Gallery Director, New York

As Gallery Director, you will run The Oblist's gallery in New York: sales, client relationships and the daily operation of the space. You report to the co-founders, and to the Head of Trade Partnerships for trade accounts.

This is a selling role and an operating role at once. You close sales yourself, private and trade, and you run everything behind them, including imports through a customs broker.

You work with an Interior Design Advisor. The Advisor reports to you, receives visitors, and helps clients and designers select and specify pieces for their projects.

The position is full time and on site, with Saturdays and occasional evening events. Further details are shared during the interview process, under a confidentiality agreement.

Sales and clients

• Own the gallery's sales target, set each year with the co-founders.
• Receive private clients and collectors, advise them, and follow each sale from first visit to delivery.
• Set the standard of welcome at the gallery: how visitors are received, how appointments are prepared, how each client is followed up.
• Build and retain the gallery's private clientele in New York.

Trade

• Build accounts with New York architects, interior designers and hospitality groups, with the Head of Trade Partnerships.
• Host project presentations at the gallery, and keep the pipeline current in the CRM.
• Handle trade paperwork: resale certificates and sales tax on trade orders.

Programme, press and events

• Plan and oversee each installation with the curation team.
• Receive editors, stylists and journalists, and represent The Oblist in the New York design and art calendar.
• Host events and private presentations at the gallery.

Imports, customs and logistics

• Manage imports through a licensed customs broker: entries, tariff classification, duties and documentation.
• Brief and supervise the broker and the freight forwarders, check their invoices, and keep landed costs under control.
• Coordinate shipping, receiving and inspection with the logistics team.

Operations

• Prepare and lead the opening of the gallery: recruitment, suppliers, launch events.
• Run the space day to day: opening hours, condition of the pieces, security, suppliers, budget.
• Report monthly on sales, pipeline and costs.

Team

• Recruit, train and manage the Interior Design Advisor.

• Five years or more in client-facing sales or client relations at a design gallery, an art gallery, a design house or a high-end interior studio, several of them in New York.
• An established network of your own among New York interior designers, architects and collectors: relationships you can bring to the gallery from the first month. This is essential.
• A record of personally closing high-value sales, private and trade.
• Hands-on experience importing furniture, design or art into the United States: customs brokers, freight forwarders, duties, documentation.
• Experience running a space and a small team, with responsibility for a budget.
• Knowledge of contemporary design and of how pieces are made: materials, editions, made-to-order lead times.
• Ease with a CRM.
• Authorization to work in the United States.

• Commercial first: you like selling, and you follow every sale through to delivery.
• Hands-on and resourceful. You do what the gallery needs, from receiving a collector to unpacking a crate, and when a shipment is held or a piece arrives damaged, you find the solution yourself.
• A strong sense of hospitality: every visitor is received as a guest, whether or not they buy.
• A real passion for interior design and collectible design, shown by what you know of its designers, galleries and fairs.
• Rigorous with paperwork, figures and deadlines.
• Autonomous, with clear reporting: head office is six hours ahead.
• Present and discreet, for clients who expect both.

• French: a plus, not mandatory.
• Experience opening a gallery or a showroom.
• Relationships with art advisors and collectors.
• Experience with hospitality or commercial projects.

• Health insurance and paid time off.
• Full responsibility for The Oblist in New York, working directly with the co-founders.
• A team to recruit and lead.

With your CV, send a short note describing two or three sales or projects you led personally.

Professional references are required and will be checked for every shortlisted candidate: at least two, from former managers or clients.

The Oblist is an equal opportunity employer.