Sotheby's Gallery and Exhibition Planning Manager

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

• Lead development of the Paris sales and exhibition calendar with Specialist departments, Sales Directors, General Managers, Bids, Private Sales, and regional colleagues.
• Manage turnaround timelines and coordinate schedules across Paris galleries and activities.
• Communicate sale dates to global colleagues and competitors where appropriate.
• Lead annual worldwide gallery scheduling and ensure alignment across regions.
• Promptly notify global counterparts of changes and maintain communication channels to prevent conflicts.
• Liaise with scheduling counterparts at other major houses to monitor and mitigate sale-calendar clashes.
• Serve as the primary contact for Paris space allocation, covering exhibitions, private sales, events, viewings, and construction impacts.
• Coordinate with the Logistic Manager on space allocation.
• Assess space requests, identify conflicts and downstream impacts, and recommend allocations or adjustments.
• Keep teams informed of building constraints, closures, and schedule changes.
• Maintain real-time awareness of building activity, upcoming sales, major art fairs, and global events affecting schedules.
• Share updates and planning documents with internal stakeholders to ensure alignment.
• Work with Logistics, the Exhibition Manager, and Facilities to improve space flow, functionality, and visitor experience.
• Translate exhibition design concepts into executable plans, coordinating with Exhibition Design on intent, materials, timelines, and constraints.
• Lead installations and breakdowns with the Art Handling team, ensuring safe, efficient movement and placement of property.
• Plan and manage gallery turnovers, lighting adjustments, and required construction or customizations.
• Partner with Facilities teams, including Carpentry, Electrical, and Painting, to ensure built elements, repairs, and adjustments meet design and safety standards.
• Manage project costs, keep expenditures within approved budgets, and identify savings across Gallery and Exhibition design.
• Manage two direct reports: the Exhibition Manager and Logistics Manager.
• Work with Events, Facilities, Marketing, and Logistics to communicate how programming decisions affect timelines, labor planning, and readiness.
• Escalate scheduling conflicts early and propose solutions that meet business needs.
• Partner closely with the Director of Gallery Operations to ensure adequate turnaround time for deinstallation, installation, and exhibition resets.
• Work with the Head of Warehouse and Exhibition Manager to plan property transfer schedules and incorporate logistical constraints into the programming calendar.
• Map projected costs associated with compressed turnovers, secure required budget approvals, and communicate financial impacts to leadership.
• Lead the Gallery Operations and Exhibition Operations teams, fostering hospitality, precision, and accountability.
• Manage and develop Art Handlers, establishing clear expectations, safe practices, and strong communication.
• Execute programming developed by the Gallery and Exhibition Programming Manager, translating requirements into actionable plans.
• Oversee daily gallery conditions to keep spaces visually brand-enhancing, safe, and aligned with design standards.
• Keep all Back-of-House (BOH) areas tidy, organized, and optimized for efficient property flow and safe working conditions.
• Plan overtime for the Property Handler team and assign daily tasks to the team based at the Breuer, staying within budget and escalating to the VP when timelines or project compression make this unattainable.
• Oversee gallery readiness during pre-sale, sale, and post-sale periods.
• Resolve installation challenges creatively and diplomatically, escalating issues when necessary.
• Set up exhibition kick-off meetings with Specialist departments and Exhibition Design, establishing clear timelines and structured planning.
• Hold cross-functional teams accountable to deadlines to deliver exhibitions on schedule and to a consistently high standard.
• Oversee the planning, presentation, and upkeep of all ground-floor display vitrines, keeping them curated, visually compelling, and aligned with business, exhibition, and commercial calendars.
• Coordinate the vitrine program across departments, managing schedules, content rotations, and installations to maintain a dynamic, premium presentation.
• Oversee presentation and operational readiness of first-floor client areas, including the Restaurant and Salon spaces, maintaining high standards and an exceptional client experience.
• Liaise between Gallery Operations, Restaurant, and Hospitality teams, coordinating activities, shared spaces, and schedules for seamless daily operations throughout the building.
• Maintain client-facing areas, signage, wayfinding, and displays to support a high-quality visitor journey from arrival through departure.

Qualifications

• Strong project management and planning skills.
• Demonstrated ability to own and maintain schedules, anticipate constraints, and manage tight turnarounds across multiple stakeholders.
• Proven cross-functional partnership experience.
• Confident communication and effective problem-solving skills, including the ability to resolve conflicts professionally and escalate issues appropriately.
• Strong understanding of spatial planning, exhibition scenography, visitor flow, and client experience design.
• Education from a leading design or interior architecture school, such as Penninghen or École Camondo, or an equivalent institution, is a plus.
• Financial and resource awareness, including understanding labor and cost impacts associated with compressed schedules.
• People management experience, including oversight of direct reports and coordination of team workflows.
• Attention to detail and high standards in visual presentation and client experience.
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends as required by business needs.
• Fluency in French and English.

Skills

Experience

5–7 years of relevant experience in gallery operations, exhibition planning, auction house operations, museum operations, or a comparable environment.

Education

Education from a leading design or interior architecture school, such as Penninghen or École Camondo, or an equivalent institution, is a plus.

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.