PA to Founding Director, contemporary gallery

An established contemporary art gallery in Mayfair is seeking an experienced and highly organised Personal Assistant to provide comprehensive administrative, diary, travel and sales support to the Founding Director.

This is a pivotal role requiring exceptional organisational skills, discretion, strong communication abilities and a thorough understanding of the contemporary art market and commercial gallery operations. Working closely with the sales, communications, registrar and gallery teams, the successful candidate will ensure the Director’s schedule, correspondence, client relationships and sales activities are managed efficiently and to the highest professional standards.

Key Responsibilities

Administrative & Communications Support

• Manage all aspects of the Director’s inbox, including drafting and sending offers, curatorial information and responses to enquiries.
• Coordinate the Director’s participation in panel discussions and speaking engagements, including preparation of presentations and supporting materials in collaboration with the communications team.
• Coordinate interviews, press requests and related materials with the communications team.
• Maintain client records, contact lists and spreadsheets using Artlogic and internal systems.
• Assist the Director and wider gallery team with ad hoc administrative tasks as required.

Sales & Client Support

• Track sales activity, client reserves and related transactions.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date client records within the gallery database.
• Compile and manage client lists and sales reports.
• Research prospective collectors, institutions and acquisition opportunities.
• Collaborate with the sales team to prepare allocations ahead of exhibitions and art fairs.
• Coordinate client mailings for exhibitions, art fairs and other gallery events.
• Prepare sales offers, PDFs and private view materials.
• Respond to sales enquiries and prepare offers via email, WhatsApp and other communication channels.
• Record client correspondence and sales activity accurately within the CRM system.
• Provide sales assistants with the information required to complete post-sale processes, including anti-money laundering checks and invoicing.
• Liaise with the registrar and sales teams regarding shipping and logistics requirements.
• Coordinate museum acquisitions, institutional loans and secondary market enquiries.
• Support private views, exhibitions and gallery events as required.

Diary & Meeting Management

• Manage the Director’s professional and personal diary, including scheduling meetings, appointments, calls and RSVPs.
• Organise and attend virtual meetings where required, preparing agendas, briefing materials and meeting notes.
• Arrange client meetings and hospitality, including venue sourcing and reservations.
• Communicate instructions and follow-up actions from the Director to relevant team members and departments.

Travel Coordination

• Arrange domestic and international travel, including flights, trains, accommodation and ground transportation.
• Monitor and coordinate travel documentation and entry requirements.
• Prepare comprehensive travel itineraries, including schedules, meetings, accommodation details and key contacts.
• Provide travel support and assistance while the Director is travelling.

Skills & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification, ideally in Art History, Curating or a related field.
• Previous experience supporting a senior executive, founder, director or principal.
• Experience within a commercial gallery, auction house or comparable art-world environment.
• Strong knowledge of contemporary art, artists, institutions and gallery operations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to draft professional correspondence on behalf of senior leadership.
• Highly organised, detail-oriented and capable of managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Proven ability to handle confidential information with discretion and professionalism.
• Experience using gallery database systems, particularly Artlogic.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.
• Knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite (including Photoshop and InDesign) and SketchUp would be advantageous.
• Fluent written and spoken English; additional languages are desirable.

Personal Attributes

• Professional, calm and solutions-focused.
• Proactive, resourceful and able to anticipate needs.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build effective relationships with clients, artists and colleagues.
• Flexible and willing to support gallery events, private views and occasional out-of-hours requirements.
• Passionate about contemporary art and the commercial gallery sector.