Business Manager, 20th & 21st Century Art

Business Manager, 20th & 21st Century Art Christie’s is the world’s largest art business, and this role is part of our 20th and 21st Century Art team in a company that blends 250 years of history with constant innovation. As a Business Manager, you will be responsible for the financial, strategic and executional management of our bi‑annual sale seasons, while partnering with international specialists and senior leadership to drive departmental objectives. Why This Role Matters The Business Manager works closely with the 20th/21st Century Evening Heads of Sales, Business Director and the Regional Managing Director to make decisions that shape the success of our sale seasons. How You Will Make An Impact Leadership and People Management Directly supervise department coordinators, copyright coordinator and seasonal employees. Recruit, train, assign, direct work and evaluate employee performance. Collaborate with Heads of Sale on onboarding, development and annual performance reviews. Partner with the Business Director to identify staffing needs, long‑term development plans and succession planning. Ensure clear communication of strategic direction, deadlines, deliverables and culture across the team. Lead cross‑departmental sale initiatives and liaison with specialist departments and regional sale locations. Operational Management Maintain relationships with operations, publishing, finance, marketing and legal to ensure smooth sales execution. Facilitate communication with external support teams and implement process improvements. Collaborate with the sale coordinator to manage deadlines, deliverables and information accuracy. Resolve operational issues and coordinate with the sale team, marketing, publishing and others to meet key sale deadlines. Work closely with the international business management team on resource allocation, property movement and strategic opportunities. Financial Management Review non‑standard financial deals, approve them with RMD and Commercial Office. Prepare commercial deals for review, reconcile pipeline and manage house guarantee risk. Oversee consignment agreements to ensure compliance with agreed terms. Collaborate with Finance Partner to manage sale tracker, budgeting, forecasting and P&L reporting. Monitor marketing budget and overall marketing plan. Provide accurate statistics for post‑sale debriefings, including competitor data. Maintain profitability by monitoring costs and identifying improvement areas. Handle client concerns and coordinate with credit to monitor payment terms. Strategy and Business Planning Lead strategic initiatives, propose opportunities for growth and partner on internal/external communications for significant events. Develop and implement improvements to operational systems, ensuring consistency across the global team. Identify and mitigate outstanding risks, partnering with external departments. Provide competitive analysis and market insight. Other duties as defined by the manager. What You Will Bring To The Team Minimum 5 years of work experience, preferably in auction or equivalent field. Proactive, collaborative approach and supervisory experience. Ability to remain calm in stressful situations and maintain confidentiality. Strong communication skills across all seniority levels. Problem‑solving ability in variable situations. Proficiency in Outlook, Excel, Word Processing and Presentation software with ability to create and analyze spreadsheets and reports. Effective presentation and critical thinking skills. What’s great about working for us Comprehensive Medical, Dental and Vision care plans (Christie’s pays 80% of total premiums). 401(k) savings plan with matching contribution up to 5%. Life and Disability insurance fully paid by Christie’s. Generous paid family leave and time‑off policies. Fitness reimbursement up to $600 per year. Annual discretionary performance bonus plan. Commuter benefits and back‑up child/elder care. Annual paid charity day. Perks and discounts through Zo and Plum Benefits. Christie's is committed to equal employment opportunity and affirmative action, and complies with all federal, state and local laws concerning employment discrimination. #J-18808-Ljbffr Christie´s