Studio/Operations Manager

Studio/Operations Manager (279jc) - Shoreditch, Central London - £45,000 – £50,000 depending on experience + Benefits

Our client is seeking a highly capable, confident and adaptable Studio/Operations Manager to take responsibility for the day-to-day running of a busy and unusual working environment based in Shoreditch.

THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT YOUR STANDARD OPERATIONS MANAGER POSITION.

DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS RECRUITMENT CONSULTANCY, WE ARE ONLY ABLE TO REPRESENT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EX MILITARY.

Working directly with the Artist/Director, you will effectively become the person who brings organisation, structure and control to a wide variety of commercial, operational, philanthropic and personal activities.

A major part of the position will be developing a strong working relationship with the Artist/Director and understanding how they operate.

You will need the confidence and interpersonal skills to deal with a strong personality, manage challenging situations calmly and diplomatically, and ensure that priorities are translated into actions.

For this reason, we are not necessarily looking for somebody who has previously worked within the art world, but an interest or understanding of the sector would help.

We are far more interested in finding someone with maturity, resilience, excellent people-management skills and the ability to get things done.

The Role

Reporting directly to the Artist/Director, you will oversee the day-to-day operation of the studio and office and coordinate a small network of employees, freelancers, contractors and professional advisers.

Your responsibilities will be extremely varied and will include

• Managing and coordinating the Artist/Director's day-to-day activities and priorities.
• Acting as a trusted operational point of contact between the Artist and external organisations, suppliers, contractors and professional advisers.
• Providing structure, organisation and follow-through in a fast-moving environment.
• Managing difficult conversations and challenging individuals professionally and confidently.
• Coordinating technical staff, contractors, IT support, legal advisers and other external specialists.
• Overseeing office administration, correspondence, bills, insurance, subscriptions and staff payments.
• Supporting major projects from initial concept through to delivery.
• Coordinating suppliers, logistics, transportation, installations and contractors.
• Maintaining accurate records, databases and archives.
• Liaising with clients, patrons, galleries, cultural organisations and other external stakeholders.
• Supporting charitable, educational and philanthropic projects.
• Coordinating with legal advisers where required on intellectual property, licensing and related matters.
• Occasionally representing or accompanying the Artist at meetings, events and projects.
• Being prepared to deal with whatever operational issue happens to arise.

There will be occasions when you will simply need to assess a situation, take ownership of it and make sure it gets resolved.

The Person

The personality and character of the successful individual will be every bit as important as their previous employment history.

You will need to be

• Confident dealing with strong and occasionally difficult personalities.
• Calm under pressure and comfortable managing conflict.
• Diplomatic but sufficiently assertive to push back when necessary.
• Exceptionally organised and a keen eye for detail.
• Comfortable managing numerous priorities simultaneously.
• Able to work independently without requiring constant direction.
• Discreet and trustworthy.
• Commercially aware.
• Comfortable dealing with people at every level.
• Technically competent and confident using modern IT systems and databases.
• Practical and prepared to get involved rather than simply delegate.
• Flexible regarding working hours when projects or circumstances require it.

Above all, you must possess the judgement to understand when to challenge, when to influence, when to negotiate and when simply to make something happen.

Military Backgrounds

Although previous experience within an artist's studio or creative environment could certainly be advantageous, it is not essential.

We would be particularly interested in speaking with former military personnel who have operated in positions where they have had to manage people, competing priorities, sensitive situations and complex operations.

Individuals coming from senior military operations, logistics, project management, executive support, Regimental/Unit management or similar appointments could potentially bring many of the attributes required.

The ability to remain calm, establish order, manage personalities and deliver against changing priorities will be considerably more important than having previously worked within the art sector.

The Environment

This is an unusual opportunity and will require someone who enjoys variety.

One day could involve coordinating contractors and studio activities; another could involve dealing with a legal matter, organising an international project, supporting a charitable initiative or preparing the Artist for an important meeting.

The studio also manages significant international public-art projects, charitable initiatives and an extensive archive accumulated over approximately 20 years.

There will consequently be very few completely predictable days.

For the right person, however, this represents an opportunity to become a trusted operational right hand to the Artist and play an important role in managing both their day-to-day activities and a fascinating portfolio of projects.

In essence, he is looking for someone who can take the day to day nitty gritty off of him so he can do what he does best, create!

Some of his “pieces” can fetch in excess of £500,000 each and he has clients who are willing to wait several years for one of his creations.

In return he is offering a good starting salary circa £45-50k, 25 days + Bank Holidays, company pension and the ability to have occasional UK and Overseas travel.

For more information, please contact Jean-Claude Hedouin at Ex-Mil Recruitment Ltd on (phone number removed)