[Hiring] Creative Lead, Artist Experiences, Growth & Operations @Vawaa

Role Description

We’re looking for a multidisciplinary designer-turned-operator to lead the growth of VAWAA’s artist supply. You have a trained eye for global craft and understand materials, making, and creative process. You can earn the trust of remarkable master artists and craftspeople, guide them with confidence, challenge ideas constructively, and move conversations toward decisions. You have the execution muscle to get things launched, moving between artist conversations, experience development, editing copy, selecting images, and keeping a large pipeline moving forward.

The role is to own the Growth & Ops for Artist Experiences—from identifying exceptional artists to building the relationship, shaping their VAWAA and getting them successfully launched. This is not a traditional recruiting, sales, curation, editorial or operations role. It combines elements of all five.

• Immediate goal: Build systems and pipeline to launch approximately 20-30 exceptional artists over four months without compromising quality.
• Role begins as a 3–4 month consulting engagement.
• Hands-on, computer-based role that does not involve travel.
• Enjoy both creative decisions and daily execution: following up, editing copy, selecting images, maintaining the CRM, and meeting launch deadlines.

Qualifications

• Trained in architecture, interior architecture, industrial or product design, or another discipline with a strong understanding of materials, making, creative process, and visual quality.
• At least 2–3 years of professional experience in a high-pace, high-standards creative environment.
• Relationship management experience through outreach, partnerships, onboarding, account management, or client support.
• Independent creative judgement and an ownership mindset.
• Commercially thoughtful regarding guest demand, pricing, and positioning.
• Strong editor with writing and visual judgment.
• Highly organized AI-native operator and systems thinker.
• Careful execution and effective prioritization.
• Openness to feedback.
• Cultural sensitivity, curiosity, and mission alignment.
• Comfortable being hands-on.
• Approximately 6+ years of relevant professional experience preferred.
• An existing network of artists, designers, makers, or cultural organizations is a plus.

Requirements

• Find and curate exceptional artists.
• Lead video conversations to assess artistic mastery and overall VAWAA fit.
• Build relationships and move artists forward.
• Shape VAWAA experiences that people will travel for.
• Develop and launch the story.
• Manage contracts, content, approvals, follow-ups, and launch deadlines.
• Build systems as you go.

Benefits

• Remote work with New York working hours.
• 3-4 month paid consulting engagement ($7-$8K/month).
• Transition to full-time employment with a salary of $95,000–$110,000, depending on performance and scope.
• 0.25%–0.5% equity or profit sharing options.
• Health insurance.
• 1 Free and discounted VAWAA experiences.
• Growth path to Head of Curation / Artist Development & Supply / Artist Success.