Job Description

Sale Administration Responsibilities

Manage sellers and their property through pre and post-sale process for Auction and Private Treaty Sales, in accordance with sale administration calendars

• Facilitate compliant inbound shipments to meet catalogue deadlines.
• Manage consignments.
• Liaise between clients and support departments on complex consignments.
• Manage contracts and terms of sale.
• Work with legal, compliance, tax, experts and BMs on pre-sale issues (including changes to Sale Agreement, client complaints, IC, TA, VAT)
• Manage the co-ordination of travelling exhibitions in partnership with the Shipping Travelling exhibition team and Business Manager.
• Conduct own pre-sale review and escalate concerns as appropriate.
• Ensure financial transactions comply with corporate governance.
• Work with Experts, Compliance and Shipping to ensure each lot is compliant; track all outstanding compliance issues and ensure they are resolved according to catalogue and sale deadlines.
• Ensure catalogue data is accurate and recorded in a timely way.
• Complete the Page Count Calculator as directed by Business Manager.
• Work with other business areas to respond to client enquiries, resolve client issues and execute client transactions to ensure the highest level of client satisfaction.
• Co-ordinate extended payment terms being offered in conjunction with Post Sale Manager and Business Manager
• Co-ordinate post auction transactions including post auction sales, account adjustments and cancelled sales.
• Obtain and action recommendations for unsold property and facilitate handover for shipment and/or collection clearly to the Post Sale Services.
• Co-ordinate movement of property via London for other sale locations (export for sale and return shipments)
• Supervise and support floaters in all aspects of department administration
• Provide Sale Administration support for other Expert Departments as requested

Third Party Services and Procurement

• Co-ordinate the movement of property internally and externally for third party services
• Complete Purchase Order forms and obtain authorization prior to ordering goods
• Ensure re-billable are charged correctly and respond to Finance queries regarding department parked aged documents
• Arrange buyer external services, in conjunction with Post Sale Services

Manage Departmental Inventory

• Process non-saleable property in a timely way
• Co-ordinate reviews of department aged inventory and obtain and action recommendations as agreed with Inventory Control.
• Complete inventory reconciliations following bi-annual stock checks to ensure accurate inventory records.
• Monitor and process House Property and Temporary Admission (TA) property on a quarterly basis

General

• Respond to general client enquiries e.g. correspondence, phone enquiries etc.
• Maintain department filing
• Participate in project work as requested

Department Assistant Responsibilities

• Act as first point of contact for the department, communicating effectively with clients and colleagues from around the world, in person, on the telephone, by email and by letter, and provide day to day departmental support

Providing secretarial support to the department specialists, including:

• Typing correspondence and diary management.
• Implementing new office processes and procedures.
• Booking travel arrangements and effectively coordinating messages and tasks while the Head of Department and other experts are travelling.
• Completion of internal Purchase Orders and reconciliation of sale-related invoices, including submission of expenses.
• Effective liaison with internal departments and international colleagues.
• Drafting up correspondence.
• Assisting with all aspects of general departmental duties.

Work on housekeeping of the departmental office, including:

• Assisting and liaising with IT over problems with departmental computers, and ordering new equipment as necessary.
• Maintaining appearance of office, including assisting with organizing collection of recycling bin and confidential waste.
• Overseeing archiving and storing of departmental files.

Marketing, Proposals, Valuations, and Loan Requests:

• Manage departmental marketing projects, liaising with the Marketing manager.
• Produce and manage departmental valuations, liaising with the Valuations department.
• Produce and manage departmental proposals liaising with the Proposals department.
• Manage loan requests from museums and institutions.

Data Management:

• Managing and updating hard copy client files and keeping departmental spreadsheets (e.g. chase lists) up to date.
• Forming and maintaining client groups on the Client System and ensuring that data on the Client System is accurate.
• Work with experts to create client target lists for mailings.

Sale-related administration, including:

• In conjunction with the specialists, assist with catalogue production, including sending the catalogue to press, distribution of condition reports and maintenance of presale interest lists.
• Assist specialists with maintenance of the digital photo files.
• Assisting with department and sale related projects as required.
• Production of sale room labels, sale room notices and organizing/overseeing mail outs.
• Calculating and submitting number of catalogues.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities