Senior Specialist, Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art, London

THE ROLE

The Specialist, Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art, plays an integral role in sourcing, cataloguing, and selling works across Sotheby’s London and New York Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art sales, inclusive of live auctions, online auctions, and private sales. The role combines deep subject-matter expertise, rigorous scholarship, and strong client-facing skills with proactive business development and operational excellence. The Specialist will work closely with colleagues across EMEA, US and globally to cultivate consignments, steward clients, and contribute to the strategic growth and visibility of the Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art category, becoming an active member of Sotheby’s global specialist community.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Proactively identify, source, and secure works forModern and Contemporary South Asian Art sales, developing coherent and dynamic business-getting strategies in partnership with colleagues across London, EMEA, and global teams.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with collectors, advisors, institutions, fiduciaries, and key market stakeholders, ensuring exceptional client service and loyalty.
• Participate in valuation projects and proposal development, evaluating property at Sotheby’s and at client locations, including international travel as appropriate.
• Help drive private-sale opportunities alongside auction consignments, identifying key selling points and supporting targeted, proactive outreach.
• Meet individual consignment and revenue goals, contributing meaningfully to annual sales, private-sale targets, and departmental strategic objectives.
• Provide high-level expertise in Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art, ensuring the highest scholarly standards in cataloguing, research, and contextualization of works.
• Oversee or contribute to the cataloguing process, including research, catalogue entries, essays, provenance work, condition reporting, and catalog production and layout.
• Partner with internal and external scholars to strengthen expertise and accuracy; uphold rigorous research and editorial standards that align with Sotheby’s global criteria.
• Support full sale execution, including exhibition oversight, pre-sale client walkthroughs, client communication, and competitive bidding support during live auctions.
• Help track client interest, communicate activity to the wider specialist team, and actively “sell the sale” during exhibition and preview periods.
• Ensure proactive and accurate management of consignment-related costs, including terms, deal margins, marketing, logistics, loans, and other financial elements.
• Liaise with Photography, Marketing, Press, Proposals, Registrations, and Operations to ensure seamless sale preparation from intake through settlement.
• Maintain departmental archives, research materials, and library resources, ensuring their continued accuracy, accessibility, and strategic use.
• Support the Heads of Department with coordination of departmental priorities, internal communication, and implementation of new initiatives.
• Coordinate information flow between the department, internal partners, and the Head of Department, ensuring clarity and smooth execution of daily operations.
• Prepare estimate requests, NSVs, and client correspondence at a professional standard
• Liaise with Marketing and Press teams to support social media, digital visibility, and audience engagement for the category.
• Assist with highlight exhibition organization, promotional activity, and the movement and tracking of property in collaboration with the Department Coordinator and Administrator.
• Serve as a collaborative partner to colleagues in adjacent departments, contributing to the broader regional and global ecosystem of specialists.
• Serve as a role model of scholarship, client service, and professional conduct within the Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art department.
• Support the development and mentorship of cataloguers, coordinators, and junior colleagues, offering guidance in research practices, cataloguing methods, and sale process management.
• Uphold the highest standards of Sotheby’s corporate governance, compliance, ethics, and client confidentiality in every interaction.

 

IDEAL EXPERIENCE & COMPETENCIES

• 8+ years of experience in Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art through an auction house, gallery, museum, or private dealership.
• Scholarly training in Art History or a related field, with demonstrated expertise and a sustained engagement in Modern and Contemporary Indian & South Asian Art.
• Proven ability to evaluate works, produce polished research, and manage cataloguing assignments with precision and authority.
• Strong working knowledge of the full auction cycle, including valuations, consignments, catalogue production, sale execution, and private sales.
• Demonstrated success in building and servicing high-level client relationships.
• Strong business acumen with a track record in business-getting or a demonstrable aptitude for developing new business.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey scholarly insight clearly and persuasively to clients and colleagues.
• Highly organized, deadline-driven, and composed under pressure, with the ability to prioritize effectively across multiple workstreams.
• Collaborative, flexible, and team-oriented, with a willingness to “pitch in” as needed.
• Fluent English required; additional European languages are beneficial.
• Unquestionable integrity, sound judgment, and commitment to high professional standards.