Senior Sales & Acquisitions Specialist — British Contemporary Art

Hang-Up Pictures Limited; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Commission-based pay

Job summary

Hang-Up Gallery in Hoxton, London, is seeking a Senior Sales & Acquisitions Specialist to lead the British contemporary art program and drive acquisitions and consignments. The role involves managing a Banksy-focused client portfolio with collaboration from the Gallery Manager and Senior Sales Consultant.

A strong network of collectors and proven art sales experience are essential. This is a hands-on, commission-based commercial position with an initial 12-month fixed-term contract and potential

Qualifications

• Minimum five years in an auction house, gallery, or art dealership.
• Proven track record in selling contemporary art and closing deals.
• Strong knowledge of British contemporary artists and secondary markets.
• Experience sourcing works and securing consignments.
• Established network of collectors and trade contacts.
• Outgoing, personable with a drive for sales.
• Sound commercial judgement on pricing and margins.
• Confident negotiating significant purchases with collectors.
• Excellent communication, organisation, and follow-through.
• Collaborative, with ability to manage your own pipeline.

Responsibilities

• Drive sales: Manage enquiries and negotiations from first contact to payment and delivery.
• Source exceptional works: Identify and acquire commercially attractive pieces.
• Secure consignments: Build relationships with owners and negotiate terms.
• Develop collector relationships: Build and maintain relationships with existing and new collectors.
• Identify opportunities: Match works to collectors’ interests and generate new business.
• Understand the market: Monitor auction results, pricing and demand to inform acquisitions.
• Manage stock commercially: Assess pricing, margins and saleability and plan portfolio strategy.
• Support due diligence: Check provenance, condition and documentation including Pest Control where relevant.
• Maintain accurate records: Keep client information, enquiries and opportunities up-to-date.
• Contribute to marketing: Collaborate on launches and collector communications to generate enquiries.
• Represent the gallery: Host viewings and attend fairs and events to strengthen relationships.

Skills

5+ years experience

Proven sales record

Knowledge of British artists

Sourcing & acquisitions

Extensive collector network

Strong communication

Commercial judgement

Negotiation skills

Pipeline management

Face-to-face sales

Job description

Senior Sales & Acquisitions Specialist — British Contemporary Art

We are looking for an experienced, outgoing and commercially driven sales specialist to develop our Contemporary British Art sector.

Posted 12 Oct 2026

The Role

Hang-Up Gallery | Hoxton, London
Initial 12 month fixed-term contract, with potential to extend
Salary and commission: dependent on experience

About Hang-Up

Founded in 2008, Hang-Up Gallery is an established contemporary art gallery with a strong international collector base. We combine market knowledge with a personal approach to buying and selling sought-after contemporary art.

We are looking for an experienced, outgoing and commercially driven sales specialist to develop our British contemporary art business and share responsibility for acquisitions and sales.

The role

Your artist portfolio will include Banksy, Tracey Emin, David Hockney, Bridget Riley, Peter Doig and Damien Hirst, with scope to develop other British artists where you identify strong commercial opportunities.

You will source desirable works, secure consignments, develop collector relationships and convert opportunities into profitable sales. Having a strong collector base in contemporary British artists that perform well, but Hang-Up do not yet represent would be extremely beneficial.

Working closely with the Gallery Manager, who leads the Banksy section of the business, you will take ownership of an agreed portfolio of Banksy clients, enquiries and acquisition opportunities, sharing the workload across this important area of the business. You will also collaborate with the Senior Sales Consultant, who leads American Pop.

This is a hands‑on commercial role for someone who enjoys meeting people, actively pursues business and has the confidence and persistence to close sales.

Key responsibilities

• Drive sales: Manage enquiries and negotiations from first contact through to payment and delivery, working towards agreed sales and profit targets.
• Source exceptional works: Identify and acquire commercially attractive pieces through private collectors, dealers, galleries and auction houses.
• Secure consignments: Build relationships with owners looking to sell and negotiate terms that work for both the seller and the gallery.
• Develop collector relationships: Bring existing relationships where possible and actively build new ones through outreach, introductions, events and consistent follow-up.
• Identify opportunities: Match available works to collectors’ interests, revisit historic enquiries and proactively generate new business.
• Understand the market: Monitor auction results, availability, pricing and demand to inform acquisitions and provide confident advice to clients.
• Manage stock commercially: Assess pricing, margins and saleability, and develop a clear sales strategy for the works in your portfolio.
• Support due diligence: Assess provenance, condition and supporting documentation, including Pest Control certification for relevant Banksy works.
• Maintain accurate records: Keep client information, enquiries, follow-ups and acquisition opportunities current.
• Contribute to marketing: Work with the team on artwork launches, collector communications and editorial ideas that generate enquiries and sales.
• Represent the gallery: Host viewings and attend relevant fairs, previews and industry events to strengthen relationships and uncover opportunities.

What we are looking for

• At least five years’ relevant experience in an auction house, commercial gallery or secondary-market art dealership.
• A proven record of selling contemporary art, winning business and closing transactions.
• Strong knowledge of British contemporary artists and their secondary markets.
• Experience sourcing works, negotiating purchases and securing consignments.
• An established network of collectors and trade contacts, alongside the ability to build new relationships.
• An outgoing, personable manner and a strong appetite for sales.
• Sound commercial judgement, with a clear understanding of pricing, margin and saleability.
• Confidence discussing significant purchases with collectors and negotiating with experienced sellers.
• Excellent communication, organisation and consistent follow-through.
• A collaborative approach, with the initiative to manage your own pipeline and clear communication when sharing clients or opportunities.

What success looks like

You will build a strong pipeline of saleable works and engaged collectors, secure worthwhile acquisitions and consignments, and deliver profitable sales. You will also help increase the team’s capacity to source and sell Banksy works while maintaining a consistent, personal service for collectors.

What we offer

• Responsibility for a significant artist portfolio
• Access to an international collector base and support from an experienced team.
• A competitive package with performance-related commission.
• An initial fixed-term contract, with potential to extend based on performance and business needs.