Head of Venue Hire and Visitor Experience, Mall Galleries

FEDERATION OF BRITISH ARTISTS / MALL GALLERIES

Job Description

Job Title: Head of Venue Hire and Visitor Experience

Hours of Work: Full time. Monday - Friday (sometimes involves evenings)

Reports to: Chief Executive

Location: Federation of British Artists, 17 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5BD

Target Audiences: Gallery and event hirers, artists

Background

The Federation of British Artists (FBA) is the national centre for contemporary, figurative art, with administration offices and a large, contemporary gallery space located on The Mall in central London. A major visual arts charity, the FBA comprises of nine of the UK's leading art societies.

The art societies are as follows:

• The Royal Society of British Artists
• The Royal Society of Portrait Painters
• The Royal Institute of Oil Painters
• The Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours
• The Royal Society of Marine Artists
• The New English Art Club
• The Pastel Society
• The Society of Wildlife Artists
• The Hesketh Hubbard Life Drawing Class

Vision:

Leader in contemporary figurative art, led by artists, for all.

Mission:

Mall Galleries empowers artists through a busy programme of exhibitions and events, prizes and awards, with a focus on figurative art.

Managed by the Federation of British Artists, a visual arts charity founded in 1961, Mall Galleries offers learning and engagement opportunities for everyone

Exhibiting and selling figurative art, both in the galleries and online are at the centre of the FBA's activities. This is achieved by providing exhibition services, promoting the exhibitions and artists to as wide a public as possible, facilitating sales and hiring out the spacious galleries to external hirers.

Inevitably the organisation has been affected financially by the COVID 19 pandemic. We need to rebuild our finances and reserves. We will do this by increasing sales of art, developing a new venue hire package for an international and national customer, attracting more Friends and donations and improving our systems. A new venue hire package was launched in early 2022.

Approx 50% of the year is available for venue hire and the gallery is available for evening events throughout the year. This activity generates a vital income of between £500-600,000.

Overview

The post holder will be responsible for identifying and securing and then account management for venue hire clients or potential clients and nurturing existing clients. You will be part of the Sales and Marketing Department and work closely with the front of house and art services departments.

Overall Purpose of the Role:

• Targeting and securing venue hire - continually monitor sales performance; identify gaps in the diary. Recognise and target new and suitable opportunities using proactive sales initiatives to generate new enquiries
• Work with the marketing team to plan and deliver marketing initiatives throughout the year and undertake proactive sales activities in line with this strategy
• Developing and engaging existing hirers with the aim of securing repeat business
• Primary account management for all venue hire - both exhibitions and events
• Working closely across the FBA to ensure successful outcomes

Responsibilities:

• Targeting and Sales
• Create a strategy to attract venue hire
• Using the exhibition year create a strategy to attract evening event hire
• Target and approach prospects with effective digital communications, manage site visits and follow up communications
• Seek multi-year contracts wherever possible
• Proactively respond to enquiries
• Account Management and Delivery
• Account manage and be the primary point of contact for the client
• Manage the activities of the Venue Hire Coordinator and coordinate within the FBA team for a smooth and successful delivery of the chosen package especially working closely with the Art Services Manager and the gallery team to plan and manage exhibitions smoothly and the Head of Sales and Marketing
• Manage the relationship with suppliers and third parties - and review these at regular intervals
• Ensure all Health and Safety policies and Gallery regulations are complied with and provide all the necessary information to the client alongside the Art Services Manager
• Review and monitor with the client to improve for the future and create good relations with returning clients
• Ensure contracting and invoicing take place efficiently and in a timely manner

Marketing:

• Editorial and design - create persuasive content, update the website and other digital platforms, work with designers to produce material
• Liaise and deliver with the digital marketing coordinator to produce targeted venue hire campaigns

Administration:

• Be self-administering
• Use and develop the CRM for venue hire prospects and clients and produce analytical reports
• Update the CRM as necessary

Project management:

• Knowledge of digital channels and what makes good digital content including demonstrable knowledge of editorial style and publishing processes in a digital environment
• Experience with digital analytics and reporting.
• Database experience with knowledge of segmentation and targeting

Line Manage and Train the Visitor Experience Team:

• Recruit, train and manage front of house staff to provide excellent customer service. This will include, but not be limited to:
• Collaboration with colleagues to ensure robust recruitment and training programmes for Duty Officers staff (qualified to be in charge on site), in addition to visitor services training.
• Championing best practice in customer service, ensuring the visitor services team deliver an exemplary shopping and artwork sales experience to all our visitors.
• Work with colleagues on Fire & Evacuation and Health & Safety practices, including policy review, daily implementation e.g. training.
• Cultivate an ethos and practice of perpetual improvement in visitor experience through staff support and development.

Person Specification Essential Experience

• 3 Years proven experience in venue hire, events sales, or venue management.
• Experience managing venue hire enquiries, site visits, contracts, and client communications.
• Experience in account management and maintaining client relationships.
• Experience in staff supervision, recruitment, or team management.

Essential Skills

• Strong persuasive and negotiation skills, with the ability to work creatively and generate repeat and new business.
• Excellent written communication skills, including digital content and marketing copy.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to compile and analyse data, including sales and conversion rates.
• Ability to lead, motivate, and train visitor experience teams.
• Strong customer service leadership skills.
• Good understanding of health and safety compliance within events or public venues.

Desirable Skills

• Experience working in arts, galleries, museums, or cultural venues.
• A knowledge of the UK arts sector or visual arts organisations.
• Experience securing multi-year venue hire contracts.

What We Can Offer You

• Salary between £45,000 - £48,000 per annum.
• Flexible working based on job responsibilities.
• You will receive 26 days paid annual leave plus the three days between Christmas and New Year.
• 3% employer contribution to a personal pension scheme.
• Staff discounts at Cass Art shops and on FBA artworks displayed in the gallery.

How to Apply: To apply, please send your CV and a cover letter or supporting statement explaining how you match the person specification for this role to .

Please note that applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

Please include the job title (Head of Venue Hire and Visitor Experience) in the subject line of your email.

Deadline for applications: 5pm on Monday, 30 March 2026

Thank you for your interest in this role. If you are not invited to interview, we regret that you have not been shortlisted on this occasion.