Client Development Manager

About Arcadia Art Consultancy

Arcadia Art Consultancy is a full-service firm serving private collectors, families, corporations, foundations, and non-profit institutions across the United States.

Our five service lines work together across the full life cycle of a collection:

• Appraisal — USPAP-compliant valuations of fine art, decorative arts, jewelry, and other tangible assets for insurance, estate planning, charitable donation, equitable distribution, lending, and tax purposes.

• Art Advisory — Acquisition strategy and collection development for clients building or refining a collection, with attention to art historical import, connoisseurship, and investment potential.

• Private Sale — Confidential, off-market transactions executed on behalf of buyers and sellers.

• Sales Agency — Representation of consignors in the solicitation, negotiation, and management of sale proposals from auction houses, galleries, and private dealers.

• Collection Management — Inventory, documentation, logistics, and ongoing stewardship of collections and estates.

The Opportunity

The Client Development Manager is a revenue-generating role at the center of Arcadia's growth. You will originate and execute private sale and advisory transactions in the middle and upper market while building the pipeline for every service line the firm offers. This is a role for a relationship builder with genuine art market fluency: someone who is equally comfortable talking through a consignment strategy with a seller, walking a collector through a fair, and explaining to an estate attorney why their client needs a qualified appraisal.

You will report to, and work closely with, the Director of Appraisals and Director of Private Sales. The role carries no ceiling on earnings, the commission structure is designed so that the transactions and relationships you bring in are directly and generously rewarded.

Key Responsibilities

Private Sale & Art Advisory — 40–45% of time

• Source new buyers and sellers, with a focus on middle and upper market transactions.

• Build and maintain relationships with dealers, galleries, auction houses, museums, and institutional contacts across regional, national, and international primary and secondary markets.

• Identify acquisition opportunities matched to client collecting interests, aesthetic priorities, and investment objectives.

• Execute consignments and private sales end to end: valuation input, proposal, negotiation, contracting, and coordination of logistics through closing.

• Prepare presentation materials, market research, and comparable sales analysis to support client recommendations.

• Track market activity, auction results, and emerging artists and categories relevant to the firm's client base.

Business Development Across All Service Lines — 40–45% of time

• Develop new business for all five service lines: private sale, art advisory, collection management, sales agency, and appraisal.

• Build and steward a referral network of trusts and estates attorneys, wealth advisors, family offices, accountants, insurance brokers, museum staff, and fine art logistics and storage providers.

• Represent Arcadia at art fairs, auctions, gallery openings, benefit events, and professional and philanthropic gatherings, including evenings and weekends.

• Convert inquiries into engagements: qualify prospects, scope work with the relevant service line lead, prepare proposals and fee estimates, and follow through to signed agreement.

• Contribute to the firm's marketing and thought leadership, including speaking opportunities, client seminars, newsletter content, and social media.

• Maintain accurate pipeline, contact, and activity records in the firm's CRM, and report regularly on pipeline health and closed business.

Appraisal, Collection Management & Sales Agency Support — 10–20% of time

• Provide occasional support to the appraisal, collection management, and sales agency teams as project volume requires.

• Assist with on-site inspections, cataloguing, photography, and condition notes.

• Conduct market and provenance research and assemble comparable sales data for appraisal reports.

• Support consignment logistics, inventory records, and client deliverables.

• Serve as a client-facing point of contact on select engagements to ensure a seamless experience across service lines.

Qualifications

Required

• Five to eight years of professional experience in the art market: auction house, gallery, art advisory, private dealing, or a comparable setting.

• A demonstrated record of originating and closing sales, securing consignments, or bringing in new client relationships.

• An existing network of collectors, dealers, or professional referral sources that you can activate on Arcadia's behalf.

• Strong working knowledge of modern, post-war, and contemporary art, and comfort discussing value, condition, provenance, and market dynamics with sophisticated clients.

• Bachelor's degree in art history, fine arts, business, or a related field.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the discretion required to handle confidential client and financial information.

• Self-directed and organized, with the ability to manage a pipeline independently in a remote or hybrid setting.

• Willingness to travel and to work evenings and weekends as client and event schedules require.

Preferred

• Appraisal credentials are a strong plus: current USPAP compliance, and membership with the Appraisers Association of America (AAA), American Society of Appraisers (ASA), or International Society of Appraisers (ISA).

• Master's degree in art history, art business, or arts administration.

• Experience selling professional or advisory services, not only artworks.

• Familiarity with the trusts and estates, wealth management, and/or insurance ecosystem.

• Additional categories expertise: jewelry, watches, decorative arts, design, rare books, etc.

• Proficiency with CRM systems and collection management platforms.

Location, Travel & Schedule

• Location: Boston, MA (remote) is preferred; Charlotte, NC (hybrid) or New York (remote) will also be considered. We are open to other markets for the right candidate.

• Travel: Regular regional travel and periodic national travel for client meetings, site visits, art fairs, and auctions.

• Schedule: Full-time. Evening and weekend work is required around fairs, openings, auctions, and client events.

Compensation

This is a salaried position with a generous commission structure.

• Base salary: $48,000 annually.

• Commission: Uncapped commission on private sale and advisory transactions you originate and execute, plus commission on business from new clients you bring to the appraisal, collection management, and sales agency service lines.

• Expenses: Reimbursement of pre-approved business travel, art fair and event admission, and professional membership dues.

Benefits & Culture

• Health insurance contribution.

• Paid time off, paid holidays, and flexible scheduling that recognizes evening and weekend commitments.

• Retirement plan participation.

• Annual professional development allowance, appraisal coursework, USPAP, and professional association dues and conferences.

• Firm-supported attendance at major art fairs and auctions.

• A small, senior, credentialed team where your work is visible, your judgment is trusted, and there is a direct line between what you build and how the firm grows.

How to Apply

Please send a resume and a cover letter describing your art market experience and your preferred location to View email address on click.appcast.io with “Client Development Manager” in the subject line.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. We will contact candidates selected for an initial conversation; please no phone calls or agency inquiries.