Chief Operations Officer, Frieze in London

About Frieze

Frieze is a leading global contemporary art organisation, recognised for its art fairs, publications and digital presence. Founded in 1991 with the launch of frieze magazine, the brand has grown to encompass seven of the most significant art fairs worldwide in cities including Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York and Seoul. These events attract leading artists, galleries and collectors, fostering innovative dialogues and practices within the art community. Frieze magazine continues to set the benchmark for insightful art criticism and commentary, while frieze.com serves as a vital online resource. With a dedicated team passionate about the arts, Frieze remains at the forefront of artistic exploration and cultural discourse, connecting diverse audiences with groundbreaking artists and their work.

The Chief Operations Officer works closely with the CEO, Frieze management team and the Mari Group. The mission is to ensure the effective running of operations, primarily within the art fairs, develop the scalability of the business to enable further growth, secure sustainable long‑term venue plans and strong relationships in host cities, and maximise profitability through efficient and strategic procurement. The COO will also advise on key business initiatives and participate in company‑wide decision making as part of the Frieze management team.

Responsibilities

• Events Production: Manage and develop a professional, customer‑focused team that meets the needs of the business and its customers. Lead venue searches and build strong venue relationships that support sustainable, long‑term plans for existing and new fairs. Ensure Frieze’s major cost line (production) is well managed and procurement efficient. Manage production, H&S and litigation risks effectively. Identify opportunities to explore alternate, more cost‑effective production models (e.g., insourcing vs outsourcing, rental vs ownership, vertical integration). Champion sustainability through the supply chain. During fairs act as "Chief of Staff" and run the Major Incident Response team, coordinating decisions for assessing and responding to major incidents.
• Digital and Data: Oversee the Director of Digital and Head of Data and their teams responsible for all Frieze customer‑facing digital platforms and audience data management and insight. Ensure overall resilience and security of platforms in partnership with the Mari central team. Work closely with the broader Frieze business to ensure customer‑facing platforms and processes meet audience needs and demonstrate the highest quality in customer experience. Ensure business priorities are managed transparently through a digital roadmap and that key projects are delivered on time and within budget. Identify opportunities for digital and data to improve customer experience for existing Frieze products and support new business development.
• Legal & Insurance: Act as lynchpin between Mari Legal and Frieze business partners to ensure corporate legal risks are properly considered for all key contracts. Keep Mari Legal abreast of Frieze business development. Sign off on material contracts entered into by the business. In partnership with Mari Insurance and Frieze business partners ensure the correct insurance is in place as the business evolves.
• Office Operations: Oversee the management of Frieze estate in all locations, working with designated contacts to ensure smooth operations and compliance with local health & safety legislation. Regularly review lease and sub‑let arrangements and secure new agreements when required. Maintain relationships with key stakeholders such as landlords, tenants and property lawyers.
• Fair Operations: Oversee staff responsible for managing staff travel to and from the fairs, optimising traveller lists in consultation with Frieze Finance and booking suitable group accommodation. Ensure onsite operations for permanent and temporary staff run smoothly.

Skills & Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in a consumer‑facing organisation; experience in events preferred but not disqualifying.
• Strong interest in the arts; brand affinity is an advantage.
• Experience working across borders, particularly in the UK and US.
• Strong change manager capable of developing scalable and efficient teams, processes and systems while maintaining day‑to‑day control.
• Experience in fast‑moving growth organisations.
• Strong leadership and influencing skills across all areas of a business.
• Proven clear, concise, empathetic communicator.
• Voices opinions and offers creative suggestions.
• Team player. Takes responsibility and follows through on commitments and decisions.
• Good track record for hiring and retaining quality staff.
• Open to criticism and feedback, eager to learn and continually improve.

Diversity & Inclusion Statement

Frieze unites people in our love of the arts. We understand this can only be accomplished when we harness the entirety of our company and lead with a lens of diversity, equity and inclusion in everything we do. As a global company that drives culture, we are committed to practicing anti‑discrimination including race, gender identity, sexual orientation and disability, together with artists, writers and cultural practitioners from all backgrounds. There is still much work to be done to address systemic inequality and discrimination within the arts and culture industry, and we are dedicated to making progress both within our own organization and the art world at large.