Business Operations Manager, Sales Development

Sotheby's•New York, NY

3d•$68,000 - $72,000

About The Position

The Business Operations Manager serves as the department's operational lead for sourcing and valuation activity, overseeing valuation strategy, interest and sales development workflow management, reporting, and business development initiatives. Acting as a key partner to specialists and leadership, the Manager leverages opportunities to support sourcing efforts, private sales development, and collection acquisition strategies across Impressionist & Modern Art, American Art, Latin American Art, and Single Owner Collections. The role combines operational leadership, market-facing business development support, and strategic project management to drive departmental growth and efficiency.

Requirements

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 within the art market, luxury, or cultural sectors.
Strong interest in fine art and the auction market, with a desire to develop 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, with experience preparing presentations and business reporting.
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.
Adept at handling sensitive and confidential information in a professional manner, maintaining discretion at all times.
Flexible to support major sale periods, including occasional evening and weekend work.

Nice To Haves

experience with CRM and business intelligence tools is a plus.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary business operations lead for all departmental valuation activity across Impressionist & Modern Art, including Fair Market Value, Estate, Insurance, Retail Replacement, and Sale & Financial Services valuations.
Manage the intake, prioritization, tracking, and reporting of valuation requests, ensuring timely completion and exceptional client service.
Partner closely with specialists, Valuations Services, and department leadership to oversee valuation workflows and resolve complex operational issues.
Lead weekly valuation meetings, establish priorities, and drive 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 increase efficiency, consistency, and service quality across valuation activity.
Partner with specialists to prepare materials for pricing discussions, collection reviews, and strategic client presentations.
Serve as a central point of coordination for significant estate, fiduciary, philanthropic, and collection-related valuation projects.
Leverage valuation activity as a key source of business generation and client acquisition opportunities.
Track and report on consignments, private sales opportunities, and collection introductions originating from valuation engagements.
Work with specialists and Client Development teams to cultivate relationships stemming from valuation activity.
Support leadership with strategic reporting on valuation-driven revenue opportunities and market engagement.
Lead sourcing pipeline management 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 communication, and cross-department workflows from initial opportunity through sale execution.
Assist in developing collection proposals, business cases, and presentation materials for prospective consignors.
Partner with specialists to drive 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 opportunities for collaboration 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 initiatives and selling strategies in partnership 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 involving specialists, Client Development, Marketing, Finance, Operations, and regional teams.
Manage department communications, leadership presentations, and business reviews.