The Role
This role is responsible for leading Impressionist & Modern Art private sales for Christie’s in Europe. Working discreetly with international buyers and sellers to facilitate sales, this role is also responsible for partnering with the Global Head, GMD, and other Private Sale leaders to develop and implement the strategic goals for the group, oversee exhibition strategy, and work closely with international colleagues to support global sales. This role is both a strong individual driver of sales, but also a connector amongst the international team, using Christie’s global network to help colleagues identify opportunities and bring sales to completion.
Why This Role Matters
Drive sales, both individually and as a key facilitator amongst the global Christie’s team, identifying and connecting opportunities across the organisation to increase transactions
Focus on continuing private sales growth within the cluster by developing a robust pipeline and managing inventory and opportunities; drive and organise private sale hilling sessions and pricing meetings with the relevant teams
Maintain margins on private sale deals to ensure profitiablity targets are met and in line with the overall budget
Engage as an active leader, working with the GMD, Business Director, and Global Head of Private Sales, in setting and implementing the global Private Sales strategy
Partner effectively with Americas and APAC counterpart(s) to develop a global approach to the Impressionist & Modern Art Private Sales business and leverage opportunities across regions
Increase collaboration between departments, chairman’s office and regions to optimize private sales (both for consignments and sales), working to review key clients and regions for activation of private sale opportunities
Regularly review top clients with colleagues ensuring appropriate Private Sales strategies are in place, particularly during post-auction reviews
Participate in forums such as masterpiece reviews, regional client reviews to drive private sales
Assist and advise on business getting proposals as well as taking part in client discussions and presentations to win business
Provide oversight of the strategy, sourcing and selling of private sales exhibitions
Project manage key private sales projects and initiatives
Work with the Business Director and Private Sales team to identify and address process improvements, resource needs and business efficiencies to eliminate roadblocks and catalyze growth
Work with the Marketing, PR and private sales teams on related PR & marketing initiatives
In conjunction with the Business Director,oversee the monitoring and measuring of sales and profitability targets
Other duties as assigned by manager
What you'll Bring to the Team
Minimum of 10 years of art market experience, preferably in the secondary market with significant client management and sales experience.
Strong understanding of our business; Auction and Private Sales experience preferred
Financial acumen and sales experience
Strong negotiation skills
Strongclient service skills
Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from colleagues and clients
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists
Effective people manager
Excellent interpersonal, influencing and communication skills
Marketing savvy
What’s great about working for us
-16 weeks full pay on Maternity Leave
- Eligible to return to work for 80% of your agreed normal weekly working pattern while being paid as though you were working 100%, post a minimum of 16 weeks of leave
-Dependent back-up care: 10 sessions/ days of childcare or eldercare per year
-Christies Family Network: Our community of parents who meet regularly over breakfasts, lunch, afternoon tea…
* Christie’s reserves the right to change company benefits at any time
Closing Date: Sunday 12th April
#LI-HYBRID
Founded in 1766, Christie’s is a world-leading art and luxury business. Renowned and trusted for its expert live and online auctions, as well as its bespoke private sales, Christie’s offers a full portfolio of global services to its clients, including art appraisal, art financing, international real estate and education. Christie’s has a physical presence in 46 countries, throughout the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific, with flagship international sales hubs in New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris and Geneva. It also is the only international auction house authorized to hold sales in mainland China (Shanghai).
Christie’s auctions span more than 80 art and luxury categories, at price points ranging from $200 to over $100 million. In recent years, Christie’s has achieved the world record price for an artwork at auction (Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvador Mundi, 2017), for a single collection sale (the Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller, 2018), and for a work by a living artist (Jeff Koons’ Rabbit, 2019).
Christie’s Private Sales offers a seamless service for buying and selling art, jewellery and watches outside of the auction calendar, working exclusively with Christie’s specialists at a client’s individual pace.
Recent innovations at Christie’s include the groundbreaking sale of the first NFT for a digital work of art ever offered at a major auction house (Beeple’s Everydays, March 2021), with the unprecedented acceptance of cryptocurrency as a means of payment. As an industry leader in digital innovation, Christie’s also continues to pioneer new technologies that are redefining the business of art, including the creation of viewing and bidding experiences that integrate augmented reality, global livestreaming, buy-now channels, and hybrid sales formats.
Christie’s is dedicated to advancing responsible culture throughout its business and communities worldwide, including achieving sustainability through net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
