Sotheby's Client Experience Associate

About Sotheby's

Sotheby’s is an auction house founded in London in 1744. Its specialists work across fine art and collecting categories including jewelry, watches, handbags, wine, design, and classic cars. The house connects collectors through live and online auctions, private sales, and fixed-price purchases. Its work spans specialist research and cataloging, client services, marketing, technology, finance, and operations, supporting the preparation, sale, and movement of objects across its international network.

Role & Responsibilities

• Provide interchangeable support to Client Services and the wider Client Experience department, primarily assisting clients and visitors in person at Sotheby's Paris.
• Take ownership of client issues through to resolution and proactively identify opportunities to improve the client journey.
• Welcome clients; handle general enquiries and direct them to the appropriate departments.
• Maintain close working communications with Client Experience, Bids, Seller Operations, Security, Events, Marketing, Boardroom and other internal stakeholders to ensure smooth front-of-house operations.
• Support paddle registration during sales.
• Work at the Valuations desk, liaising with the relevant Specialist or providing alternative referrals.
• Take in-person registration and bidding instructions from clients and Sotheby's staff.
• Comply with Security, Compliance and KYC guidelines.
• Provide occasional support to the Cloakroom as needed.
• Keep the front-of-house area and catalogue displays immaculate.
• Provide exceptional counter service for all sale activities.
• Support the Bids department with back-office tasks and clerking as required.
• Serve as the primary contact for client enquiries by email and telephone.
• Deliver professional, accurate communications in keeping with Sotheby's client service standards.
• Respond to enquiries about selling items, sales, payments, collections, shipping, invoices, documentation and post-auction processes.
• Handle complaints, concerns and escalation requests with empathy, professionalism and a solution-focused approach.
• Identify and escalate service failures, operational issues and recurring trends that could negatively affect the client experience.
• Collaborate with specialists, finance, shipping and other operational teams to ensure seamless client outcomes.
• Maintain detailed, accurate records of client interactions and case activity.
• Provide feedback on client pain points, service trends and process improvement opportunities to support continuous improvement.
• Participate in client experience projects and initiatives as requested by management.

Qualifications

• Professional spoken and written English.
• Exceptional client service skills, including active listening, empathy, conflict resolution and relationship management.
• Demonstrable experience managing high volumes of client enquiries, cases or support tickets in a service-driven environment.
• Experience working to service level agreements and performance targets.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and outstanding attention to detail.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise competing client demands.
• Ability to remain calm, professional and solution-focused in challenging client situations.
• Experience collaborating across multiple departments to achieve positive client outcomes.
• High computer literacy and dexterity across multiple systems.
• Flexibility and willingness to work evenings and weekends when necessary.
• Enthusiastic, calm under pressure and practical in approach.
• Experience using SAP and Outlook is desirable.
• Experience using Freshdesk or similar case-management or ticketing platforms is desirable.
• Experience using the 8x8 phone platform or similar is desirable.

Skills

Culture

Sotheby’s describes its culture in terms of client service, specialist knowledge, curiosity, collaboration, and ethical conduct. Its careers materials emphasize working across disciplines and encouraging employees to explore internal opportunities.

About Cerulean

Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.