About Sotheby's
Sotheby’s is an auction house founded in London in 1744. Its specialists work across fine art and collecting categories including jewelry, watches, handbags, wine, design, and classic cars. The house connects collectors through live and online auctions, private sales, and fixed-price purchases. Its work spans specialist research and cataloging, client services, marketing, technology, finance, and operations, supporting the preparation, sale, and movement of objects across its international network.
Sotheby's seeks a Business Operations Manager to lead valuation operations, sourcing pipelines, business development, and sale planning across Impressionist & Modern Art and related departments. The role coordinates cross-functional projects, reporting, collection strategies, and private sale opportunities; the proposed base salary is $68,000–$72,000, with eligibility for a discretionary bonus and a competitive benefits package.
Role & Responsibilities
- Lead departmental valuation operations across Impressionist & Modern Art, including Fair Market Value, Estate, Insurance, Retail Replacement, and Sale & Financial Services valuations.
- Manage intake, prioritization, tracking, and reporting of valuation requests, ensuring timely completion and high-quality client service.
- Oversee valuation workflows and resolve operational issues in partnership with specialists, Valuations Services, and department leadership.
- Lead weekly valuation meetings, set priorities, and ensure accountability for deliverables and follow-up actions.
- Develop reporting and analytics on valuation volumes, turnaround times, conversion rates, and business development opportunities.
- Identify valuation-led opportunities for consignments, private sales, and broader client engagement.
- Establish best practices and process improvements to improve valuation efficiency, consistency, and service quality.
- Partner with specialists to prepare materials for pricing discussions, collection reviews, and strategic client presentations.
- Coordinate significant estate, fiduciary, philanthropic, and collection-related valuation projects.
- Use valuation activity to generate business and identify client acquisition opportunities.
- Track and report consignments, private sale opportunities, and collection introductions resulting from valuation engagements.
- Work with specialists and Client Development teams to cultivate relationships arising from valuation activity.
- Support leadership with strategic reporting on valuation-driven revenue opportunities and market engagement.
- Manage sourcing pipelines across Impressionist & Modern Art, American Art, Latin American Art, Private Sales, and Single Owner Collection opportunities.
- Maintain visibility into business-getting efforts, key consignments, and collection opportunities across specialist teams.
- Produce pipeline analysis and reporting for department leadership, identifying trends, risks, and priorities.
- Facilitate sourcing meetings and ensure follow-through on strategic opportunities.
- Partner with Client Development and Business Intelligence teams to identify prospective collectors and collection opportunities.
- Support the development and execution of Single Owner Collection strategies across multiple collecting categories.
- Coordinate collection timelines, stakeholder communications, and cross-department workflows from initial opportunity through sale execution.
- Help develop collection proposals, business cases, and presentation materials for prospective consignors.
- Partner with specialists on collection-related business development initiatives.
- Support sourcing and inventory development for Private Sales initiatives.
- Track high-priority opportunities and assist specialists in advancing private sale transactions.
- Identify collaboration opportunities between auction and private sale channels to maximize client outcomes.
- Partner with Sale Heads and specialists to support auction planning and execution.
- Coordinate lot targeting and selling strategies with Client Development and Business Intelligence teams.
- Oversee internal sales reporting, pipeline updates, and business development materials.
- Support sale-week operations, interest tracking, bidder analysis, and post-sale reporting.
- Produce executive-level analyses highlighting market performance, sourcing outcomes, and business opportunities.
- Serve as a strategic operational partner to department leadership.
- Lead cross-functional projects and process improvement initiatives across Fine Arts departments.
- Develop departmental reporting and dashboards to support decision-making and performance management.
- Coordinate initiatives with specialists, Client Development, Marketing, Finance, Operations, and regional teams.
- Manage department communications, leadership presentations, and business reviews.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in business operations, arts administration, or a related field.
- 2–3 years of experience in business operations, project management, client services, or business development, preferably in the art market, luxury, or cultural sectors.
- Strong interest in fine art and the auction market, with a desire to build expertise across Impressionist & Modern Art and related collecting categories.
- Highly organized, with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong analytical, written, and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing presentations and business reports.
- Collaborative and proactive, with the ability to build effective relationships across specialist, client development, and cross-functional teams.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint; experience with CRM and business intelligence tools is a plus.
- Able to handle sensitive and confidential information professionally and discreetly.
- Flexible to support major sale periods, including occasional evening and weekend work.
Skills
Experience
2–3 years in business operations, project management, client services, or business development; preferably within the art market, luxury, or cultural sectors.
Education
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in business operations, arts administration, or a related field.
Workplace
The successful candidate will be located in New York, New York, USA.
Explore jobs in New York or in the USA.
Compensation
The base compensation for this position ranges from USD 68,000 to USD 72,000 per annum.
Benefits
Discretionary bonus and a competitive benefits package.
Culture
Sotheby’s describes its culture in terms of client service, specialist knowledge, curiosity, collaboration, and ethical conduct. Its careers materials emphasize working across disciplines and encouraging employees to explore internal opportunities.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.