Gallery Development Manager

We are looking for a creative and engaging Gallery Development Manager who can combine strong sales skills with the ability to run an established commercial gallery to an exceptional standard.

This is a fantastic role for someone who is interested in contributing passion and effort in developing this business further and benefitting personally from its growth. 

As Gallery Development Manager, you will need to be able to combine a strong consultative sales role alongside having responsibility for stock, curating, hanging and preparing for exhibitions and private views. You will be expected to work towards realistic but challenging gallery sales targets and build a loyal client base. You will be solely responsible for the presentation of the gallery and all admin duties. You will need to liaise closely with the director in terms of the rota and staffing. As an individual, you will need to be reliable, hardworking and motivated by commissionable sales to ensure monthly targets are met in the Gallery.

Hours and place of work

Normal hours of work would be 10am-6pm and you will be expected to work two weekends in four unless pre-arranged with the director.

Flexibility is essential as the working days can be long, especially at exhibitions and events.

Key responsibilities

• Manage the day to day gallery operations including maintenance and presentation
• Maintain and build relationships with new and key customers, artists and suppliers
• Drive gallery sales month-by-month
• Organise private views/home approvals
• Ensure a wide range of good quality work is available and displayed to allow sales targets to be met
• Work with artists to finalise any commissions
• Search out new artists to exhibit, supporting them in developing and organising new collections
• Monitor industry trends, analyse and interpret sales and respond to market changes
• Manage gallery communications internally and externally, including customer emails, regular social media and producing marketing materials as necessary
• Seek out PR opportunities, create articles for print and promotion and other opportunities to promote the gallery
• Project manage gallery exhibitions, including setting up and installing gallery and art fair exhibitions, managing logistics, artwork management, meeting deadlines and paperwork etc.   
• Manage the website ensuring orders are fulfilled, all available work is listed and up to date
• Manage the staffing rota, ensuring the gallery is covered for each day we are open and that staff are trained

Essential skills

• Successful sales person with a proven track record
• Highly efficient at all gallery admin and artist liaison
• To be creative in terms of gallery PR/Marketing and event/exhibition management
• Demonstrate high standards of gallery presentation and housekeeping
• Must be able to manage, inspire and train staff
• Full, clean driving licence, for stock movement/home approval
• Flexible with hours of work, must be prepared to work weekends as well as spend days away from the gallery when required e.g. delivering/collecting artworks/working art fairs and events

Experience required

• Demonstrable success in selling contemporary art in a commercial setting
• Evidence of organisational capability, including new exhibition curation and set up
• Previous marketing and PR experience
• Experience of managing a small team
• IT literate - knowledge of Microsoft office, Customer Management Systems, database management, InDesign or other relevant design programmes, VEND or equivalent financial systems, social media and Mail chimp or equivalent for customer mailings

Key skills and personal attributes

• Personable, able to build rapport quickly
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• The ability to lead and motivate a team
• A genuine interest in and enthusiasm for contemporary art

Company Description

The Drang Gallery first opened in Padstow, Cornwall in January 2011, Founded by Justin Easton, whose family have been prominent players on the West Country art stage since 2000.

The Gallery is committed to showing works by established British Artists, both Modern and Contemporary. We also offer a diverse program of events and exhibitions each year that showcase emerging talents both local and national. The Gallery consistently maintains a varied rotation of original and limited edition works by artists from traditional, modern and contemporary oeuvres. Since its opening in Padstow, the Drang Gallery has developed a reputation for showing cutting-edge, bold and dynamic art and offers an informed advisory service on investment Art choices.

The Gallery has developed a groundbreaking reputation in Contemporary Art and this is supported by the fact that we work with the publishers and studios of Damien Hirst and Marc Quinn amongst other leading contemporary artists.