Research Assistant, Private Sales - Post-War & Contemporary Art (Temporary)

CMW Ltd Company; New York (NY); On-site; USD 30,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

Christie's in New York is seeking a Research Assistant for Private Sales in Post-War & Contemporary Art (Temporary). You will assist Specialists with provenance research, prepare fact sheets, coordinate image editing, and write artwork essays to support the sales cycle.

The role requires a degree, strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and confident communication with staff and clients; additional language skills are a plus for this temporary assignment.

Qualifications

• Passion for Post-War and Contemporary Art and wider arts.
• Well organized with proven ability to work calmly under pressure.
• Strong follow-up and attention to detail.
• Ability to converse with staff and clients in a confident and articulate manner.
• Undergraduate or postgraduate degree required.

Responsibilities

• Assist Specialists with researching works for upcoming sale, including provenance and exhibition history checks.
• Produce fact sheets for floating and consigned works.
• Respond to internal inquiries for Fact Sheets and prices.
• Coordinate image editing and photography.
• Write artwork essays.
• Support the proposal preparation process.
• Assist with gallery guide and price list creation.
• Assist with installing galleries for private sale views and mounting lot cards.
• Perform general department tasks as assigned by line manager.

Skills

Passion for Post-War & ContemporaryArt

Organized

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Additional language skills

Education

Bachelor's or higher degree

Job description

Research Assistant, Private Sales - Post-War & Contemporary Art (Temporary)

The Company

Christie's, the world's largest Art Business, is an incredibly exciting & enriching place to start or continue your career. Whether you work within one of our Specialist Art Departments or in our more Operational focused teams we are all working together with one common goal in mind: to continue the success of this 250 year old company, steeped in history, bringing constant innovation whilst not forgetting our age old values; Passionate Expertise, Exceptional Client Service, Teamwork, Integrity, Business Judgement & Innovation. Colleagues across all departments are truly passionate about what they do and it is constantly inspiring to work with industry leaders across all segments of the business.

Why This Role Matters

The Research Coordinator role at Christie's will be exposed to the art world and auction industry through hands-on experience in the Post-War & Contemporary Art department. The duties are varied, and will follow the cycle of the sales calendar as well as certain duties to support overall department activity.

How You'll Make an Impact

• Assisting Specialists in researching works for upcoming sale. This includes, but is not limited to, provenance and exhibition history research, and undertaking literature checks.
• Produce fact sheets for floating and consigned works
• Respond to internal inquiries for Fact Sheets and prices as needed
• Coordinate image editing and photography
• Writing artwork essays
• Respond to internal inquiries for Fact Sheets and prices as needed
• Supporting the proposal preparation process
• Assist with gallery guide and price list creation
• Assist with installing the galleries for private sale views, which includes compiling and mounting lot cards, and taking installation images for each work
• General department tasks as assigned by line manager

What you'll bring to the team

• Demonstrable passion for Post-War and Contemporary Art in particular, and the wider arts in general
• Well organized, with a proven ability to work calmly under pressure in a professional environment
• Strong follow-up and attention to detail
• Ability to converse with staff and clients in a confident and articulate manner
• Additional language skills are desirable, however not mandatory
• Candidates must be have completed an undergraduate or postgraduate degree, and be able to work full time

Christie's, Inc. is committed to principles of equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, and to compliance with all federal, state, and local laws concerning employment discrimination, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. To this end, Christie's Inc. ensures equal opportunity to all employees and applicants, regardless of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, lawful alien status, physical, mental, and medical disability, veteran status or liability status for service in the United States Armed Forces.

Posted salary range does not include discretionary overtime pay.

Closing Date: November 13th, 2026

Compensation Range

Hourly: $22.00 - $24.00