Operations & Experience Lead (Artists & Guests)

VAWAA is building a global creative platform where master artists open their studios for immersive one-on-one creative apprenticeships. Guests travel around the world to learn everything from ceramics to calligraphy to textile dyeing directly from a master craftsperson.

We are a small creative globally distributed team and community building the worlds most inspiring ecosystem for craft creativity and cultural connection.

Role Overview

Were looking for a dynamic builder to support onboard and elevate both artists and guests with exceptional communication operational rigor and strong fluency and taste for global craft processes. Youll serve as the connective tissue and growth engine in our two-sided marketplace: our global artist community and the guests who travel to learn from them.

This is a hybrid cross-functional role blending communication experience design operations editorial judgment and systems-building. It requires both speed and depth and the ability to switch between high-volume execution and thoughtful craft.

On the artist side youll onboard hundreds of artists refine their offerings curate assets and elevate the clarity and quality of programs. Youll balance fast-moving communication with deeper editorial structural and experience-design workmaking sure programs feel teachable compelling and aligned with VAWAA standards.

On the guest side youll partner with our Guest Experience Manager while also taking meaningful ownership of the guest journey end-to-end: delivering fast thoughtful communication managing bookings anticipating needs and improving conversion. Youll use strong emotional intelligence and operational judgment to build trust solve issues and create coherence between artist capabilities and guest expectations.

As the company evolves this role may tilt more toward artist onboarding experience design or guest operationsdepending on business all cases you will own a core domain with autonomy and increasing strategic influence.

If you love solving hard problems bringing order to complexity and building systems that make people feel supported youll thrive here.

What Youll Do

• Lead and scale artist onboarding with speed rigor and editorial quality
• Manage all artist communications prompting submissions gathering assets offering guidance co-designing editing and support
• Understand their work shape programs rewrite descriptions curate images
• Strengthen artist relationships & support their growth as hosts & teachers
• Partner with guest experience manager to own the guest journey end-to-end
• Manage bookings guide decisions and increase conversions
• Solve time-sensitive issues across time zones cultures and contexts
• Use AI tools to build systems automate repeatable work and increase leverage
• Think proactively: identify bottlenecks propose solutions execute
• Create clarity calm and momentum across a fast-moving global community

Youre a Great Fit If You Have

• Experience in early-stage high-intensity environments where ownership coordination communication and operations were core to your success.
  
• Strong writing editorial visual and experience-design judgment
• A track record of high-volume communication done with clarity warmth and precision
• Experience shaping programs workshops or learning journeys
• Operational stamina: ability to move fast juggle multiple priorities and shift contexts
• High cross-cultural and emotional intelligence
• Experience using tools (including AI) to scale yourself and build workflows
• A history of working full-time in remote computer-based roles requiring responsiveness self-direction and sharp judgment
• Demonstrated ability to take ownership in evolving environments where no one tells you exactly what to do

Success Looks Like

• Guests receive fast clear thoughtful communication that increases conversion and satisfaction
• Artist onboarding scales with consistency momentum and editorial excellence
• Artist responsiveness program strength and profile quality all improve measurably
• You independently resolve 8090% of operational issues with strong judgment
• Workflows become more efficient automated and founder-independent
• The global artist guest community feels deeply supported
• Founder time shifts from operational load to strategic growthbecause you own this domain

Why Join Us

VAWAA is a small and might startup. Youll work closely with the founder working in a creative global sometimes-chaotic environment where your ability to take initiative matters. If you want a polished environment with predictable days this isnt it. If you want autonomy responsibility learning velocity and chance to shape core functions its perfect.

Role begins as a 4-month full-time contract with intention to convert to full-time employee.

Contract phase: $3500$5000 per month depending on capability and location.

Upon conversion to full-time:

• $65000$85000 salary depending on performance and location.
• 0.25%0.5% equity or profit sharing options
• Health insurance
• 1 Free and discounted VAWAA experiences
• Work closely with our founder and community of artists and guests in 50 countries a mission that matters

Growth path: In 23 years this role could evolve into Head of Guest Experience Head of Artist Onboarding and Experience Head of Creative Operations or even COO depending on your skills and ambition.

We are based in New York but open to remote applications within the US and Canada.

Tip: Cover Letters that include a link to a short 5 min video explaining why you are the best person for this role will be given preference.

A quick note from me (founder):
Ill be personally reviewing every application and as a very small team juggling everything from product to growth to support my bandwidth is limited especially around the holidays.

That said this role is mission-critical. Im eager to find the right person fast and will reach out quickly if theres a potential fit.

I may not be able to respond to everyone but I want to thank you in advance for your time care and interest in joining VAWAA. Im excited to hear from you.