Jobs · Business Development · New York

Head of Private Sales, Watches

Sotheby's Institute of Art · New York, United States · 1 mo ago
Business Development$200k–$250k/yrFull-time
We need to output HTML fragment with sections: About the role? Actually the posting includes "THE ROLE" description, then "Responsibilities", then "Ideal Experience & Competencies". Also there is salary info: "The proposed base salary for this position ranges from $200,000-$250,000. In addition to base salary successful candidates are eligible to receive a discretionary bonus, as well as a competitive benefits package." So we need a Pay section (maybe "Pay") and Benefits section? The instruction: include a section ONLY when posting has real, specific content for it. So we have salary range and mention of discretionary bonus and competitive benefits package. That's enough for Pay and Benefits sections. Also maybe Schedule? Not present. So we omit Schedule. We need headings:

for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule). Use
  • for any list of duties/requirements/benefits, and

    for prose. We need to preserve all substantive info, not invent or summarize away detail. Remove boilerplate: cookie/navigation/legal/EEO/equal-opportunity/scam-warning boilerplate, duplicated lines, and application instructions. So we need to cut out the long EEO paragraph and privacy notices etc. We need to include About Sotheby's? The instruction: "Do NOT repeat the job title as a heading (the page already shows it) and do NOT put Job ID / requisition numbers as headings — fold minor metadata into a short

    or drop it." The posting includes "About Sotheby's" at start. Should we include that as a section? Possibly "About the role" is a heading for role description. The "About Sotheby's" is company overview; maybe we can include as a short paragraph under a heading? The allowed headings list includes "About the role". Not "About the company". But we could treat "About Sotheby's" as part of the role description? The instruction: "Use

    for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule)." It gives examples but not exhaustive; we can use other headings? Probably we should stick to those examples. The role description is under "THE ROLE". So we can make a heading

    About the role

    and put the role description prose there. Responsibilities: we have a big list under "Responsibilities" with subheadings Private Sales, Business Development & Strategic Growth, Client Relationship Management, Watches Representation & Brand Ambassadorship. We need to output a
    • for any list of duties/requirements/benefits. So we can make a
        with each responsibility as
      • . Should we keep the subheadings inside li? Probably we can include them as part of the li text. Ideal Experience & Competencies: that's qualifications/skills. We can make a section

        Requirements

        or

        Qualifications

        or

        Skills

        . The posting includes "Ideal Experience & Competencies". We could use

        Qualifications

        and list items as
        • . Or we could use

          Skills

          . The instruction says use those headings when appropriate. We'll choose

          Qualifications

          for experience and competencies. Pay: we have salary range and discretionary bonus. We'll make

          Pay

          with prose: maybe

          The proposed base salary for this position ranges from $200,000-$250,000. In addition to base salary successful candidates are eligible to receive a discretionary bonus.

          Benefits: we have "competitive benefits package". That's vague but still specific content? It says "as well as a competitive benefits package." That's specific enough? It's not detailed but it's a statement. We'll include Benefits section with

          Competitive benefits package.

          We must not include sections with filler like "commensurate with experience". We have actual content. We must not repeat job title as heading. Not needed. We must not include Job ID etc. We must remove boilerplate: the long EEO paragraph and privacy notices. Also remove "To view our Candidate Privacy Notice..." lines. We must preserve all substantive information: includes About Sotheby's paragraph? That's company overview; maybe we should keep it as part of About the role? The instruction: "Preserve ALL substantive information; do NOT invent or summarize away detail." So we need to keep the About Sotheby's paragraph somewhere. Could be a short

          under About the role heading or maybe a separate heading like "About the company". But the allowed headings list does not include About the company. However we could still include a

          without heading? The instruction says use

          for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities...). It doesn't forbid other headings, but says "Use

          for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule)." It implies we should use those headings for sections. Probably we should include About Sotheby's as a short paragraph under a heading like "About the role" or maybe we can add a heading "About the company" but not in list; risk of being considered not following instruction. Safer to incorporate it into About the role section as part of the role description? But About Sotheby's is not about the role; it's about the company. However we could treat it as part of the role description preamble. The instruction says "Do NOT repeat the job title as a heading (the page already shows it) and do NOT put Job ID / requisition numbers as headings — fold minor metadata into a short

          or drop it." So we can fold minor metadata into a short

          . The About Sotheby's paragraph is not minor metadata; it's substantive. But we could still include it as a

          without a heading? The instruction says use

          for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities...). It doesn't say we cannot have

          without heading; we can have prose

          anywhere. So we could output a

          with About Sotheby's, then

          About the role

          etc. That seems fine. Thus final HTML:

          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.

          About the role

          The Head of Private Sales is responsible for originating, sourcing, developing and executing private sale opportunities within the Luxury Division and Watches. Working closely with colleagues across Sotheby's global network, the role drives revenue growth by cultivating relationships with new and existing clients, identifying opportunities to buy and sell privately, and delivering exceptional client service throughout the transaction process.The role serves as the senior commercial lead for private sales within Watches and is accountable for driving revenue growth through exceptional client engagement, business development and transaction execution.Working closely with colleagues across Sotheby's global network, the role leverages deep market knowledge, strong client relationships and commercial acumen to identify opportunities, source property, facilitate transactions and deliver exceptional client outcomes. The successful candidate will play a critical role in expanding Sotheby's market presence, increasing private sale activity and strengthening relationships with collectors, consignors, dealers, advisors and other key market participants.The role acts as a senior commercial representative for Watches, partnering with specialists, Client Development teams and colleagues across the wider business to maximise private sale opportunities, grow market share and strengthen Sotheby's position within the luxury sector.

          Responsibilities

          • Private Sales: Drive the growth of private sale transactions within Watches. Originate, negotiate and execute private sale transactions, leveraging Sotheby's global network and client base to identify opportunities. Lead the sourcing and origination of exceptional property within Watches, leveraging personal networks, market intelligence and Sotheby's global platform to secure opportunities for both private sale and auction. Develop and maintain a robust pipeline of private sale opportunities through proactive client engagement and business development activities. Work closely with Private Sales Strategy, Client Development and Specialist teams to identify client priorities, create action plans and generate transaction opportunities. Maintain an exceptionally high level of client service, cultivating strong relationships with new and existing ultra-high-net-worth clients, collectors, dealers, advisors and other market participants. Actively source property for private sale and identify opportunities to place property with existing and prospective buyers. Participate in pricing, valuation and transaction discussions relating to private sale property. Collaborate across departments and categories to maximise cross-selling opportunities and enhance client engagement. Maintain accurate records of client interactions and opportunities within Sotheby's systems. Identify opportunities to transition property and clients between auction and private channels to maximise commercial outcomes for clients and Sotheby’s. Partner with auction teams to ensure opportunities across auction and private sale channels are fully leveraged.
          • Business Development & Strategic Growth: Contribute to the development and execution of strategies designed to grow private sales revenue within Watches. Identify new business opportunities, emerging market trends and collecting behaviours to support commercial growth. Maintain a deep understanding of Watches-specific market dynamics and competitive activity, using market insights to identify opportunities and inform business strategy. Work with leadership and specialist teams to develop initiatives that attract new clients and deepen existing client relationships. Support Watches-focused events, exhibitions, partnerships, private selling initiatives and other activities that generate business opportunities and increase market visibility. Represent client interests and market intelligence in discussions relating to business planning and growth initiatives.
          • Client Relationship Management: Build and maintain long-term relationships with key collectors, buyers, consignors, advisors and industry contacts. Own relationships with strategic clients and market participants within Watches, developing tailored approaches to drive acquisition, retention and transaction activity. Deliver a highly personalised and consultative client experience. Act as a trusted advisor to clients by providing market insight, collecting expertise and transaction guidance. Collaborate with Client Development colleagues to identify and engage priority clients globally.
          • Watches Representation & Brand Ambassadorship: Act as an ambassador for Sotheby's and Watches both internally and externally. Maintain a high profile within the Watches market through attendance at fairs, exhibitions, industry events, client functions and other relevant activities. Develop and maintain relationships with key industry stakeholders to enhance Sotheby's visibility and access to commercial opportunities. Support departmental initiatives to engage new audiences and grow awareness of Watches. Contribute to media, content, social media and thought leadership opportunities where appropriate.

          Qualifications

          • 8+ years of professional and relevant experience within the luxury goods, art, collectibles or related markets
          • Demonstrable success in originating and executing high-value transactions and developing strong client relationships.
          • Deep understanding of the luxury market and its participants.
          • Strong commercial acumen with the ability to identify and convert opportunities into revenue.
          • Excellent interpersonal, negotiation and influencing skills.
          • Ability to communicate effectively with clients

Similar jobs

Head of Sales

PassionfrootNew York, NY· 2 mo ago
Business Development$180k–$250k/yrapply on passionfroot.me