Founder's Associate

ABOUT AVANT ARTE

Avant Arte is a curated platform connecting the world’s leading artists and public arts institutions with a new generation of enthusiasts, collectors and patrons. We collaborate with the most exciting contemporary artists such as Ai Weiwei, Mickalene Thomas, Maurizio Cattelan and Jenny Holzer to create limited editions of the highest quality, from prints and sculptures to digital works.

Our global community of over 4 million collectors and art enthusiasts reflects the growing energy and curiosity of a new generation transforming how art is discovered and supported. Together with leading museums and institutions, we develop fundraising collaborations that strengthen public access to art and engage the new generation of patrons who will shape its future. Make-Ready, our North London print studio, is the largest fine art silkscreen printmaker in the world.

Our mission is to make discovering and collecting art more accessible, connecting artists, institutions and audiences in meaningful ways that expand art’s reach and impact.

OUR CULTURE

We’re a small team with really big ambitions, both for what we want to achieve and also the environment we’re building. We want to create a company that remains thoughtful as we scale and tries to be genuinely progressive in how we operate. We want people to really own what they do and be given the autonomy and freedom to make mistakes, learn, and create something meaningful.

We all work incredibly hard because we really care about what Avant Arte is here to do – we’re looking for exceptional people who are proactive, hungry to learn, and want to put their pride in our collective achievements.

We know that creating an inclusive environment that promotes and values diversity is critical if we want to build something with impact and meaning. We believe that having diversity in age, background, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, and perspective will make us an infinitely better company. We were shortlisted for Women in Tech’s Best Employer - Small Company and Best Benefits, and Otta’s top 100 startups to work at.

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 report to the CEO.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING

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

EXPERIENCE YOU’LL HAVE

• 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

WHAT THIS ROLE IS NOT

• A pure strategy role – diary and travel management are core to the job, not something to get through on the way to “real” strategy work

• A role with detailed briefs – you’ll often need to work out what good looks like yourself

• A role with an always-available manager or regular structured check-ins – our CEO travels often, so you’ll make many calls on your own judgement

THE DETAILS

• Location: London, hybrid (3 days in office)

• Hours: Monday to Friday, full time

• Contract: Permanent

BENEFITS

• Generous equity allowance (EMI share option scheme)

• Private healthcare (with AXA)

• 29 days holiday including: 25 day allowance plus 1 company-wide day for King’s 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 €1,000 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

INTERVIEW PROCESS

1. 30-min call with Talent Acquisition

2. Short take-home exercise

3. Interview with the CEO’s office

4. 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.