Fair Assistant

Frieze

Location: Chicago, IL (Hybrid)

About the Role: The Fair Assistant will provide administrative and operational support to the Fair Directors, programming teams, and offices of The Armory Show and EXPO CHICAGO. This is a one-year temporary position working across both fairs and collaborating with teams in the New York, Chicago, and London offices.

Working closely with the Fair Directors and US Fair Manager, the Fair Assistant will coordinate schedules and travel, support financial administration, and manage general administrative tasks. The role will also provide programming administration and onsite support to the Fair Coordinator, helping ensure the effective planning and delivery of both fairs. The Fair Assistant will report to the US Fair Manager and work closely with the Fair Directors and relevant teams across the organization.

Responsibilities

Administrative and Project Support

  • Manage the Fair Directors’ calendars, proactively coordinating internal and external meetings.

  • Arrange travel and accommodation for the Fair Directors and support related travel logistics as needed.

  • Track and organize Fair Directors expenses, assist with invoice processing, and support other fair-related financial administration. - Prepare presentations, draft correspondence and documents, and assist with committee meeting preparation.

  • Organize and maintain task lists, meeting materials, and administrative documentation.

  • Provide general administrative support to the Fair Directors and wider teams as required.

Programming Support:

  • Provide general administrative support for the Fair Directors, Program Manager, and Fair Coordinator for the execution of programming themes and the overall vision for the talk programs, curatorial initiatives, and prizes (Curatorial Leadership Summit, Armory Live, Curatorial forum, Dialogues, Director’s Summit, and prizes across each fair).

  • Coordinate scheduling and logistics for speakers participating in all talk programs.

  • Coordinate the payment process for panelists including vendor set up and invoicing.

  • Provide administrative and logistical support for programming-related meetings, communications, and deliverables.

Onsite Support :

  • Support the planning and execution of setup and breakdown, including coordinating logistics and completing onsite tasks.

  • Work closely with the Fair Directors to manage their schedules during fair week, ensuring meetings and commitments run smoothly.

  • Assist the Onsite Operations Manager with Show Office preparation, daily administration, and temporary staff coordination. - Support stage manager for panel discussions and talks, overseeing speaker coordination, schedules, and program transitions.

  • Provide general onsite support to ensure the smooth delivery of both fairs.

Requirements

Required skills include:

  • Microsoft Office proficiency

  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills

  • Strong attention to detail and organization skills

  • Previous experience in an administration or EA role would be beneficial

  • Ability to finish tasks from start to finish

  • Self-motivated and able to take initiative

  • Establishes good relationships at all levels

  • Adapts well to changing circumstances

How to Apply

This is a temporary position that we’re looking to hire immediately and will work with us until October 2027. Salary: $45,000 / 40 hours per week.

To apply, please share your resume and a brief summary of why you’re interested and suitable for the position to HR@Frieze.com. Successful applicants will be invited to interview with the hiring managers. Due to the volume of applications we unfortunately aren’t able to respond to unsuccessful applicants. Candidates must hold the valid work permit in the US for this role.

Please review our other vacancies on the Frieze.com/Careers web page.

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Posted on November 2