Esther Schipper is seeking an experienced Team Leader. The role is directly reporting to the Managing Directors. The holder of the role is responsible for the Admin Team as well as managing general organizational executive operations, i.e. ensures that the priorities, and decisions are translated into clear structures, meetings, projects, and operational rhythms.
This role combines strategic planning, operational steering, and people leadership. It is suited for individuals who think structurally, excel in high-level coordination and communication, and thrive in environments that require clarity, precision, and forward-looking management, with for example the administration of the gallery’s overall calendar and meeting architecture as a main responsibility.
Specializing in contemporary art and representing over 60 artists and estates, Esther Schipper has locations in Berlin, Paris and Seoul. While the global team of over 60 employees spreads over locations around the world, the headquarters are located in Berlin, where the core of the operation is managed by both MDs and their 6 departments.
Representing a diverse roster of international artists, the gallery has built a nearly 40-year legacy of innovation, institutional collaboration, and global engagement. The gallery is committed to presenting groundbreaking exhibitions by leading international artists. Mainly active in the primary market, the gallery represents its artists at all major international art fairs. There are 8-9 internal exhibitions the gallery produces yearly for its space in Berlin, alongside regular exhibitions for the gallery’s showrooms in Paris and Seoul. The gallery participates in 10- 12 international art fairs and supports dozens of external institutional exhibitions worldwide.
The Teamlead Admin & Executive Operations translates strategic priorities into clear operational structures and ensures that executive decisions are effectively implemented across the gallery. Acting as a stabilizing and integrating force, the role strengthens coordination between the organizations departments, maintains momentum on key initiatives, and safeguards consistent internal communication. A central focus lies in shaping efficient processes, anticipating organizational needs, and ensuring the gallery’s leadership operates with full visibility and support. The Teamlead Admin & Executive Operations enables teams to work cohesively and sets the overall prioritization framework for the Admin team, including how Front Office and Travel allocate their capacity towards executive-related requests. The role works closely with the Office & Operations Manager: Teamlead Admin & Executive Operations defines goals, priorities, and governance; Office & Operations builds and maintains the systems, processes, and internal wiki needed to deliver them.
- Designs and maintains the overall calendar architecture of the Managing Directors, including time blocks for strategy, deep work, travel, 1:1s, leadership meetings, and external commitments.
- Defines and steers the meeting cadence of the Managing Directors and the leadership team (weekly, monthly, quarterly).
- Decides which topics belong in which meeting format (e.g. what goes into the weekly vs. quarterly reviews) and aligns closely on this with the Managing Directors.
- Ensures that Front Office and the Travel schedule consistently and without conflicts across the relevant calendars, including time-zone logic and travel buffers.
- Ensures that all calendar entries are lean and purposeful: agendas are uploaded in advance, and meeting invites are not placed in the calendar without prior coordination. Maintains a clear overview of the content and purpose of every meeting in the Managing Directors’ calendars (except where confidential).
- Owns the overall time management of the gallery’s leadership – analogous to how the Head of Finance maintains full visibility over the overall budget. Monitors project deadlines (tracked via weekly checklists reviewed every Wednesday) and proactively escalates when timelines are at risk.
- Aligns agenda, objectives, key decision questions, and expected outcomes with the Managing Directors and relevant stakeholders ahead of major leadership meetings.
- Ensures that required materials (e.g. figures, status updates, memos) are available on time and that participants understand what is expected from them.
- Documents or oversees the documentation of decisions, action items, and deadlines in a structured Decision Log.
- Monitors implementation of decisions across departments, brings open or at-risk items back into the appropriate meetings, and manages escalations where needed.
- Provides functional and disciplinary leadership to the Admin team (People & Culture Manager, Travel Manager, Office & Operations Manager, both Front Office Coordinator).
- Sets clear goals and responsibilities with each role, runs weekly prioritisation across topics and capacity, and ensures there are no gaps or overlaps.
- Holds regular 1:1s and team check-ins, supports in resolving conflicts or interface issues, and serves as escalation point for other departments.
- Works closely with People & Culture to shape development topics and HR processes within the Admin team without duplicating the HR function.
- Identifies structural bottlenecks (e.g. information flows, handovers, meeting overload, unclear ownership) and develops proposals for new or improved processes and rules.
- Prioritises together with the Managing Directors which process and system changes should be implemented when; the Office & Operations Manager then drives the technical and operational implementation.
- Defines governance principles for the Admin team (e.g. light RACI for recurring workflows, standards for documentation and internal communication) and monitors adherence.
- Oversees the overall project landscape of the gallery – including key exhibitions and art fairs – by maintaining visibility on timelines, resources, risks, and cross-dependencies, and by ensuring that project owners escalate issues and decision needs to the Managing Directors in a structured way.
- Maintains a transparent project portfolio of all strategically important and cross-functional initiatives (e.g. Factorial roll-out, travel platform, Artlogic projects, refurbishments, new formats).
- Supports the respective project owners (Travel, People & Culture, Office & Operations, Sales, Artist Liaison, Registrar) in setting up projects: target picture, scope, milestones, responsibilities, and meeting rhythm.
- Moderates and structures regular project check-ins (agenda, focus questions, timebox) and ensures that status, decisions, and next steps are documented in Asana, the gallery’s central project management platform.
- Monitors dependencies, risks, and bottlenecks across projects, consolidates them for the Managing Directors, and ensures that necessary decisions or additional resources are addressed in time.
- Owns the framework, rhythm, transparency, and follow-through of MD-relevant initiatives.
- Coordinates the gallery’s engagement in relevant associations and lobbying bodies (e.g. LVDG, BVDG): scheduling, preparation of materials, and alignment of positions with the Managing Directors.
- Prepares background information, talking points, and concise briefings for association meetings, working groups, and stakeholder conversations.
- Documents outcomes, decisions, and relevant industry trends from this work and translates them into concrete implications for the gallery (e.g. compliance requirements, contractual or pricing adjustments).
- Ensures that relevant information reaches Sales, Artist Liaison, Registrar, Office & Operations, People & Culture and other affected teams, and is reflected in internal guidelines and processes.
- Works with the associations on lobbying activities at federal and state level and identifies subsidies, regulatory changes, and potential support programmes relevant to the
gallery.
- 4+ years of experience in a comparable role (Chief of Staff, Executive Operations, Business/Project Management, etc.)
- Experience working in direct partnership with executive leadership
- Proven ability to design and manage complex calendars, meeting structures, and organizational processes
- Leadership experience across cross-functional teams
- Highly structured, solutions-oriented, and analytically strong
- Excellent organizational skills, time management, and ability to operate under pressure
- Strong communication skills and the ability to bring clarity into complex situations
- Full professional proficiency in English and German
- Excellent MS365/Outlook calendar management skills; experience with Artlogic or similar systems is a plus
- Strong project management skills; hands-on experience with Asana or comparable project management tools required
- High level of professionalism in working with internal and external stakeholders
- Demonstrated engagement with the contemporary art field and familiarity with its key actors (artists, galleries, institutions, fairs)
Salary: EUR 6,000 gross per month during the probationary period; EUR 6,500 gross per mo...
