Studio Chief of Staff & Operations Lead

Mickalene Thomas Studio; New York (NY); On-site; USD 70,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical, dental and vis​

401(k) plan

Job summary

Mickalene Thomas Studio is seeking a Chief of Staff & Office Manager to serve as a strategic partner, ensuring priorities, time and decisions advance smoothly. This role runs the studio’s office operations, processes and administrative team, partnering with HR and accounting for a cohesive operation.

You will own Mickalene's day-to-day rhythm—calendars, meetings and travel—while leading special projects and safeguarding the artist's schedule and discretion.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in chief of staff, office manager, executive assistant, or gallery/studio operations.
• Experience supporting a founder, artist or senior executive directly.
• Experience supervising a small team.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience managing budgets, vendors and multiple priorities.

Responsibilities

• Manage calendar across studio time, meetings, travel, press and appearances and protect time for practice.
• Run the studio's operating cadence with weekly priorities, team meetings, agendas and notes.
• Prepare briefs and recommendations for meetings and decisions.
• Act as the main relay between the artist and team for questions, approvals and information.
• Lead special projects from planning through completion.
• Review work before it reaches the artist or studio, ensuring proper sign-off.
• Draft correspondence and updates on the artist's behalf with discretion.
• Oversee office operations, facilities, vendors, equipment, storage, and supplies.
• Write and maintain studio procedures, keep files and systems organized and secure.
• Supervise the administrative team and support growth.
• Partner with HR on onboarding and studio policies; support staff.
• Collaborate with accounting on budgets, invoices and expense reporting.
• Plan and run studio visits and events with guest prep and logistics.
• Coordinate travel for artist and staff, domestic and international.
• Support external projects with galleries and partners; manage contracts and insurance.

Skills

Calendar management

Operating cadence

Briefing preparation

Discretion & confidentiality

Team supervision

Budgeting & vendor mgmt

Google Workspace

Asana

ArtBinder familiarity

Tools

Asana

Google Workspace

ArtBinder

QuickBooks

Adobe Creative Cloud

Canva

Mailchimp

Job description

Mickalene Thomas Studio is seeking a Chief of Staff & Office Manager to serve as a strategic partner, ensuring priorities, time and decisions advance smoothly. This role runs the studio’s office operations, processes and administrative team, partnering with HR and accounting for a cohesive operation.

You will own Mickalene's day-to-day rhythm—calendars, meetings and travel—while leading special projects and safeguarding the artist's schedule and discretion.