Managing Director, Post War and Contemporary Art

Masterworks

$210K — $250K *
Business Services
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 10+ years in a leadership role within a top gallery, auction house, or art business with revenue responsibilities
  • 3+ years managing or leading a sales team in a leadership-focused capacity
  • Deep understanding of the Post-War and Contemporary Art market, particularly $1M+ segment
  • Proficient in overseeing specialized functions like collection logistics and conservation
  • Strong instincts for talent development and relationship management in the art advisory space
  • Direct communication style with a focus on feedback and growth
  • Highly organized with strong qualitative and quantitative operational capabilities
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Responsibilities

  • Build, manage, coach, and develop a 20+ member sales and operations team
  • Set strategic direction for art teams to distinguish the gallery in the secondary market
  • Refine processes for deal flow, counterparty vetting, and negotiation
  • Oversee Collection Management including storage and logistics while empowering the Collection Manager
  • Collaborate with Product and Research teams to enhance acquisitions and sales
  • Drive team goals and adjust business strategies to unlock new revenue opportunities
  • Establish performance frameworks and build team relationships within the first 90 days

Benefits

  • Free admission to art museums and galleries
  • Health, dental, and vision coverage with FSA options
  • Paid Time Off (PTO) and 401k
Full Job Description
Position Overview

Masterworks operates a securitized art investment platform and, alongside it, a growing set of art-market businesses. For this case, the "Art Business" comprises three functions:
  • Private Sales. Brokering artworks for private clients.
  • Portfolio Acquisitions & Consignments. Sourcing and executing transactions for works to be listed on the investment platform, and selling works on behalf of investors, whether through the gallery or via consignment to other galleries.
  • Collection Management. Storage, condition, conservation, insurance, and logistics for roughly $1.1B of held works.

The Managing Director, PWC Art will own all three functions: managing the team, running Acquisitions & Consignments, and owning Collection Management with operational excellence, and growing Brokerage into a leading secondary-market gallery business. This position reports directly to the CEO.
You will be responsible for:

Team Management:
  • Building, managing, coaching, and developing a 20+ sales and operations team at varying levels of seniority
  • Setting the strategy for all aspects of the art teams, including how to differentiate as a leading secondary market gallery
  • Own compensation structure, goal-setting, promotions

Operations:
  • Building and refining processes for deal flow, counterparty vetting, business development and outreach, and negotiation
  • Oversee Collection Management (storage, conservation, insurance, logistics) while giving the Collection Manager autonomy over day-to-day execution.
  • Collaborating across departments including Product and Research to support acquisitions and sales strategy
  • Managing any real estate expansions and operations related to the gallery

Growing Private Sales:
  • Maintaining a strong working knowledge of the market: recent sales, pricing trends, collector and advisor activity
  • Driving team goals, adjusting business strategy as needed
  • Unlock new revenue opportunities, deal sourcing channels, and client acquisition strategies

In the first 90 days, you will:
  • Get fully up to speed on Masterworks sales and acquisitions criteria, process, budget, and the Masterworks collection
  • Establish clear performance frameworks and near-term goals through 2027
  • Build trust and working relationships with each current member of the art team
Requirements:
  • 10+ years in a leadership role at a leading gallery, auction house, or art business with specific revenue responsibility
  • At least 3 years managing or leading a sales team, with a desire to continue in a leadership rather than sales role
  • Understanding of the Post-War and Contemporary Art market, especially $1M+ segment
  • Comfortable overseeing specialized functions (e.g., collection logistics, conservation) - trusting expert judgment day-to-day while maintaining accountability for outcomes and knowing when to step in
  • Strong instincts for people - who to trust, how to develop talent, and how to read the advisor and collector landscape
  • Direct, low-ego communication style; you give clear feedback and take it the same way
  • Highly organized, proactive, and comfortable operating across both the qualitative and quantitative sides of the business
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Additional Requirements:
  • Must be eligible for full-time US employment - no exceptions
  • Must be able to work from our NY office - this is not a remote role

Benefits at Level & Co.
  • Free admission to art museums and galleries
  • Health, dental, and vision coverage with FSA options
  • PTO and 401k

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