VP, Quantitative Research (Art Market)

Overview

Masterworks is a fintech platform that allows anyone to invest in SEC-qualified shares of multi-million dollar paintings by renowned artists such as Banksy, Basquiat, and Picasso. We manage a portfolio worth over $1.2 billion in world-class artworks, reaching over 1 million individuals into the $2.2 trillion art market.

Masterworks has received significant media attention, being featured in publications like The New York Times, CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, and the Financial Times. It was also named one of the Top 50 Startups in the US by LinkedIn. In 2021, we achieved unicorn status with a $110M Series A round, valuing the company at over $1 billion. Based in New York City's Financial District, our headquarters is located at 1 World Trade Center.

Who We're Looking For

We are seeking a VP of Quantitative Research to lead the development and prediction of trends in the art market, including index construction, predictive analytics, and Machine Learning. If you are passionate about democratizing alternative investments, interested in working for a disruptive start-up, and enjoy meaningful work with noticeable impact on business performance, we would love to hear from you!

Team Overview

• Data Infrastructure & Reporting - responsible for data pipelines, database architecture, and analytical reporting.
• Data Quality & Operations - ensures the integrity of the auction dataset, including repeat-sale pair construction, currency conversion logic, buyer's premium separation, and auction house coverage QA.
• Quantitative Modeling & ML - constructs indexes, ranks artists, identifies momentum and acceleration signals, and develops predictive features. This team works closely with the Art Acquisitions team and owns the model layer that feeds directly into IC recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Evolve the Masterworks Contemporary Art Index methodology, including repeat-sales regression, hedonic pricing, and return-bounds filtering, to support CFTC review and third-party licensing.
• Lead the development of artist-level predictive models, including ML feature engineering, F1-score optimization, and momentum/acceleration signal identification.
• Translate quantitative research into actionable acquisition recommendations alongside the Art Acquisitions team.

Requirements and Preferred Experience

• 10+ years in quantitative research, data science, or financial economics, preferably with exposure to alternative assets, structured products, or index construction.
• Hands-on experience with repeat-sales regression, hedonic pricing, or similar asset valuation methodologies.
• Proficiency in Python and/or R; comfort with SQL and large transactional datasets.
• Deep intellectual curiosity about what drives returns in illiquid, infrequently-traded asset markets.

Measurements of Success in First 90 Days

• Aid in improving/adapting current Masterworks index methodologies to support derivative investment products.
• Augment existing models through feature enrichment, leading to increased F1-score.
• Develop 2-3 models to better understand trends in artists' markets.
• Identify investment metrics that can be applied to artists' markets to identify momentum or accelerating markets.
• Aid in the execution of backend development for analytics and business objectives.

Additional Requirements

• Must be able to work in the NYC office 5 days per week.
• Must be eligible to work in the US.

Benefits at Masterworks

• Daily catered lunches and free admission to art museums and galleries.
• Health, dental, and vision coverage with FSA options.
• PTO, company holidays, paid parental leave, and 401k.
• Happy hours, company outings, and more!