Personal Assistant/department Assistant

**ABOUT SOTHEBY'S**

Established in 1744, Sotheby's is the world's premier destination for art and luxury. Synonymous with innovation, Sotheby's promotes access, connoisseurship and preservation of fine art and rare objects through auctions, private sales and retail locations. Our trusted global marketplace is supported by a network of specialists spanning 40 countries and 50 categories, which include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, Jewelry, Watches, Wine and Spirits, and Interiors, among many others.

**THE ROLE**

To research and co-ordinate for the Cologne sales and to assist in the general day-to-day functioning of the Cologne office.

**This role is based in Cologne, Germany and requires fluency in German and English.**

**RESPONSIBILITIES**
- Diary management, booking travel and complex schedules, managing expenses
- Act as a gate keeper for HoS and respond on her behalf when appropriate to internal and external queries
- Assist with day to day management and maintenance of lists such as pipeline, surelist and marketing promises, priority lists and filing, keeping extensive data records up to date
- Assist in preparing materials for sourcing and selling works, such as writing and preparing proposals, marketing sheets and selling points for sale as well as various other marketing initiatives e.g. invitation to consign etc.
- Assist in drafting and coordinating valuations for Cologne sales and insurance purposes under supervision of senior team members, and working closely with the experts to track progress and meet deadlines, in liaison with the valuation team in London
- Assist with sale related processes if/where required, e.g. photography, exhibition set up etc.
- Producing excellent power point presentations and tableau reports, as well as updating CRM and maintaining all client information up to date
- Assist the Sale Team in researching the whereabouts of specific artworks and work alongside Client Developer to research historical sales, for sourcing and selling
- Coordinate market research and competitive analyses in liaison with HoS and Business Director
- Assist with research for incoming requests and works consigned to GFA Sales and Private Sale, using Sotheby's library and systems (EOS, Valuations system etc.) and external resources as well as by liaising with internal and external experts, to the highest standard according to the scheduled deadline, for cataloguing assistance and to fulfil authenticity requirements
- Assist in preparing estimate meetings, sourcing meetings and follow ups
- Write catalogue entries, auction briefs or summary paragraph for marketing for various Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary Art sale catalogues, Private Sales works
- Daily monitoring of Phoenix Valuation Platform; assigning to respective regions and specialists, as well a regular review of follow chases
- Preparing feeds/posts for internal workplace community and Instagram for the Sales Team
- Support Sale Team projects and assisting the Sale Team with general duties/day-to-day business that may arise
- Working closely with the German GFA Sales team, as well as liaising closely with the German team, but also with the local neighboring country office and colleagues from other selling location involved in the sales in Cologne.
- Liaising with necessary support departments locally (e.g. logistic and operations) and internationally (e.g. marketing and visual display) other sale related departments (Prints, Photography, Design) for pre-sale coordination (visits and checks)
- Supporting sales in other locations in Europe when required
- Maintaining excellent levels of client service in line with corporate standards, acting as an ambassador for Sotheby's in both manner and appearance
- Operating at all times in accordance with the company's rules on compliance and corporate governance.

**IDEAL EXPERIENCE & COMPETENCIES**
- Excellent administrative skills, be dependable, discreet and diplomatic
- Demonstrate a high-level attention/eye for detail and a methodical approach
- Computer literate with an excellent working knowledge of Word, Excel, Acrobate and PowerPoint; and any internal system knowledge of Marq, Google Docs, Viking, Webnative, Valuations, CRM is advantageous
- Fluent in both German and English, written and spoken, is essential; an additional European language is advantageous
- Be a team player, capable of working well as part of a busy, highly pressurized environment, with good interpersonal skills and a friendly and approachable manner towards both clients and colleagues
- Ability to coordinate a busy schedule and prioritize workload, keeping to tight deadlines
- Background in art history or an interest and willingness to learn about fine and decorative arts, as well as art business
- Research and writing skills
- Strong organisational and project management skills with the ability of meeting deadlines
- Good communication skills, written and or