Please note that this role is being offered on a part-time basis, working 27 hours per week.
About this Role
The Royal Academy of Arts is currently seeking an enthusiastic and customer focused Retail & Art Sales Assistant to join our team, working in the Royal Academy Shops.
The RA Shops are a respected, well-loved and highly successful part of the RA visit. Recognising the importance of a consistently excellent welcome across Retail locations, the primary objective of this role is to provide frontline customer service and sales within an expert retail team, maximising sales, and trading opportunities.
The Art Sales element of the role brings a specialist focus on product knowledge, customer advice, sales processing and the fulfilment of art and editions sold through the onsite shops and the RA Shop online.
About You
To be considered for this role, you will be a dynamic, customer service focussed individual who believes in putting the needs of a varied audience at the heart of what you do.
As well as proven retail experience, you will have excellent sales skills and experience of selling within a specialist, fast paced and diverse commercial environment. An excellent communicator, you will have solid knowledge and experience of providing exemplary customer service to a variety of customer types, with an adaptable, friendly and helpful manner.
You will be highly organised and methodical in your approach to working, with strong attention to detail when processing sales, customer information, stock and fulfilment administration.
Commercial gallery, art sales or other specialist product experience is highly desirable for this post.
The Company
The RA dates way back to 1768 when a group of artists and architects persuaded King George lll to help them to ‘establish a society for promoting the Art of Design'. The original academy, in Pall Mall, was less than 10 meters long. Since then, there have been many changes, though the RA’s core purpose of bringing art and design to a broad audience and championing art and artists still holds true.
Today we are a contemporary art organisation hosting internationally acclaimed exhibitions and through investment in employee training and development, with courses such as Unconscious Bias, LGBTQ+ Awareness, Bystander, and Mental Health First Aid training, we are striving to foster a safe space for everyone through positive action. We also have Employee Network Groups, Ways In Groups, and an Employee Council so every employee has a voice and a way to feel heard by colleagues through the CEO.
The RA is truly a unique place, both as an attraction to our visitors, but also as a workplace. Our people are at the heart of all we do, and we support a broad and inspiring mix of departments; from exhibitions, curators, art handlers, researchers, publishers, and digital to schools and education, visitor welcome, fundraisers, and corporate support.
The Benefits
Exhibitions
Reciprocal Agreements with galleries across the UK
Enhanced Pension
Generous employer contributions
Enhanced Holiday
25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays
Wellbeing
Access to a virtual GP Service and Mental Health First Aiders
Agile Working
The opportunity to work flexibly
RA Staff Council
Where your views are heard and listened to
Employee Clubs
Football, Staff Choir and more
Retail & Arts Sales Assistant (Part-time) in London employer: Royal Academy of Arts
The Royal Academy of Arts is an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that celebrates creativity and collaboration in the heart of London. Employees benefit from a supportive environment with opportunities for professional growth, as well as the unique experience of working within a prestigious institution that attracts high-profile visitors. With a focus on proactive service and security, this role not only provides meaningful engagement with art and culture but also fosters a sense of community among staff.
