Strategy & Operations Lead (Sales) - Maternity Cover

ABOUT AVANT ARTE

Avant Arte is a curated platform connecting the world’s leading artists and public arts institutions with a new generation of enthusiasts, collectors and patrons. In collaboration with the most exciting contemporary artists such as Ai Weiwei, Mickalene Thomas, Maurizio Cattelan and Jenny Holzer, Avant Arte creates limited editions of the highest quality, from prints and sculptures to digital works.

With a global community of over 4 million collectors and art enthusiasts, Avant Arte reflects the growing energy and curiosity of a generation transforming how art is discovered, collected, and supported. Together with leading museums and institutions, such as LACMA, the Contemporary Art Society and the Guggenheim, Avant Arte develops fundraising collaborations that strengthen public access to art and engage the new generation of patrons who will shape its future. Make-Ready, our North London print studio, is the largest fine art silkscreen printmaker in the world.

Avant Arte’s mission is to make discovering and collecting art more accessible, connecting artists, institutions and audiences in meaningful ways that expand art’s reach and impact.

OUR CULTURE

We’re a small team with really big ambitions, both for what we want to achieve and also the environment we’re building. We want to create a company that remains thoughtful as we scale and tries to be genuinely progressive in how we operate. We want people to really own what they do and be given the autonomy and freedom to make mistakes, learn, and create something meaningful.

We all work incredibly hard because we really care about what Avant Arte is here to do – we’re looking for exceptional people who are proactive, hungry to learn, and want to put their pride in our collective achievements.

We know that creating an inclusive environment that promotes and values diversity is critical if we want to build something with impact and meaning. We believe that having diversity in age, background, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, and perspective will make us an infinitely better company. We were shortlisted for Women in Tech’s Best Employer - Small Company and Best Benefits, and Otta’s top 100 startups to work at. 

WHAT WE NEED

We’re looking for an experienced Strategy & Operations Lead (Sales) - maternity cover to oversee our Sales and Client Services teams and help drive strong commercial performance while maintaining an exceptional collector experience.

You will work closely with the Marketing Leadership Team to shape sales strategy and align it with broader demand objectives, ensuring launches are well prepared, collectors are effectively engaged, and commercial performance is maximised.

You’ll combine strategic oversight with significant operational involvement, ensuring launches are well executed, sales processes run smoothly, and both the Sales and Client Services teams have the structure and support needed to perform at a high level.

You will manage key team members across both functions, while working cross-functionally with Product, CRM, Marketing, Content, and Operations teams to ensure our sales activity, collector engagement, and customer support all work together to create a seamless collector journey.

• Team Leadership & Sales Operations

  • Provide leadership across the Sales and Client Services teams, ensuring both functions are aligned and working toward shared commercial and collector experience goals.

  • Manage and support direct reports including the Collector Experience & Operations Executive and the Client Services Team Lead through regular feedback, 1:1s, and performance development.

  • Oversee day-to-day sales and launch operations, ensuring priorities, workflows, and responsibilities are clearly structured, particularly during key release periods.

  • Oversee operational preparation for launches, coordinating product listings, assets, communications, and systems across Product, Content, Artist, Warehouse, and Marketing teams.

  • Ensure key operational processes, including product builds, private rooms, and draws, are delivered accurately and on schedule.

  • Resolve operational challenges and remove bottlenecks that could impact launch performance or collector experience.

  • Develop and refine processes that improve the efficiency and reliability of sales operations.

  • Ensure collector insights, feedback, and operational learnings are shared effectively between Sales and Client Services teams.

• Sales Strategy & Performance

  • Work closely with Marketing Leadership to shape and execute sales and demand strategy across releases and existing inventory.

  • Align sales activity with wider demand initiatives, ensuring launches support broader marketing campaigns and collector engagement objectives.

  • Monitor sales performance across launches and ongoing inventory, identifying opportunities to optimise release mechanics and collector targeting.

  • Provide clear reporting and insights on sales performance, collector engagement, and launch outcomes to inform future strategy.

• Collector Experience & Engagement

  • Support the development of initiatives that strengthen the overall collector journey, from early engagement through to purchase and post-purchase experience.

  • Collaborate with CRM, Marketing, and Product teams to improve collector engagement strategies and encourage repeat purchasing.

  • Use collector insights and feedback to inform communication strategies, release positioning, and engagement approaches.

  • Support high-touch engagement strategies for key collectors while ensuring scalable systems support broader collector communication.

• Client Services Quality & Performance

  • Oversee the Client Services team to ensure collectors receive prompt, thoughtful, and high-quality support across all touch points.

  • Support the Client Services Team Lead in maintaining clear processes, efficient workflows, and strong service standards.

  • Monitor customer service performance metrics and feedback to identify opportunities for improvement.

  • Ensure collector feedback and recurring issues are shared with relevant teams to improve products, processes, and communications.

  • Champion a culture where collector experience and service quality remain central to business decisions.

The main skills we’re looking for are:

• 5+ years of experience in sales, customer experience, or commercial operations roles.

• Experience managing teams and developing high-performing individuals and functions.

• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to interpret sales data and translate insights into actionable strategies.

• Excellent organisational and operational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.

• Clear and confident communication, with the ability to build strong relationships with collectors and internal stakeholders.

• A collaborative leadership style, comfortable working cross-functionally and influencing across teams.

• A proactive and solutions-focused mindset, able to identify issues early and implement effective improvements.

• High attention to detail, ensuring accuracy and quality across launches, communications, and systems.

• Strong analytical skills with experience working with performance metrics and reporting.

• Digital confidence and the ability to work across multiple systems and tools.

We think you’ll probably have:

• Experience managing sales or customer experience functions in a digital or e-commerce environment.

• Familiarity with CRM systems and collector engagement strategies.

• Experience with platforms such as Shopify, Hubspot, or similar tools.

• An interest in contemporary art and an understanding of the dynamics of the art and collector market.

BENEFITS INCLUDE:

• Private Healthcare (UK)

• Enhanced pension contributions

• 29 days of holiday (including Christmas closure)

• L&D budget of €1000 per year per employee

• Regular company socials

• Art loan scheme for employees