Business Manager, Private Sales - 20th & 21st Century Art

Christie's•New York, NY

3d•$80,000 - $95,000

About The Position

Business Manager, Private Sales - 20th & 21st Century Art The Company Christie’s, the world’s largest Art Business, is an incredibly exciting & enriching place to start or continue your career. Whether you work within one of our Specialist Art Departments or in our more Operational focused teams we are all working together with one common goal in mind: to continue the success of this 260 year old company, steeped in history, bringing constant innovation whilst not forgetting our age old values; Passionate Expertise, Exceptional Client Service, Teamwork, Integrity, Business Judgement & Innovation. Colleagues across all departments are truly passionate about what they do and it is constantly inspiring to work with industry leaders across all segments of the business. Why this role matters The Business Manager is responsible for the financial, strategic and executional management of the Private Sales at the core level for the Post-War and Contemporary, Impressionist and Modern, American and Latin American Paintings and Works of Arts as well as the Prints, Photographs and Design Departments. Partnering closely with key stakeholders on activities in relation to the Private Sales, and in conjunction with the Regional Managing Director (RMD), this role is involved in making decisions relating to the areas outlined below.

Requirements

Minimum 5 year’s work experience preferably with a background in auction house or gallery
Demonstrated proactive, collaborate approach
Ability to remain calm in stressful situations and maintain confidentiality
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of variables in situations where only limited standardization exists
Knowledge of Outlook, Excel, Word Processing, and Presentation software
Ability to create and analyze Excel spreadsheets, bar graphs, reports and business correspondence
Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from colleagues and clients

Responsibilities

Financial Management Active guidance in deal negotiations to ensure profitability.
Monitor deal and sale costs and identify possible areas of improvement for each transaction
Review all transactions and approve with RMD as necessary
Partner with specialists to set asking prices for works on consignment, taking into account all costs to ensure profitability of deals
Partner with junior/mid-level specialists to facilitate and growth of core transactions
Maintain financial tracking runner for regional Private Sales
Assist RMD with data gathering, reporting, budgeting and forecasting
Provide weekly/monthly reporting and present in internal meetings as requested
Oversee consignment agreements to ensure they conform to the agreed terms and conditions
Manage and resolve client concerns, working closely with client contact and internal departments as needed
Negotiate deal allocations with participating specialists and track and record transactions
Operational Management Maintain relationships with critical business partners, including Legal, Finance, Operations and Marketing to ensure all functions run smoothly to support Private Sales consignments and sales
Ensure legal/ sales tax compliance of transactions
Work closely with sale coordinator to ensure flow of information, record keeping, management of deadlines and deliverables, and accuracy
Work closely with Private Sales teams to ensure key deadlines are met
Act as main liaison to the Marketing team for the 20/21 Private Sales
Resolve and escalate where necessary all operational issues
Manage exhibition program, including logistics, inventory and communication
Manage Private Sales exhibition space allocations for Rockefeller Center Leadership and People Management
Supervise Private Sales coordinators and, at times, seasonal employees.
Responsibilities include hiring, and training employees; directing work; appraising performance and setting development plans; addressing challenges and resolving problems
Collaborate with Private Sale Heads and RMD to develop and lead onboarding and development planning for the sale teams, including assisting as needed in annual performance reviews
Effectively and regularly communicate to ensure organizational clarity around key dates, strategic direction, deadlines, deliverables, roles and responsibilities, and team culture/ behavior
Strategy and Business Planning Develop and implement improvements to operational systems for Private Sales, working closely with other support departments and international team to ensure consistent approach within the global Team
Support the implementation of 20/21 Private Sales strategy
Partner with external departments to ensure proper support and implementation of business plan
Other duties as defined by manager Division Support Support of the auction teams during Marquee Weeks and Departmental support, as needed

Benefits

Comprehensive Medical, Dental and Vision care plans for employees and dependents (On average, Christie’s pays 80% of total premiums)
401(k) Savings Plan – Christie’s provides a matching contribution up to 5% (subject to IRS limits)
Life Insurance - 3x base salary (100% paid by Christie’s)
Disability Insurance (100% paid by Christie’s)
Generous time-off and leave policies; including 100% Paid Family Leave up to 16 weeks.
Fitness Reimbursement Program: reimbursement of eligible fitness fees and memberships up to $600 per year
Annual Discretionary Performance Bonus Plan
Commuter Benefits - Pre-tax money towards your daily commute with a Christie’s contribution of $21 per month
Back Up Child & Elder Care – up to 10 days of back-up Child or Elder Care through Bright Horizons
CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Day- Each employee receives one paid day per year to dedicate their time to a charity of their choice.
Perks and Discounts through Zo and Plum Benefits