Position: Office and Studio Manager
Overseeing all studio administration, the Office and Studio Manager is the strategic go-getter who keeps the day to day activities of the business running efficiently, smoothly, and professionally — an expert administrative/office manager, organizer, communicator, and behind-the-scenes systems thinker.
Windy is looking for an individual who will help the studio shine as a positive force in the art and interiors worlds; creating, improving, and standardizing business and communications systems; and helping to optimize the daily/weekly/quarterly schedule to support the studio’s continuing innovation and evolution. This person is confident, warm, and enjoys working with others. This person’s admin skills are their superpower and their happy place; it’s what they thrive at doing.
About Studio Windy Chien
Windy Chien established the studio in 2015 to make art —primarily sculpture and installation— that elevates the vernacular and inspires awe and understanding. The space, located in a light-filled 3000‘ studio in the Heath Ceramics building in San Francisco, is the hub of a rapidly-growing practice making fine art for private collectors, public spaces, art institutions, and with partner collaborators. In the context of knots, the work introduces aesthetics to the intersection of function, science, and history to illuminate what’s most fascinating about knots: the journey of the line.
To support this, Windy is taking special care to create a working team of committed, enthusiastic, out-of-the-box thinkers who are dedicated to growing the studio with intention and love.
A career here is an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to contribute your unique systems, organizing, and communication skills to a dynamic studio that is defining what it means to be a thriving contemporary art practice in today’s world.
As the Office and Studio Manager, you do not need to know our current systems before you start, or have prior experience in the art world, nor do you need to know how to tie knots (the role does not involve hands-on making), but you need to be a person who thrives in a constantly-evolving environment, who visualizes and executes smart ways to improve the administrative workings of the studio, and is excited to represent the studio in a way that enables clients to feel connected to our work and to Windy.
People who lack confidence, lack a strong work ethic, don’t take initiative, or who are not natural relationship builders need not apply. You are meant for this role if you are strategic, organized, and outgoing — with a strong interest in and appreciation for art and aesthetics.
Ultimately, we are looking for someone with the skills and whole-hearted enthusiasm to grow the studio. If this is you, we are excited to meet you.
Responsibilities
Contributes to our company culture and growth using our Culture Guide as a tool for self reflection, and have an ongoing commitment to self growth, to the growth of others, and the growth of the company
Manages all administrative aspects of the studio
Establishes, improves, and maintains internal operational and administrative systems
Represents the studio in person, and in outgoing communications via email, online, phone, etc so that clients feel connected to our work and to Windy
Manages commissioned and administrative projects, including timelines and deliverables, and the following:
Creates proposals and estimates, responds to RFPs/RFQs, and manages project negotiations
Coordinates the studio calendar
Communicates to coordinate with suppliers and others (e.g. publisher, fabricators, press, accounting, partner collaborators)
Vets new projects and clients
Orders supplies, in cooperation with teammates
Executes shipping & receiving, in cooperation with teammates
Coordinates install details
Handles expense accounting and invoicing
Maintains website
Maintains online art inventory/archive system
Organizes digital images
Plans travel
Produces quarterly studio newsletter
Does local errands for the studio, in cooperation with teammates
Keeps studio tidy, clean, and organized, in cooperation with teammates
Maintains compliance with SF Green Business membership
Qualifications
iOS, Mac, and other platform fluent (Files, Pages, Numbers, Apple and Google calendars, G-Suite, Dropbox, etc)
Excellent written and verbal skills
Organized systems thinker
Excellent communicator: warm, professional
Attentive to detail
Experience with Quickbooks
Flexible, ready for change
Takes initiative
Natural relationship builder
Enjoys seeking beyond what’s already there; finding new opportunities for innovation, improvement, and growth; and ideating, while also understanding that not all new ideas are meant to be brought to life
Willing and excited to be trained on and use our operational, collaboration, and leadership tools and systems
Nice To Have
Office management or similar experience
Project management software experience, such as Trello
Experience in fine art, architecture, or interior design worlds
Classification & Compensation
This is a full-time salaried role with benefits, and takes place in person in our San Francisco, California-based studio
Supervision
This position is supervised by studio founder and artist Windy Chien.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Typing, writing, reading
Operating touch screens
Seeing, hearing and speaking, both nearby and at a distance
Communicating with others —on phone, online, in person— to exchange information in verbal and written form
Sitting and standing
Moving about to accomplish tasks
Moving objects up to 30 pounds
Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, and the like
How To Apply
Email your resume and a cover letter to jobs@windychien.com. Use “Office & Studio Manager position” as the subject line of your email.
Please, no unsolicited calls, DMs, or emails; applications submitted without a resume or personalized cover letter will not be reviewed.
Due to high volume, only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. Thank you very much for your interest.
Equal Opportunity Workplace
Studio Windy Chien is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
