Studio Manager

thebox is a strategically led creative agency in Busselton, with over 26 years behind us. Our clients stay, and so does our crew. Scott founded the agency and leads the creative and big picture thinking, but he’s also doing a lot of everything else.

So we’re looking for someone to take that on, allowing him to spend more time doing what he does best. Not an assistant, and definitely not a gatekeeper. But someone who becomes the steady centre of the studio: the day-to-day contact for our clients, the one who turns every meeting into actions, and the person the crew comes to when they need a clear answer.

If you're familiar with the book 'Traction', then you'll know this is the Integrator seat.

What the job actually is

• You'll become the first call for clients on the day to day, and you'll bring Scott in for the moments where his creative lead matters.
• Every meeting, client or internal, leaves with an action list, owners, due dates and the next touchpoint. Then you'll make those things happen: the quote goes out, the job gets set up, the crew gets briefed, the timeline gets confirmed.
• You'll write and send quotes and proposals, gather supplier pricing, and keep the commercial admin moving with our Office Manager.
• You'll brief the crew on new work and changes, with Scott shaping the creative direction on every job. That's how it starts; over time, how much of the brief sits with you will depend on the project. You'll also keep priorities straight across jobs and make sure proofs go out, come back and get actioned.
• You'll end up making the sensible day-to-day calls yourself and bringing Scott only the things that need him.
• Over the first year you'll build the simple systems a creative studio will actually use. Meetings into actions first, then onboarding, then the rest. Built with the crew, not handed to them.

How the role grows

It starts as a partnership, with more check-ins and shared decisions while you learn the clients and the crew learns you. As trust builds, so does your authority. The end point, a couple of years out, is that you run the day-to-day with full accountability and Scott's focused on creative direction and the bigger picture.

This is new for Scott too. He's moving from being across everything to leading the creative and the business, and he'd rather make that shift alongside the right person than wait until it's done. We're looking for someone who'll navigate it with him.

A fair measure at the twelve-month mark: Scott takes a proper two-week holiday, leaves the laptop at home, and comes back to find everything exactly where it should be.

Profit share and growth-linked rewards are on the table later for the right person. We'd rather say that plainly than dangle it.

Who this suits

• You've run client relationships in an agency or something close to one, and you're comfortable with quoting, proposals, suppliers and invoicing flow.
• You understand marketing and strategy well enough to hold the conversation, and you know how creative work actually gets made, proofs and finished art included.
• You write clearly. Briefs, emails and action lists that remove questions rather than create them.
• You're organised but not rigid. You start things before being asked and you close the loop without being chased.
• You can hold a line with a client and stay warm while you do it.
• You lead by influence, not hierarchy. Calm, no ego, and you notice when someone isn't travelling well.
• You want to be somewhere for years, not for a line on a CV.

This isn't the role if

• You want to be the creative lead. That seat is taken, and this role exists to protect it.
• You want to work remotely. This is an in-studio role, five days, with some client travel.
• You'd arrive with a system to install. The crew are amazing at what they do, and the job is to make it easier for them to keep doing it, not to turn them into ticket-takers.
• You'd rather be the face than the engine room.
• You're looking for a two-year stop on the way somewhere else.

What you get

A small, caring crew who are seriously good at what they do and have mostly been here a long time. A founder who wants to hand things over properly and is prepared to be patient about it. A role that grows into running the place. Busselton, with the coast at the end of the street. And, when it's earned, a share in what you help build.

Apply Now

Sound like you?

Send us your CV and feel free to tell us why you feel this would be an amazing fit for both you and thebox.

Closing date: Applications are invited until midnight Sunday 1st November 2026. Screening of applications may take place throughout the advertising period.