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Senior Executive Assistant to the CEO

San Diego, CA

Are you ready to join a team committed to making a meaningful impact on cancer treatment through the discovery and development of precision medicines? At Kura Oncology, you have an opportunity to be a part of something bigger, with a lasting impact that you can be proud of.

At Kura Oncology, we are working to change the paradigm and improve the science of cancer treatment. As an organization, we strive to cultivate a diverse and talented professional culture driven to develop precision medicine therapeutics.

As we continue to build a leading biotech organization with a strong culture, a patient-focused mindset and a team focused on relentless execution, we are looking for innovative, passionate professionals to join us and make our vision a reality.

To succeed at Kura, you will need to have a demonstrated ability for excellence in drug discovery and development and a roll-up your sleeves attitude. The ideal candidate will possess a values-driven work style where integrity and grit drive all behaviors, decisions, and actions.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

The Senior Executive Assistant to the CEO is a highly trusted partner responsible for maximizing the CEO's effectiveness through exceptional organization, judgment, discretion, and proactive support. This individual anticipates needs, manages competing priorities, facilitates effective communication and follow-through, and ensures the CEO's time is focused on the Company's most important priorities.

The successful candidate is highly resourceful, technologically savvy, and comfortable embracing AI and emerging tools to improve productivity and ways of working.

  • Provide high-level support to the CEO and serve as a trusted liaison with the Board of Directors, Leadership Team, and key internal and external stakeholders.
  • Strategically manage the CEO's complex and dynamic calendar, anticipating priorities, conflicts, preparation needs, and follow-up.
  • Identify and adopt technology, including appropriate AI-enabled tools and automation, to improve executive and team efficiency.
  • Coordinate complex domestic and international travel, itineraries, logistics, and expenses, anticipating changes and contingencies.
  • Prepare meeting agendas, briefing materials, presentations, and other executive communications; facilitate meetings as needed and ensure decisions and action items are tracked to completion.
  • Manage sensitive and confidential information with exceptional discretion and sound judgment.
  • Proactively identify issues, competing priorities, and potential obstacles; recommend solutions and take appropriate action.
  • Drive selected projects and initiatives on behalf of the CEO, coordinating stakeholders and ensuring timely execution.
  • Plan and coordinate Leadership Team meetings, offsites, conferences, Board-related activities, and external events.
  • Coordinate contracts, purchase orders, and related administrative processes and collaborate with HR on senior leadership recruiting activities as needed.
  • Build strong relationships across the organization and administrative team to support Company and executive priorities.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor's degree preferred or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
  • 8+ years of experience supporting C-level executives; CEO support and biotech/pharmaceutical industry experience strongly preferred.
  • Ability to be onsite in the San Diego office 2-3 times per week
  • Exceptional organizational, project management, communication, and problem-solving skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to anticipate needs, manage multiple priorities, and operate independently in a fast-paced, changing environment.
  • Excellent judgment, discretion, emotional intelligence, professionalism, and relationship-building skills.
  • Strong technological fluency with demonstrated curiosity and aptitude for adopting AI and emerging productivity tools.
  • Resourceful, proactive, detail-oriented, and committed to delivering with excellence.
  • Ability to work flexibly across time zones and changing priorities.

WHAT EXCELLENCE LOOKS LIKE:

The exceptional Senior Executive Assistant creates executive leverage. They know what the CEO needs before being asked, surface issues early, close open loops, and create systems that enable the CEO and organization to operate more effectively.

They are relentlessly curious about technology and AI—experimenting, learning quickly, automating intelligently, and continually introducing better ways of working.

Success means the CEO is prepared, informed, focused, and able to spend time on the work that creates the greatest value for the Company.

The base range for an Executive EA is $124,000 - $155,000. Individual pay may vary based on additional factors, including, and without limitation, job-related skills, experience, work location, and relevant education or training. Kura's compensation package also includes generous benefits, equity, and participation in an annual target bonus.

#LI-RM1

Kura’s Values that are used for candidate selection and performance assessments:

  • We work as one for patients
  • We are goal-focused and deliver with excellence
  • We are science-driven courageous innovators
  • We strive to bring out the best in each other and ourselves

The Kura Package

  • Career advancement/ development opportunities
  • Competitive comp package
  • Bonus
  • 401K + Employer contributions
  • Generous stock options
  • ESPP Plan
  • 20 days of PTO to start
  • 18 Holidays  (Including Summer & Winter Break)
  • Generous Benefits Package with a variety of plans available with a substantial employer match
  • Paid Paternity/Maternity Leave
  • In-Office Catered lunches
  • Home Office Setup
  • Lifestyle Spending Stipend
  • Commuter Stipend (Boston Office)
  • Regular employee social activities, including happy hours, monthly birthday celebrations, Kura Koffee Talks, and much more!

Kura Oncology is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering and developing innovative precision medicines to help patients with cancer lead better, longer lives.

Through our deep understanding of cancer biology and decades of experience in precision oncology, we are studying the underlying causes of treatment resistance. This enables us to design smart combination regimens with other cancer therapies to target tumors from multiple directions, with the goal of improving long-term clinical benefit.

Kura developed and is commercializing KOMZIFTI® (ziftomenib), the FDA-approved once-daily, oral menin inhibitor for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory NPM1-mutated acute myeloid leukemia, and continues to pioneer advancements in menin inhibition and farnesyl transferase inhibition. For additional information, please visit Kura’s website at www.kuraoncology.com and follow us on X and LinkedIn.

Kura Oncology is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. 

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