Founder's Associate
About Avant Arte
Avant Arte is a curated marketplace that makes discovering and collecting art radically more accessible for a new generation. Our team of passionate experts collaborate with leading contemporary artists from across the globe to create bespoke limited-edition artworks to browse and collect. We began as a cult blog of contemporary artists and since 2015 we've grown our community to over 3.3 million strong across more than 100 countries. We're proud to collaborate with leading contemporary artists to create limited edition works - from sculpture editions and works on paper to NFTs and hand-finished silkscreen prints.
Discover our world: Explore our Instagram, TikTok and website to see the artists we collaborate with, the editions we create and the community we’re building.
The role
As our Founder’s Associate, you'll work directly with our co-founder and CEO as a trusted partner, extending his reach across the business. It's a highly trusted role at the heart of the company: excellent executive support combined with real ownership of strategic, operational and cross-functional work. You'll be based in London [3 days in office] and report to the CEO.
What you'll do
Executive support and prioritisation: making sure the CEO's time goes to what matters most
- Own and optimise a complex diary, including meetings across time zones
- Prepare agendas and briefing notes, capture actions and make sure they get done
- Draft and edit communications in the CEO's voice, handling confidential matters with discretion
- Plan all work travel and itineraries, and fix things fast when plans change
- Track the CEO's actions on his artist and institution relationships and keep them moving
Executional leverage: taking on work the CEO currently does himself
- Represent the CEO with credibility and build strong relationships across the business
- Communicate priorities and decisions clearly and make sure they're acted on
- Improve tools, processes and information flow, spotting problems early
- Be the CEO's eyes and ears in the office: build relationships across the team, raise concerns early and celebrate wins
- Prepare the CEO for 1:1s with his direct reports
Strategy and leadership rhythms
- Run company OKR setting and tracking, on time and to a high standard
- Lead SLT rhythms: agendas, notes, action tracking and decks for leadership offsites
- Brief the CEO ahead of monthly OKR reviews with each team
- Make SLT a forum where good ideas surface and decisions get made
Strategic projects and investor relations
- Lead the monthly investor update (data pack and narrative) and keep the investor CRM up to date
- Run cross-functional projects from planning to delivery
- Research and turn information into clear insights and recommendations
What success looks like
- 3 months: the CEO's diary, travel and comms run without him thinking about them
- 6 months: you run the OKR cycle and SLT rhythm end to end
- 12 months: you own investor reporting and lead at least one cross-functional project
What you'll bring
- Exceptional organisation and attention to detail
- Excellent writing: you can write in someone else's voice and turn a messy discussion into clear notes and actions
- Structured thinking: comfortable with planning processes and OKRs
- Strong logistics skills for complex diaries and travel
- You self-prioritise, work independently and manage multiple work streams at once
- Start-up experience: you're used to a fast pace and shifting priorities
- Hands-on experience of executive support (diary, travel, inbox), whether or not you've held an EA title
- Confidence with stakeholders at all levels, including senior leaders and investors, and the ability to hold your ground kindly when someone pushes back
This role will suit you if…
- You want a front-row seat to how decisions get made: at SLT, with investors and across a high-growth business
- You value a low-ego, entrepreneurial environment
- You get satisfaction from turning ambiguity into clarity, in calendars, inboxes, spreadsheets and Slack
This role won't suit you if…
- You see diary and travel management as something to get through on the way to "real" strategy work
- You need detailed briefs to do your best work
- You're looking for a manager who's always available or regular structured check-ins — our CEO travels often, so you'll make many calls on your own judgement
What we offer
- Generous equity allowance (EMI share option scheme)
- Private healthcare (with AXA)
- 29 days holiday including: 25 day allowance plus 1 company wide day for Kings Day (national holiday in the Netherlands which falls in April) and 3 company-wide days for winter office closure between 25th December and 1st January.
- L&D budget of €1000 per year per employee.
- Enhanced pension contributions (5% employer contribution)
- Company Laptop (MacBook) + €200 budget for WFH set up
- Cycle to work scheme
- Regular socials & team events
- Art loan scheme
- Office perks in our London office include membership discounts for restaurants, wellness services and hotels in the area as well as free fitness classes.
- Work from anywhere for 4 weeks a year policy (up to 2 weeks consecutively)
- Enhanced parental leave policies
Our process
- 30-min call with Talent Acquisition
- Short take-home exercise
- Interview with the CEO's office
- Final interview with the CEO, including a short task
We aim to complete the process within 3 weeks and will give you feedback at every stage.
We welcome applications from everyone and are happy to make adjustments at any stage… just let us know.