Overview
More than 80,000 customers depend on Buffer, and we focus as much on how we work as what we build. We’re looking for an executive assistant to our CEO, Joel, to create the ideal environment for calm, productive work. You’ll master systems, schedules, and projects, and filter out distractions so Joel can proactively focus on Buffer’s vision and future. Want to be the key element that takes Buffer to new heights? We’d love to hear from you!
FULL-TIME · REMOTE
More about the Executive Assistant role
This position provides all aspects of direct support and assistance to Buffer’s CEO, Joel, as well as some administrative and organizational support for Buffer’s leadership team.
We’re looking for an intuitive, empathic and attentive team member. In a role that is loosely defined, the ideal candidate would read between the lines and proactively jump in to grab tasks to make Joel’s work and life easier, simpler and more focused.
In the best description we’ve read of this role, Michael Hyatt describes “an air-traffic controller for your life. Not just your business—your whole life.” The ideal teammate will be Joel’s air-traffic controller, coordinating all the needs and demands of his life.
You won’t get detailed instructions for every task. Instead, you’ll be an extension of Joel – thinking and acting on his behalf all day long, making him more productive than he could be alone by providing the kind of intuitive support he may not even know he needs!
On a day-to-day basis you will:
- Proactively manage Joel’s workflow and priorities, including meetings, correspondence, and milestones.
- Proactively manage a busy and complex calendar and partner with Joel to keep him on schedule.
- Prioritize and partner with Joel to make sure that all key objectives are addressed and handled in a timely manner.
- Set up meetings and calls, plan meeting agendas, take detailed meeting notes and follow up on CEO action items.
- Help prioritize incoming communication in a high volume inbox, including drafting replies to e-mails
- Help organize critical work projects. While a lot of this role supports others, you will also run some projects from start to finish and work closely on many strategic matters.
- Communicate in person and through correspondence with high level contacts inside and outside the company such as partners, customers, and senior leaders.
- Support Joel and the leadership team with travel arrangements and expenses.
Skills and experience we’re looking for:
Ideally, we’re looking for someone who has some or all of the following as a background:
- Past experience as a successful virtual assistant, executive assistant or office manager
- Experience supporting a team and mastering a large number of tasks
- General knowledge of travel industry such as flights, trains, rental cars, hotel and conference accommodations desired.
- Comfort with a variety of office software tools like G Suite, Google Calendar, Todoist, Trello, Dropbox, and more.
Qualities and traits we’re looking for:
- A super-organized, punctual, and proactive person who loves to coordinate and keep the trains running on time
- Someone who thrives in a busy environment and loves taking on new challenges
- Over-the-top written communication skills
- Outstanding organization, prioritization, analytical, and anticipatory skills
- Solid project management and problem-solving skills
- Excellent attention to detail
- An “introvert whisperer” with a high EQ and emotional awareness around different personality types
- Confidence in holding someone accountable, even if they’re in an authority position
About Joel
Joel founded Buffer in his bedroom and since then has been dedicated to making Buffer a leader in the social media space as well as a healthy, positive and safe working environment for the team.
Originally from the U.K., Joel now lives in Boulder, Colorado and is enjoying life being close to the mountains to go skiing in the winter and mountain biking or hiking in the summer. Always keen to connect with the Buffer team, Joel keeps his Fridays open for anyone on the team to book office hours with him.
Joel is also an angel investor in 12 startups as he’s passionate about helping early-stage startup founders throughout their journey.
What we value as a company
Clear communication, transparency, and empathy are just a few of Buffer’s cultural values. We are looking for a person who understands this culture and will thrive within a team of people passionate about self-improvement, honesty and openness.
Buffer is an equal opportunity employer with teammates all around the world. We are actively working to create an inclusive environment and value diverse and non-traditional backgrounds. We’re united by Buffer’s values, and we celebrate our unique differences.
Perks and Benefits
We hope that you’re excited by all the possibilities that come with working at Buffer! In addition to our unique culture, we also offer these fun perks and benefits.
- Technology: Get hooked up with a laptop to do your best work.
- Learning & development stipend: To encourage our teammates to be their best selves, we offer a monthly stipend for any course or training you’d like to do.
- Health insurance: We offer health insurance for all of our team members, international and US based.
- Salary: Our salary formula adjusts to your cost of living and experience. For this role, the range is $67k – $85k USD per year.
- Work remotely: Live and work from wherever you feel happiest.
- Stock options: Joining the Buffer journey means you can choose to own part of the company.
- Unlimited time off: Our only policy is that you give yourself a break regularly enough.
- Retreats: Join us on annual international company retreats! Our last retreat was in Singapore.
- Free books (and Kindle): We’ll send you free books and a Kindle, no questions asked.
- Family leave: If your family grows during your time at Buffer, we recommend taking 3 months of family leave, regardless of when you joined.
Where You’ll Work
Buffer is a fully distributed team, which means that we’re spread across the whole planet. We have Bufferoos across 15 countries, 11 timezones and 42 cities, scattered around the world to build a better culture and product. As a member in our team, you will work in the place that makes you happy, that inspires you daily, and helps you to become the person that you wish to be.
More about how we work remotely →
See where the Buffer team is now →
Still reading? We want to hear from you!
Answer a few questions about your experience and what you’d be excited to bring to the team at Buffer.
Here’s our tentative transparent hiring timeline:
- August 24-Sept. 21 :Apply to join our team!
- 24- Oct. 5:We’ll spend time reviewing applications and sending out follow-up questions and exercises.
- 8-19:Follow-up interviews with the team.