Sotheby's

Global auction house for fine art

Associate Business Manager

Business OperationsConfirmed live in the last 24 hours

Full-timeParis, FranceNo salary listedIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

A bachelor's degree is required.
At least 4 years of professional experience in business management, banking, finance, or consulting.
Written and spoken French and English are required.
Strong communication and relationship-building skills, including the ability to present succinctly to stakeholders from varied backgrounds.
Advanced Excel skills are required.
Strong organization, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple tasks.
Creative problem-solving ability, energy, and persistence.
Ability to work independently in ambiguous situations and collaboratively as a team member.

Responsibilities

Support the deal pipeline to drive sales and accountability in active collaboration with internal stakeholders.
Support, manage, and track auction consignments, including related legal agreements with the Legal team, with oversight from senior Business Management where appropriate.
Support annual budget planning and regular forecasting in partnership with Paris Business Management.
Develop revenue and expense financial models to support consignments across all revenue streams, and approve or escalate as appropriate.
Prepare client-facing deal communications and handle commercial terms with clients when required.
Serve as the first business point of contact for negotiations involving consignments, vendors, consultants, or other third parties, including related legal agreements with the Legal team, with oversight from senior Business Management where appropriate.
Translate financial results and key performance indicators into operational recommendations to optimize the business.
Manage sale and department expenses, with oversight from senior Business Management where appropriate.
Regularly review and develop plans for Sotheby’s inventory in partnership with Operations and Finance teams.
Act in a client-facing capacity and as an internal conduit to troubleshoot pre-sale and post-sale issues.
Support senior management as a strategic partner by reviewing competitive analysis, maintaining market share reporting, and analyzing deal-making trends.
Research potential additional revenue streams and partner with key internal stakeholders to develop business plans.
Collaboratively propose, manage, and implement efficiencies, integration, and adoption of new IT and digital improvements aligned with the role’s responsibilities.

Desired Qualifications

Prior deal or contract negotiation experience is preferred.
Prior art experience is not required, but interest or curiosity in art or other luxury objects is encouraged.

ABOUT SOTHEBY'S

Established in 1744, Sotheby’s promotes access and ownership of exceptional art and luxury objects through auctions, private sales and retail. Our deep expertise across 70 selling categories is supported by a leading technology platform and a global network of specialists spanning 40 countries. Selling categories include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, Jewelry, Watches, Wine and Spirits and Design, as well as collectible cars and real estate through RM Sotheby’s and Concierge. Sotheby’s Financial Services is a leading art lender and provides capital solutions for collectors around the world, having originated more than $12 billion in loans since its inception. Sotheby’s new global headquarters is now open at the iconic Breuer building at 945 Madison Avenue in New York City.

THE ROLE

You will be a core member of Sotheby’s Business Management team, based in Paris and support Sotheby’s Paris and Middle East sale locations across both Global Fine Arts and Luxury Division, driving financial results, growth, and profitability for this key business area. You will act as a business partner to the department specialists focused on P&L management and reporting (live and online auction and private sales), pipeline management, deal making, and sale execution. You can think analytically, synthesize quantitative and qualitative information, and are excited by proactive problem solving.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Support the pipeline of all deals to drive sales and accountability, in active collaboration with internal stakeholders.
Support, manage, and track all auction consignments, including corresponding legal agreements with Legal team; with oversight from senior Business Management where appropriate.
Support annual budget planning and regular forecasting in partnership with Paris Business Management.
Develop financial models (revenue and expense) to support consignments for all revenue streams; approve/escalate where appropriate.
Prepare client facing deal communication and take a client facing role for commercial terms, when required.
Serve as the first business point of contact for negotiations for consignments, vendors, consultants, or other third parties, including corresponding legal agreements with Legal team; with oversight from senior Business Management where appropriate.
Translate financial results and KPIs into operational recommendations to optimize the business.
Manage all sale and department expenses; with oversight from senior Business Management where appropriate.
Regularly review and develop plans for Sotheby’s inventory, in partnership with Operations and Finance teams.
Act in a client-facing capacity and as an internal conduit to troubleshoot pre- and post- sale issues.
Act as a strategic partner for senior management by reviewing competitive analysis, maintaining market share reporting, and analyzing trends in deal making.
Research potential additional revenue streams and partner with key internal stakeholders to develop business plans.
Work collaboratively to propose, manage, and implement efficiencies, integration, and adoption for new IT and digital improvements aligned to overall responsibilities.

IDEAL EXPERIENCE & COMPETENCIES

Bachelor's degree required.
4+ years of professional experience in a business management, banking, financial or consulting role.
Written and spoken French and English.
Strong communication and relationship-building skills; ability to succinctly present to stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds.
Prior deal or contract negotiation experience preferred.
Advanced Excel skills.
Highly organized, detail oriented, multi-tasker.
Creative problem solver, energetic and persistent.
Confident team player, capable of working well independently in ambiguous situations.
Prior art experience is not required, but an interest or curiosity in art or other luxury objects is encouraged.

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To view our Candidate Privacy Notice for the UK, Hong Kong, France and Switzerland, please click here.

The Company is an equal opportunity employer and considers all applicants for employment without regard to race (including, without limitation, traits historically associated with race, such as natural hair, hair texture, and protective and treated or untreated hairstyles), color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership/union status, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, genetic predisposition, genetic information, reproductive health decision, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, alienage or citizenship status, domestic violence victim status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/province or local law. The Company complies with applicable state and local laws prohibiting discrimination in employment in every jurisdiction in which it operates.

About the Company

Sotheby's

Global auction house for fine art

Sotheby’s is a global auction house that sells fine art, luxury items, and collectibles through live and online auctions and private sales. Its product works by letting sellers consign items, which Sotheby’s then markets to a worldwide pool of bidders. Auctions run in major cities such as New York, London, Geneva, Paris, and Hong Kong, and online bidding expands accessibility. Private sales offer discreet purchases outside of auctions. Revenue comes from commissions on final sale prices and service fees like appraisals. Sotheby’s leverages deep expertise in valuing rare items and curating curated collections to attract high-value buyers and maximize returns. Its goal is to connect sellers with buyers in a trusted, full-service platform that handles valuation, marketing, and transaction logistics for the high-end art and luxury market.

Company size: 1,001-5,000
Company stage: IPO
Headquarters: New York City, New York
Founded: 1744

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