Executive Assistant @ Spark Climate Solutions

We looking for a full-time Executive Assistant to support a new FRO’s CEO, Vikash K. Mansinghka (also leader of MIT’s Probabilistic Computing Project and President of the Probabilistic Computing Foundation). This position will support and coordinate work across multiple projects, which includes research engineering leadership, advising/consulting to major companies, non-profit initiatives for probabilistic computing, and potentially for-profit ventures. These projects focus on developing open-source software for probabilistic computing software, conducting public workshops, creating online educational materials, and developing practical applications in the public interest.

The Executive Assistant will focus on providing broad-based support necessary for Vikash. Working with the Chief of Staff and program staff from MIT, you will triage Vikash’s time, attention, and schedule on a day-to-day basis. You will be the interchange point for information and coordination. You will interface regularly with a variety of program staff, students, international visitors, project collaborators, and company decision-makers. If interest and capacity allows, you may also support Josh Tenenbaum (co-founder and board member of the FRO, as well as leader of MIT’s Computational Cognitive Science Lab), who works closely with Vikash on these projects.

A successful candidate will establish good cooperation between the different projects, good lines of communication, and good habits for Vikash (and potentially Josh) in this complex environment. This role will be best suited for a person who wants to build systems, thrives in a varied environment, and is comfortable with remote/async working styles. This is a full-time position, hybrid in Cambridge, MA (2-3 days weekly on site). Travel is not expected. Due to the multi-faceted nature of the role, your employment will be split between three entities (the FRO, Probabilistic Computing Foundation Inc, and MIT), with benefits coming from the FRO.

Primary responsibilities

Calendar and schedule management
Travel arrangements and reporting
Meeting preparation, agenda-making, potential note-taking
Track and triage action items in collaboration with other program staff
Expense reporting
Correspondence management, including triaging and drafting communication
Help ensure smooth information flow and handoffs between projects

Our ideal candidate will possess

Strong communication and technology skills
Keen attention to detailComfort with remote/hybrid and async environments
A solutions-oriented mindset with strong problem-solving skills
Mental agility to support and prioritize a wide and quickly changing set of day-to-day priorities
Strong desire and appreciation for learning new topics and skills on the fly
Experience supporting multiple executives with different needs
Experience in different kinds of environments (bonus if that includes academia, startups, software companies, and/or non-profits)

In addition to a competitive salary, we offer the following benefits:

Excellent medical, dental, and vision insurance; parental leave
Unlimited PTO policy
Wellness allowance for fitness and wellness activities

We aim to help fill a structural gap in today’s R&D system. We enable fundamental research that requires unusual levels of scale and coordination yet is not rapidly monetizable by industry. We’re bringing together top talent from academia, industry, and startups to build a new model for innovative R&D. As an incubator within the Schmidt Futures Network, we identify high-impact scientific or technical research and development opportunities, ultimately defining and launching these projects as Focused Research Organizations.

We are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer that proudly pursues and hires a diverse workforce. We do not make hiring or employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion or religious belief, ethnic or national origin, nationality, sex, gender, gender-identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state, or federal law or company policy. We strive for a healthy and safe workplace and strictly prohibit harassment of any kind.

Primary responsibilities

Our ideal candidate will possess

In addition to a competitive salary, we offer the following benefits:

6 month growth

1 year growth

2 year growth

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