to anticipate needs rather than waiting for direction
• A strong communicator with excellent judgment and emotional intelligence
• Confident interacting with senior executives, clients and high-level external stakeholders
• Tech-savvy, resourceful and able to figure things out independently

The company is currently operating in the Coronado/San Diego area and plans to establish a permanent San Diego office. There is flexibility around remote work, although local candidates who can provide in-person support, particularly during the initial stages-are preferred.

Compensation is flexible and competitive based on experience

with potential additional performance-based incentives.