About the Executive Assistant Role at Reflection

Reflection is a research lab on a mission to make intelligence open and accessible for everyone to use, customize, and build on. This Executive Assistant role sits on the Operations team in New York and is a high-touch, on-site position supporting a senior leadership team and acting as the day-to-day point person for a founder. The posting is clear that this blends executive support, in-office coordination, and hands-on personal logistics, so the ideal candidate is equally comfortable behind a laptop, in the office, and out handling real-world errands.

Reflection wants someone exceptionally organized, reliable, and discreet who can own complex, fast-moving calendars across time zones, protect focus time, coordinate end-to-end travel and visa documentation, track action items, and process expenses using tools like Ramp, Google Workspace, and Slack. Above all, they are hiring for judgment: someone self-directed who anticipates needs, operates in ambiguity, and stays calm under pressure with minimal oversight.

Quick Stats

* Typical process: 3 to 4 rounds, roughly 2 to 4 weeks

* Format: Recruiter phone screen, then video and on-site interviews in New York

* Core focus: calendar management, travel coordination, discretion and judgment, personal logistics, follow-through, tool proficiency

* Difficulty: Moderate to hard, because you must prove sound judgment and composure while juggling shifting priorities directly for a founder

What Reflection Looks For

* Significant experience supporting C-suite leaders, founders, or senior executives in a fast-paced environment

* Exceptional calendar management across complex scheduling, shifting priorities, and multiple time zones

* Strong judgment and discretion when handling highly sensitive and confidential information

* Comfort spanning both executive and personal assistant work, with proficiency in Google Workspace, Slack, and modern productivity tools (Ramp and AI tools a plus)

Round 1: Recruiter Screen (~30 minutes)

What to Expect

A recruiter or operations coordinator will open with a phone or video call to confirm the basics: your experience supporting senior executives or founders, your availability to work on-site in New York, and your motivation for joining a research lab building open AI models. Expect questions that map your background to the posting's core responsibilities and a light check on your comfort with the tools they name.

Example Questions

* "Tell me about the executives or founders you have supported and what your day to day looked like."

* "Why Reflection, and why an on-site Executive Assistant role at an early-stage research lab?"

* "Are you based in New York and available to work on-site full time?"

* "Which tools do you use for calendaring, expenses, and communication, and how comfortable are you with Ramp, Google Workspace, and Slack?"

Tips

* Have a crisp two-minute summary of who you supported, at what seniority, and the scope you owned end to end.

* Emphasize discretion and reliability early, since this role hinges on trust with a founder.

* Practice this quick pitch with Nora's Standard Mode to tighten your phone-screen answers and land the "why Reflection" story cleanly.

Round 2: Role-Specific Skills Interview (~45 to 60 minutes)

What to Expect

This round tests the practical mechanics of the job with the hiring manager or a senior operations leader. Expect scenario-driven questions on complex calendar management across time zones, resolving scheduling conflicts, protecting focus time, end-to-end travel coordination, and administrative processes like visa documentation, signatures, and expense processing. You may be walked through a realistic scenario and asked how you would prioritize and execute.

Example Questions

* "Two priorities collide on the founder's calendar across three time zones. Walk me through how you decide what moves."

* "Describe your process for booking end-to-end travel, including flights, hotels, ground transport, and handling a last-minute change en route."

* "How do you protect focus time while still handling walk-up requests and real-time asks from leadership?"

* "How would you coordinate visa and travel documentation, gather required signatures, and keep approvals on schedule?"

Tips

* Bring a concrete system: how you triage requests, track commitments, and confirm follow-through so nothing slips.

* Name the tools you would use (Google Workspace, Slack, Ramp, AI-enabled tools) and how they fit your workflow.

* Rehearse these scenarios in Nora's Technical Mode to sharpen your process explanations under realistic, fast-moving prompts.

Round 3: Behavioral and Judgment Interview (~45 minutes)

What to Expect

Because the posting leans heavily on judgment, discretion, and composure, expect a behavioral round with the hiring manager and possibly the founder. This is where offers are won or lost. You will be asked for STAR stories about handling sensitive information, operating in ambiguity, anticipating needs before they became problems, and staying calm when priorities shift suddenly. They are gauging whether they can trust you with minimal oversight.

Example Questions

* "Tell me about a time you handled highly confidential information and how you protected it."

* "Describe a moment you anticipated a leader's need before it became a problem."

* "Walk me through a time everything changed at the last minute and how you kept things on track under pressure."

* "Give an example of a small, unglamorous task you took on to keep a senior stakeholder focused."

Tips

* Prepare four to five STAR stories that highlight discretion, proactivity, composure, and ownership of both executive and personal tasks.

* Show that no task is too small; concrete errands, reservations, and logistics examples land well here.

* Run these stories through Nora's Behavioral Mode to tighten your STAR structure and keep answers specific and calm.

Round 4: Final Conversation and Offer (~30 minutes)

What to Expect

A closing conversation with leadership or the founder to confirm mutual fit, followed by offer discussions with the recruiter. Reflection offers top-tier compensation, equity and stock options, comprehensive benefits, provided meals, 22 weeks parental leave, unlimited PTO in the U.S., and visa sponsorship support. Expect alignment on start date, on-site expectations, and total compensation including equity.

Example Questions

* "What does the ideal working relationship with the founder look like to you?"

* "How do you like to receive feedback and communicate day to day?"

* "What are your compensation expectations, including base and equity?"

* "Do you have any questions about the role, the team, or how we work on-site?"

Tips

* Come with thoughtful questions about the founder's working style, priorities, and how success is measured in the first 90 days.

* Know your number and weigh the full package: base, equity, stock options, benefits, and sponsorship if relevant.

* Use Nora's Salary Negotiation Mode to practice the offer back-and-forth so you can advocate for equity and pay without underselling yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1) How many rounds are there?

Typically 3 to 4: a recruiter screen, a role-specific skills interview, a behavioral and judgment round with the hiring manager or founder, and a final conversation plus offer. Reflection has not published its exact process, so treat this as the realistic structure for a founder-facing EA role at an early-stage lab.

2) What topics are most common?

* Complex calendar management across time zones, conflict resolution, and protecting focus time

* Travel coordination, visa and documentation processes, expenses in Ramp, and judgment with confidential information

3) How long does the process take?

Usually about 2 to 4 weeks, depending on scheduling and how quickly the leadership team and founder can meet. On-site availability in New York can speed things up.

4) How should I prepare?

* Map your experience directly to the posting: founder or C-suite support, complex calendaring, travel, and personal logistics.

* Build four to five STAR stories showcasing discretion, proactivity, composure under pressure, and ownership of tasks big and small.

* Get fluent in Google Workspace, Slack, and Ramp, and be ready to describe how you use modern and AI-enabled tools.

* Practice with Nora: Standard Mode for the recruiter screen, Technical Mode for calendar and travel scenarios, Behavioral Mode for judgment stories, and Salary Negotiation Mode for the offer.