Auction house manager

An auction house manager is responsible for meeting with consignors, or sellers, discussing auction formats and terms and arranging auction timelines in an auction house. The manager fills out contracts, accepts and logs merchandise, and often works alone or in conjunction with an advertising specialist to promote auctions and attract buyers. The manager can answer buyer and seller questions about auction policies and procedures and provide information about the range of auction services available.

The daily activities of auction house managers typically include, but are not limited to:

• Overseeing the day-to-day operations of the auction house, i.e., planning, organizing, staffing, funding and directing the auction house
• Handling client inquiries and object assessments
• Vetting all consignments and accepting only appropriate items
• Managing the production of the sales catalogue
• Coordinating the photography for the sales catalogue
• Effectively matching buyers and sellers based on their mutual interests
• Preparing marketing strategies and plans
• Overseeing all levels of the auction house’s operations such as its annual budget, financial and fundraising aspects, plus exhibition planning, programming and development

Depending on how big an auction house is, an auction house manager may spend their day working at a desk or out on the floor, interacting with the public. They may need to climb scaffolding or ladders to access parts of exhibits or lift heavy or bulky items for displays.

Auction house managers mainly work a full-time schedule, during normal business hours. Larger organizations may require them to travel to assess potential additions to the auction house’s collection. Additionally, if an exhibit is open on the weekend, the auction house manager may be required to work during those hours.

The following job titles also refer to auction house manager:

auctioneer
valuer
auction house director
auction house administrator

An auction house manager should have at least a bachelor’s degree in fine arts, arts history, or museum studies. However, a doctoral degree on the auction house’s specialty or two graduate degrees is quite common in this competitive field.

Furthermore, to be hired as an auction house manager typically requires several years of auction house, gallery or museum management experience. One way to acquire such experience is to start off at a small regional auction house or museum to gain experience and knowledge.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Auction house manager is a Skill level 4 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to auction house manager.

museum director
exhibition registrar
collection manager
exhibition curator
cultural facilities manager

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of auction house manager.

• Financial management: The field of finance that concerns the practical process analysis and tools for designating financial resources. It encompasses the structure of businesses, the investment sources, and the value increase of corporations due to managerial decision-making.
• Corporate social responsibility: The handling or managing of business processes in a responsible and ethical manner considering the economic responsibility towards shareholders as equally important as the responsibility towards environmental and social stakeholders.
• Budgetary principles: Principles of estimating and planning of forecasts for business activity, compile regular budget and reports.
• Auction characteristics: Specifications of auctions and different auction types, e.g. open vs. closed auctions; bidding strategies such as chandelier bids, bid shading, etc.
• Product comprehension: The offered products, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.

These skills are necessary for the role of auction house manager.

• Manage supplies: Monitor and control the flow of supplies that includes the purchase, storage and movement of the required quality of raw materials, and also work-in-progress inventory. Manage supply chain activities and synchronise supply with demand of production and customer.
• Manage budgets: Plan, monitor and report on the budget.
• Manage staff: Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.
• Manage operational budgets: Prepare, monitor and adjust operational budgets together with the economical/administrative manager/professionals in the arts institute/unit/project.
• Initiate contact with sellers: Identify sellers of commodities and establish contact.
• Set auction listing agreement: Set up a contract executed by the auctioneer and the seller; list the terms of the agreement and the rights and responsibilities of every party involved.
• Prepare for auction: Identify and set up location for auction; prepare and display auctioned items; prepare the auction room by setting seats and microphones.
• Supervise daily information operations
• Manage auction house: Manage the daily operations of an auction house. Organise all activities and coordinate the different departments functioning within an auction house. Develop a plan of action and arrange the necessary funds.
• Identify new business opportunities
• Build business relationships
• Follow company standards

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of auction house manager. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Items specialty available for auction: Nature of the items to be auctioned such as overstock furniture, real estate, livestock, etc.
• Public auction procedures: The regulations involved in the repossession and consequent selling of goods in public auctions in order to obtain the amount owed by an individual as ruled by a court of law.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of auction house manager. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Apply conflict management: Take ownership of the handling of all complaints and disputes showing empathy and understanding to achieve resolution. Be fully aware of all Social Responsibility protocols and procedures, and be able to deal with a problematic gambling situation in a professional manner with maturity and empathy.
• Strive for company growth: Develop strategies and plans aiming at achieving a sustained company growth, be the company self-owned or somebody else’s. Strive with actions to increase revenues and positive cash flows.
• Speak different languages: Master foreign languages to be able to communicate in one or more foreign languages.
• Monitor activities: Monitor all the activities of an artistic organisation.
• Use different communication channels: Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.
• Act as a company ambassador: Represent and defend the interests of the company to customers, and provide workable solutions to problems. Pursue the highest quality customer service.
• Apply strategic thinking: Apply generation and effective application of business insights and possible opportunities, in order to achieve competitive business advantage on a long-term basis.
• Arrange security of goods for auction: Arrange transportation, insurance, and safety and security regulations for goods to be sold at an auction.
• Fix meetings: Fix and schedule professional appointments or meetings for clients or superiors.
• Plan health and safety procedures
• Develop professional network: Reach out to and meet up with people in a professional context. Find common ground and use your contacts for mutual benefit. Keep track of the people in your personal professional network and stay up to date on their activities.
• Initiate contact with buyers: Identify buyers of commodities and establish contact.
• Advertise auction sales: Promote auction sales on radio and TV, in trade magazines, online and via catalogue distribution and other channels.
• Create auction catalogue: Compose auction catalogues with current items up for auction; include recent pictures and terms and conditions of the sale.

1221 – Sales and marketing managers

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References

• ESCO
• How to Become an Art Auctioneer – The Balance Careers
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Featured image: By Williamwildstinson – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63397849