Business Operations Coordinator
Sotheby's is a prestigious auction house established in 1744, specializing in exceptional art and luxury objects. The Business Operations Coordinator role supports the Business Operations team and the Contemporary Art department, focusing on valuations, pipeline activities, and sale preparation to ensure operational excellence and effective communication across global teams.
Responsibilities
- Assist with intake, routing, tracking, and organization of Contemporary valuations (FMV, Estate, Insurance, Retail Replacement, SFS)
- Coordinate with specialists, gather necessary details, and help resolve basic valuation queries
- Prepare agendas for weekly valuations meetings; capture updates and distribute follow‑ups
- Support pricing sessions by preparing materials and recording decisions
- Track sourcing leads, follow‑up tasks, and key information across internal systems
- Maintain updated pipeline visuals for leadership and specialist teams
- Support proactive sourcing efforts by gathering inputs from NY specialists and global colleagues
- Create and update internal sales duty pages and prepare materials for global selling calls
- Assist with lot targeting workflows in partnership with Sale Heads, Client Development, and Business Intelligence teams
- Help coordinate evening sale lot captains and maintain accurate summaries throughout the sale cycle
- Prepare internal visual summaries and one‑sheet information for upcoming sales
- Maintain and update interest lists for evening sales
- Attend interest debriefs and update internal tracking tools
- Provide interest updates to PR/Comms prior to sales
- Assist with bidder placement maps, seating logistics, and phone bidding coordination
- Update internal records by integrating post‑sale bidder activity into department interest trackers
- Assist in preparing post‑sale summaries for internal teams
- Provide day‑to‑day operational and administrative support to department leadership and global teams
- Attend department and cross‑functional meetings, take notes, track action items, and ensure timely follow‑ups
- Handle incoming enquiries from staff; resolving or raising to the appropriate team member
- Assist in large‑scale, cross‑department, and global initiatives across Fine Arts
- Coordinate workflows, track deliverables, and help ensure deadlines are met across teams and time zones
- Support the implementation and maintenance of department tools, platforms, and operational systems including Client Canvas, Tableau, Valuations System, Objects Vault, Workvivo, and others
- Prepare summaries and distribute updates from leadership and departmental meetings
- Maintain shared knowledge resources, ensuring accuracy and accessibility
- Act as a liaison between the department and other internal teams
- Support planning and execution of department events, workshops, and offsites
- Coordinate logistics across internal partners (Events, Marketing, Business Management, Client Development)
Skills
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in business operations, arts administration, or a related field
- 1-2+ years of professional experience in a role involving coordination, problem solving, and prioritization in a fast-paced environment
- Strong organizational, multitasking, and project coordination skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication
- Detail‑oriented with strong follow‑through and ownership
- Ability to work across global teams, time zones, and stakeholder groups
- A proactive, collaborative, and problem‑solving mindset
- Proficiency with Microsoft 365, workflow platforms, CRM systems, and spreadsheets
- Professional discretion and comfort handling sensitive information
- Adept at handling sensitive and confidential information in a professional manner, maintaining discretion at all times
- Skillful ability to interact in a professional, mature and collaborative style
- Flexibility to work some evenings and weekends when necessary
- Ability to show good judgement and represent the Sotheby's brand and core competencies
- Familiarity with Contemporary Art, art markets, or fine art valuation concepts is a plus but not required
Benefits
- Successful candidates are eligible to receive a discretionary bonus
- A competitive benefits package
Company Overview