Head of Private Sales, North America, Jewelry New York, United States

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a regional strategy for private jewelry sales, aligning with Sotheby’s broader business objectives.
• Identify emerging trends, investment opportunities, and client demand in the high jewelry and rare gemstone markets.
• Expand Sotheby’s network of UHNW collectors, jewelry maisons, dealers, and institutional buyers to drive private transactions.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with top-tier collectors, private clients, jewelry houses, and industry stakeholders.
• Provide bespoke advisory services, curating tailored buying and selling opportunities for private clients.
• Oversee negotiations and ensure seamless execution of private sales transactions, ensuring discretion and confidentiality.
• Source and place exceptional pieces, including rare diamonds, colored gemstones, vintage and signed jewelry from prestigious houses.
• Cross-Departmental Collaboration & Expertise
• Partner with jewelry specialists, regional teams, and external experts to source and place high-value pieces for private sale.
• Work closely with marketing, legal, and finance teams to ensure compliance, risk management, and innovative sales strategies.
• Develop strategic partnerships with jewelry houses, estate dealers, and gemological institutions to strengthen Sotheby’s private sales presence.
• Develop strategic partnerships with relationship managers, Chairmen and Fiduciary teams to accelerate Sotheby’s private sales transaction velocity.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in high-value jewelry private sales, luxury asset transactions, or jewelry advisory.
• Proven track record of executing multimillion-dollar private jewelry sales with UHNW clientele.
• Extensive network of collectors, jewelry houses, gem dealers, and institutional buyers.
• Strong leadership and team management skills with experience overseeing an international sales team.
• Deep understanding of the global jewelry market, including historical and contemporary valuation, authentication, and provenance.
• Exceptional negotiation, communication, and relationship-building abilities.
• Gemological expertise (GIA or equivalent certification) is a plus.
• Multilingual skills are an advantage.