Executive Assistant — Transition to Chief of Staff

About the Role

Monarch Space Systems is filling a single, high-trust seat in the Office of the CEO: an executive partner who begins as the principal Executive Assistant to the Founder & CEO and transitions into Chief of Staff as institutional complexity increases. This is not an entry-level, generalist, or traditional administrative role, and it is not suited to candidates seeking a conventional support position. The selected individual will shadow the Founder & CEO directly — in board sessions, government and prime contractor meetings, site visits, negotiations, and program reviews — and will travel extensively, domestically and internationally, often on short notice. The role demands executive presence with NASA centers, prime contractors, investors, and international counterparts; board-quality written judgment; and absolute discretion in an export-control-aware environment. Candidates are evaluated against an executive standard, and the search is deliberately narrow. That said, exceptional candidates whose backgrounds differ from the profile in some respects are welcome to initiate a confidential conversation with executive leadership — the institution values demonstrated judgment and mission alignment over an exact résumé match. Full-time onsite presence in Cleveland, Ohio when not traveling.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the principal executive partner to the Founder & CEO — owning priorities, communications, and institutional cadence
• Shadow the Founder & CEO across meetings, site visits, negotiations, and program reviews — acting as the second set of eyes and the institutional memory of the room
• Travel extensively on a domestic and international basis, including significant, irregular, and short-notice travel in support of the CEO
• Own travel end to end — itinerary and logistics, briefing books, stakeholder scheduling, secure communications handling, on-site support, and post-trip debrief and action tracking
• Lead board coordination including meeting preparation, agenda management, material distribution, and follow-up tracking
• Draft, review, and prepare executive communications, institutional correspondence, and governance documentation to board standard
• Coordinate cross-functional alignment across executive leadership and track institutional decisions and commitments to closure
• Oversee institutional documentation including policy registers, governance records, and executive briefing packages
• Represent the Office of the CEO with government, prime contractor, investor, and international stakeholders when delegated
• Assume Chief of Staff responsibilities as organizational scale demands — executive team coordination, institutional initiatives, and strategic project oversight
• Support NDA management, visitor protocols, and export-controlled communication handling procedures

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Communications, Public Policy, Engineering, or a related field
• 10+ years supporting CEO- or board-level principals in high-accountability organizations, including at least 3 years in a chief-of-staff, executive-office, or program-management-office capacity
• Direct experience inside aerospace, defense, federal contracting, national laboratory, or an equally rigorous regulated environment
• Board-quality written judgment — able to provide writing samples and demonstrate prior ownership of governance cadence
• Executive presence sufficient to represent the CEO with NASA centers, prime contractors, investors, and international counterparts
• Availability for extensive domestic and international travel, including short-notice trips; valid U.S. passport required at hire
• U.S. citizenship required; must be able to obtain and maintain eligibility for access to controlled or proprietary information
• Demonstrated discretion and professionalism in handling sensitive, confidential, and competitively significant information

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (MBA, MPA, or equivalent) or comparable executive-track credential
• Prior appointment carrying the Chief of Staff title in an aerospace, defense, technology, or government organization
• Sustained international travel experience accompanying an executive principal
• Exposure to ITAR/EAR-aware communication handling and government contractor compliance protocols
• Experience inside a scaling organization moving from subcontractor toward prime contractor posture
• Working familiarity with board governance, audit readiness, and regulatory reporting obligations

This position may require eligibility to access controlled or proprietary information and may be subject to confidentiality and employment agreements, including an NDA and role-specific restrictive covenants, in accordance with applicable laws.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match
• Paid time off, federal holidays, and personal leave
• Professional development and continuing education support
• Downtown Cleveland parking or transit subsidy
• Collaborative, mission-driven institutional culture
• Structured progression path to Chief of Staff with equity participation upon role transition (board approval required)
• Direct daily partnership with the Founder & CEO and continuous board-level exposure
• Executive performance incentive eligibility from day one
• Full corporate travel program supporting extensive domestic and international engagement
• Deliberately narrow search — the seat is filled at an executive standard from a short list of referral-grade candidates