Secretary/Executive Assistant

This posting is current as of 10 August 2012.

The company

Pololu is a small, growing company of intelligent and dedicated people that designs, manufactures, and sells robotics and electronics products. You can find out more about us and see other open positions on our jobs page.

Job description

I am president of Pololu, a small robotics and electronics manufacturing company, and I am looking for a general-purpose assistant that can help me with a wide variety of day-to-day tasks. The position will require lots of one-on-one time with me, at least at the beginning, so it is crucial for me to find someone that I get along with. I have high standards and expect my assistant to meet them because I need to trust him or her to represent me well. You can find out a bit more about me on my blog introduction.

This position is for on-site work at our Las Vegas location.

Primary duties and responsibilities include:

• communicate with customers, vendors, employees on my behalf
• maintain my schedule and keep me aware of others’ schedules
• help me organize 10 years’ worth of files and engineering prototype materials
• organize material from dictations, notes, meetings, etc.
• other data entry into company systems
• research stuff (everything from software pricing to loan rates to floor maintenance chemicals to vendor reputations)

Required skills:

• excellent communication, verbal and written
• good at writing (composing paragraphs) and spelling (crucial for non-spell-checkable fields in records)
• good at math: excellent basic arithmetic, some understanding of trigonometry and calculus (though maybe you can convince me the last part isn’t necessary)
• good with a computer (type at least 50 WPM, understand what an operating system is and where your files are, can install a printer)
• good at multitasking and a lot of context switching
• good people skills
• good at getting things done

Required traits:

• smart, logical, rational
• quick (physically and mentally)
• discreet
• patient
• obedient
• very organized
• attentive to details
• takes criticism well
• helpful
• enjoys doing a good job

Other desirable skill, traits, experience:

• training in computer science, electrical engineering, or mechanical engineering
• familiarity with manufacturing, electronics, or online retail industries
• management experience
• interesting but stable
• physically fit and coordinated
• aware of the world
• modest, not too uppity
• likes reason and freedom

My preference is for a full-time engagement, but we could start out part time (with hours daily) if there is a reasonable expectation that you will become available full time in the next year or two (e.g. you expect to graduate in a year or your child will be in school for longer hours starting next year).

Compensation depends on your skills and is likely to go up as the company grows, but I am generally imagining something in the $15-20 per hour range or $35-50k for full-time salary.

How to apply

Note - You are unlikely to get a reply if you do not follow the application instructions. Also, please do not apply if you do not have the skills we’re looking for (we test for them in our interviews, and it’s really easy to tell if you cannot type 50 WPM or need your phone to calculate tips).

To apply for this position at Pololu, please fill out our application form and send a cover letter and resume to jobs@pololu.com. To be considered, your cover letter should explicitly discuss why you want this job and why you are a good candidate for it. Applicants will also be required to fill out an Employer Lynx background investigation release form (70k pdf) before being hired. For additional questions about any positions, please contact Linnea Goldstein at 702-262-6648 or jobs@pololu.com.

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