Office Manager for Auction & Customer Operations

B & D Auctions; Westminster (MD); On-site; USD 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation and sick leave

Paid company holidays

401(k) with company match

Employee auction benefits

Small-business environment

Job summary

B&D Auctions is seeking a confident Office Manager to oversee front-office operations in Westminster, MD. This full-time, on-site role requires strong organization, clear communication, and a willingness to learn the auction business.

You will handle calls, emails, and customer messages, coordinate appointments, maintain records, and support with invoicing and consignor communications as part of a team dedicated to smooth daily operations.

Qualifications

• Experience in office management or administrative roles preferred.
• Strong organizational and multitasking abilities.
• Excellent communication and customer-service skills.
• Willing to learn new processes and systems.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day office flow and front-office operations.
• Handle calls, emails, and customer messages professionally.
• Direct inquiries to appropriate team members and gather context.
• Maintain organized records for customers, consignors, and auctions.
• Support with invoicing, payments, pickups, and general procedures.
• Coordinate appointments, pickups, and office-related activities.

Tools

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Excel

CRM software

Job description

B&D Auctions is a busy, established online auction company specializing in antiques, collectibles, estates, and unique property. We are looking for a confident, highly organized Office Manager to help oversee our front-office operations and keep our fast-moving business organized, responsive, and running smoothly.

We are looking for someone who notices what needs to be done, follows through, communicates clearly, and is willing to learn the many moving parts of our business.

The right person will become a trusted point of contact for our customers, consignors, staff, and owners while working closely with the rest of our auction team.

What You’ll Do

The Office Manager will help manage the day-to-day flow of the office and customer-service side of our auction operation, including:

• Answering incoming phone calls, emails, and customer messages in a professional and welcoming manner
• Listening carefully to determine what a caller needs and either assisting them or directing the call to the appropriate team member
• Gathering enough information before transferring or escalating a call so the next person has the context they need
• Directing potential consignment and sales inquiries to the appropriate auctioneer
• Providing professional and empathetic customer service to bidders and consignors to strengthen relationships
• Helping customers with invoices, payments, pickup questions, account issues, and general auction procedures
• Recognizing when a customer-service concern can be handled independently and when it should be escalated
• Scheduling appointments, pickups, drop-offs, and other office-related activities
• Maintaining organized customer, consignor, and auction records
• Assisting with consignor communication, documentation, and payment processes
• Following up on outstanding questions and tasks through resolution
• Communicating information between the office, auction staff, shipping department, and warehouse
• Keeping office procedures, calendars, records, and administrative systems organized
• Supporting auction-day and post-auction office operations
• Taking on new administrative projects as the needs of the business evolve
• Assisting with marketing and customer communications, which may include following established processes to help prepare auction emails, announcements, or other communications

We Don’t Expect You to Know Everything on Day One

The auction business has a learning curve, and we do not expect someone to walk through the door knowing every answer.

In fact, we would much rather have someone ask questions than guess.

During training, we expect you to ask questions, verify information, take notes, and continue learning until you are confident in the answer you are giving a customer or consignor.

As your knowledge of our systems, policies, customers, and auction process grows, so will your ability to handle situations independently.

Good judgment is important. Part of this position is learning what you can confidently handle, who within the company has the expertise to answer a particular question, and when something needs to be escalated to ownership.

Customer Service Matters

Our customers contact us for many different reasons. Some conversations are simple. Others may involve confusion, frustration, valuable property, sentimental belongings, or an estate being handled during a difficult time.

We are looking for someone who can listen first, communicate with empathy, gather the facts, and help move the conversation toward a solution.

You should be comfortable speaking on the phone and communicating professionally by email and in person.

Auction experience is helpful but not required. We can teach the auction business.

This Is a Team Environment

Our workload changes throughout our biweekly auction cycle.

There are times when the office is extremely busy and other times when the administrative workload slows down. When that happens, we expect everyone to be willing to pivot and help where the business needs them.

That could mean assisting on the auction floor, helping prepare items for pickup, supporting the shipping department, working on a special project, organizing an area, or helping the team get ready for the next auction.

We are a small business, and keeping our workplace clean and organized is a shared responsibility across the team.

No one here operates entirely inside their own lane.

Technology & Organization

Strong computer skills are important for this position.

You should be comfortable working efficiently with:

• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Excel
• Email, calendars, and shared files
• Web-based software and customer-management systems
• Multiple programs and browser windows throughout the workday

You do not need to know every program we use before starting, but you should be comfortable learning new technology and figuring out new systems.

Experience with spreadsheets, data entry, record-keeping, scheduling, customer databases, or business-management software is a plus.

Who Will Thrive Here

You may be a great fit if you are:

• Exceptionally organized and good at keeping track of details
• Comfortable and professional on the phone
• Proactive without being afraid to ask questions
• A strong listener
• Friendly and empathetic while still able to enforce company policies
• Able to prioritize when several things need attention at once
• Good at following through and closing loops
• Comfortable switching between different types of work throughout the day
• Efficient and confident with computers
• Able to learn new systems quickly
• Willing to take notes, ask questions, and build expertise over time
• Able to maintain confidentiality and use good judgment
• Comfortable taking on new projects
• Someone who enjoys creating order and helping a team stay organized

Experience in office management, banking, customer service, professional services, property management, logistics, hospitality, medical administration, or another fast-paced administrative environment could translate particularly well to this position.

About B&D Auctions

B&D Auctions has been connecting buyers and sellers since 2004. Today, we operate large online auctions featuring antiques, collectibles, estates, furniture, jewelry, artwork, vehicles, and an ever-changing variety of unique property.

No two weeks look exactly the same.

Our auctions involve thousands of items and require our photography, cataloging, warehouse, shipping, customer-service, and administrative teams to work together closely.

We value professionalism, honesty, good judgment, teamwork, willingness to learn, and people who take pride in doing their jobs well.

Schedule

This is a full-time, on-site position in Westminster, Maryland.

Our schedule revolves around a biweekly auction cycle, so some days are significantly busier than others. The Office Manager should be comfortable working within that rhythm and adapting as priorities change throughout the auction cycle.

Benefits

B&D Auctions offers a competitive compensation package along with benefits that include:

• Paid vacation and sick leave
• Paid company holidays, including an extended winter holiday
• 401(k) plan with company match
• Employee auction benefits
• A stable, established small-business environment where your work has a visible impact

What We’re Really Looking For

We can teach someone how our auctions work.

What is much harder to teach is curiosity, follow-through, empathy, organization, adaptability, and the willingness to ask questions and learn.

If you are the kind of person who likes creating order, helping people, solving problems, learning new things, and being part of a team where everyone pitches in, we would love to hear from you.