How many people is it 'normal' for an EA level 4 to support? I am supporting 2 directors and a Sr. Manager (have been for about 2 months) and it is getting a little crazy. I don't think even many L5 support more than 2 directors. Any advice?
Most EAs have 3 directors. If you canât handle it you need to leave. You donât deserve a promotion for doing the minimum.
Donât listen to the troll; most L4s support 2 directors. More should only be temporary as your team hires more EAs, though âtemporaryâ could go on for months. EAs supporting VPs (so L5 or L6) typically only support the VP, though they often temporarily support others as EAs are being hired. Itâs important to have the convo with your hiring manager as to what the long term plan for you is. Donât be afraid to ask for a specific timeline. If you donât get one, or the expectation is a permanent or long term overburden on you, donât be afraid to seek out new teams. EAs are in demand and have a lot of choices at Amazon.
I supported 4 directors as a newly hired L4 EA (internal transfer from another role). It was tough but it taught me a lot. Like 4 is too many. And never support an L7 because youâre setting dangerous expectations. Amazon chose L8 as the minimum for support for a reason. Use it as a time to show your breadth and gain experience. Find ways to optimize. For scalability, I had my execâs calendars be âopenâ so anyone could schedule for free time instead of me being gatekeeper for every single meeting. And use your backbone wisely. Even when you say no, give some amount of yes.
4 is insane... just how?
Choosing a primaryâwell, basically dual primaries and giving them more support and the secondaries primarily got only calendar support. The secondaries reported to the primaries so that streamlined things a bit. And long hours. And I genuinely liked all 4 of them and wanted to work hard for them. One is still a very good friend today, another is still my manager and heâs fantastic. I was new to the role, still bright-eyed about Amazon, and went far above and beyond for those months.
Team size under your charge should be considered as well. One of my directors has 3.8k reports and 4 directors under her. So while I only support 2 directors, I am consistently at capacity and periodically above. Itâs well within your power to set boundaries and ultimately youâll be respected for it. Out of your directors youâll have a primary and secondary... maybe after a needs analysis and mapping out your above the line/below the line tasks you determine that youâll only do calendaring for your secondary support? Try pushing back events and some of those things onto the team. And you shouldnât be supporting an L7 ever.
Jumping in as an EA at Amazon as well. L5 here and I have 3 directors. One is a senior director and my main guy, keeps me super busy. My secondary and third directors report into him. I'd say 60-75% of my work is for my main director, 20% for my secondary, and 5% for the third. My group likes to give EAs 1 busy/needy director, 1 middle workload director, and a new director that is very independent.
I was an L5 and supported a L10 VP and 5 Directors, then also expected to do PM work among other stuff at Amazon. Amazon takes advantage and will keep pushing, be careful, weakness will be held against you.
First, welcome. It is great to have an EAs perspective here. In my experience it is somewhat variable. I know an L6 EA who sports a single director and another L5 who does a director, L7 manager, and a Sr principal
Thank you! I know right? There isn't a lot of EA-related posts! I have seen that it is variable but in an L4 I don't see that that much. I think it is more common at an L5 level or above... Maybe argument for promo đ?