Co-Founder & COO
About the role
Skills: Startup Operations · Media Business · Business Development · Financial Planning · Fundraising · Grant Writing · Strategic Partnerships · Subscription Growth · Team Building
Location: Remote from only one of the following cities: Sydney, New York, or Montréal
Sydney Dramaturgical is a cybernetic theatre company in formation, producing in odd years and writing in even years. Pre-product, post-thesis. Among other things, this year we're an AI-native newsroom-startup for live performance criticism. Bilingual, three-city, paying writers. Building infrastructure that makes a small team run like a bigger one. Editorial as growth engine, theatre production as brand differentiation. The machine is always already up and running: Webflow for the site, HubSpot for CRM, Zapier flows, a Claude-in-the-loop editorial setup.
What your role owns The business shape of a hybrid newsroom-startup: subscriptions, sponsors, grants, box office, and how those four logics fit together in one org Financial modelling and planning, including for the 2027 production year Grant strategy and writing across Creative Australia, CALQ, the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund, and other relevant funders Sponsor and partnership development across arts orgs, venues, festivals, and adjacent industries Hiring the rest of the founding team once we've built revenue enough to bring people on properly Operational infrastructure: HubSpot workflows, reporting, KPIs, the frameworks that let a small team run bigger than it is Strategy sessions where we figure out what this actually is, together
Who this fits You've run operations, business, or a founding role at a media startup, arts organisation, publishing venture, or comparable early-stage company Or you've built and shipped something meaningful, and know what an early-stage business needs before it knows it You understand hybrid revenue: subscription economics, arts funding, sponsorship, and how those three logics live together in one organisation — or you're the person who can work it out You want to be a co-founder, not an early employee You have opinions about the media startup landscape and can defend them Bilingualism (English / French) is a real plus given the tri-city scope
What kind of a position this is Co-founder role. Equity in the 10–25% range, negotiated based on prior experience and depth of involvement. Remote, working alongside a founder distributed across Sydney, New York, and Montréal. I'll cover product, editorial, and dramaturgical direction. You'll cover business, operations, and strategy. Once we've built the revenue side together, we hire the rest of the team.
Role Description The Co-Founder & COO is a founding role with significant equity, responsible for the business, operations, and strategic direction of a hybrid newsroom-startup. Day-to-day responsibilities include developing and executing revenue strategy across subscriptions, sponsorships, grants, and future production income; leading grant applications across Creative Australia, CALQ, the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund, and other relevant funders; building sponsorship and partnership relationships across the arts sector and adjacent industries; managing financial planning and modelling including for the 2027 production year; developing operational infrastructure using HubSpot and related tools; and shaping the company's strategic direction alongside the founder. The Co-Founder & COO also leads the hiring process for the rest of the founding team once revenue supports paid roles.
Qualifications Significant experience in operations, business, or founding roles at a media startup, arts organisation, publishing venture, or comparable early-stage company. Demonstrated ability to develop and execute revenue strategy across multiple income streams. Experience with grant writing, sponsorship development, or arts funding. Comfort with financial modelling, budgeting, and business planning. Track record of building and managing operational systems from the ground up. Strong strategic thinking and the ability to work autonomously alongside a founder. Interest in the hybrid media / arts organisation model. Bilingualism (English / French) is an advantage given the tri-city scope.
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Similar Jobs
Co-Founder & COO
About the role
Skills: Startup Operations · Media Business · Business Development · Financial Planning · Fundraising · Grant Writing · Strategic Partnerships · Subscription Growth · Team Building
Location: Remote from only one of the following cities: Sydney, New York, or Montréal
Sydney Dramaturgical is a cybernetic theatre company in formation, producing in odd years and writing in even years. Pre-product, post-thesis. Among other things, this year we're an AI-native newsroom-startup for live performance criticism. Bilingual, three-city, paying writers. Building infrastructure that makes a small team run like a bigger one. Editorial as growth engine, theatre production as brand differentiation. The machine is always already up and running: Webflow for the site, HubSpot for CRM, Zapier flows, a Claude-in-the-loop editorial setup.
What your role owns The business shape of a hybrid newsroom-startup: subscriptions, sponsors, grants, box office, and how those four logics fit together in one org Financial modelling and planning, including for the 2027 production year Grant strategy and writing across Creative Australia, CALQ, the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund, and other relevant funders Sponsor and partnership development across arts orgs, venues, festivals, and adjacent industries Hiring the rest of the founding team once we've built revenue enough to bring people on properly Operational infrastructure: HubSpot workflows, reporting, KPIs, the frameworks that let a small team run bigger than it is Strategy sessions where we figure out what this actually is, together
Who this fits You've run operations, business, or a founding role at a media startup, arts organisation, publishing venture, or comparable early-stage company Or you've built and shipped something meaningful, and know what an early-stage business needs before it knows it You understand hybrid revenue: subscription economics, arts funding, sponsorship, and how those three logics live together in one organisation — or you're the person who can work it out You want to be a co-founder, not an early employee You have opinions about the media startup landscape and can defend them Bilingualism (English / French) is a real plus given the tri-city scope
What kind of a position this is Co-founder role. Equity in the 10–25% range, negotiated based on prior experience and depth of involvement. Remote, working alongside a founder distributed across Sydney, New York, and Montréal. I'll cover product, editorial, and dramaturgical direction. You'll cover business, operations, and strategy. Once we've built the revenue side together, we hire the rest of the team.
Role Description The Co-Founder & COO is a founding role with significant equity, responsible for the business, operations, and strategic direction of a hybrid newsroom-startup. Day-to-day responsibilities include developing and executing revenue strategy across subscriptions, sponsorships, grants, and future production income; leading grant applications across Creative Australia, CALQ, the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund, and other relevant funders; building sponsorship and partnership relationships across the arts sector and adjacent industries; managing financial planning and modelling including for the 2027 production year; developing operational infrastructure using HubSpot and related tools; and shaping the company's strategic direction alongside the founder. The Co-Founder & COO also leads the hiring process for the rest of the founding team once revenue supports paid roles.
Qualifications Significant experience in operations, business, or founding roles at a media startup, arts organisation, publishing venture, or comparable early-stage company. Demonstrated ability to develop and execute revenue strategy across multiple income streams. Experience with grant writing, sponsorship development, or arts funding. Comfort with financial modelling, budgeting, and business planning. Track record of building and managing operational systems from the ground up. Strong strategic thinking and the ability to work autonomously alongside a founder. Interest in the hybrid media / arts organisation model. Bilingualism (English / French) is an advantage given the tri-city scope.
Not the right fit? Search for Co jobs in Montreal, Quebec, Canada