Business Development Manager - Artist Partnerships

HENI is an international multi-services art business working at the intersection of art and technology. From printmaking and physical artwork marketplaces to NFTs, publishing, news, video production, and art research, HENI works with the world’s leading artists and estates to make art accessible to audiences worldwide. We are ambitious, fast-moving, and unafraid to challenge how the art world operates.

Our print editions business sits at the heart of this mission, translating iconic works into accessible, expertly produced editions for collectors around the world.

THE ROLE

We are looking for a confident, well-connected and highly organised Business Development Manager to identify, approach and secure partnerships with artists, museums, artists’ estates and institutions for the production of print editions. This is a relationship-led sales role: you will be the first point of contact between HENI and the artists and institutions we want to work with and will need to combine a genuine passion for art with the tenacity and polish of an accomplished sales professional.

You will build and manage a pipeline of prospective partners, make the initial approach, and articulate HENI’s value proposition with credibility - before managing edition collaborations through to final release on the HENI platform. You will be the main point of contact across all production, marketing and release decisions, combining meticulous operational oversight with commercial fluency to oversee projects from first conversation to launch.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Proactively identify and research artists, artist estates and institutions with print or publishing potential, experience in finding contacts, and thinking of innovative and creative ways to get in front of the right decision makers.
• Confidently approach artists, estates and institutions to introduce HENI and open conversations about print edition partnerships, either by phone, email, in person or at art industry events. Test and refine outreach approaches, using an analytical mindset, reporting on conversion rates and email targets, and always looking at ways to improve these.
• Present HENI’s offering with credibility and enthusiasm, tailoring your pitch each time.
• Handling high stakes conversations with confidence. Read people well, understand what motivates them, somebody who feels equally as comfortable in front of a major institution’s director, as they would in an artist’s studio.
• Negotiate and structure partnership terms, converting interest into signed agreements with a clear understanding of what’s in HENI’s best interest and the ability to identify the value in an opportunity. Be able to discuss the commercial value of an opportunity concisely and clearly to the senior team.
• Nurture relationships over the long term – these partnerships can take six months or more.
• Think creatively about how to keep partners interested and engaged, constantly moving them through a sales pipeline.
• Maintain meticulous records of outreach activity, pipeline status and relationship history using HENI’s CRM system.
• Work with the senior team and the production team to move partnerships through a production pipeline, maintaining clear and consistent communication with the artist and estate at every stage. Represent the artists/estates wishes when it comes to edition details such as pricing, schedules and production decisions.
• Bring an operational mindset, once the sale is complete you must also get the project over the line. Work closely with the marketing, installation and production team to ensure a successful launch of each project.
• Present information and proposals to the senior team clearly and concisely, translating complex commercial and production questions into easily digestible information for people on the move.
• Stay closely attuned to the contemporary art market - emerging artists, institutional programming, estate representation changes - to spot opportunities early.
• Act as an ambassador for HENI, building long-term trust with artists and institutions beyond the life of a single deal.

ABOUT YOU

• A confident, natural communicator who is comfortable making cold approaches to artists, estates and institutions and is not deterred by early rejection.
• A strong track record in sales, business development, partnerships or a related relationship-drive role.
• Genuinely passionate about contemporary art and print - you know the market, follow artists’ careers, and understand why print editions matter to a practice.
• Highly organised, with excellent pipeline and relationship management skills and real attention to detail.
• Self-motivated and resilient, able to manage a long sales cycle across multiple live conversations at once.
• Polished and credible in front of artists, gallerists, curators and institutional representatives alike.
• Willing and able to travel regularly, including internationally, for meetings, studio visits and events.
• Analytical mindset – understanding of the importance of data in outreach to refine your approach.
• Commercial understanding - Always thinking about what’s in the best interest of HENI and how to achieve that.
• Experience in operations, an understanding that a successful sale must combine both sales and operational skills. You’ll be managing these projects from first conversation through to edition release.

WHY HENI

This is an opportunity to work at the intersection of art and commerce, shaping the future of print editions alongside some of the most exciting artists and institutions working today. You will be given real ownership of the outreach process, direct access to senior leadership, and the chance to build a network and a body of work you can be genuinely proud of.