Expert Tribal Art

Job description

At Catawiki, every day brings the extraordinary! Whether it’s [Daniel Ricciardo’s Formula 1 Car](https://www.catawiki.com/en/c/583-sports-memorabilia), a [Woolly Mammoth’s Skeleton](https://www.catawiki.com/en/c/579-fossils), [Lady Gaga's Jumpsuit](https://www.catawiki.com/en/l/10035805) or [Usain Bolt’s running shoe](https://www.catawiki.com/en/c/583-sports-memorabilia), we encounter exceptional objects every day. We’re a one-of-a-kind marketplace for buying and selling special objects. Each week, more than 100,000 unique items are auctioned, all carefully curated by our passionate in-house experts. Having sold over 25 million unique objects, our mission is to become the world’s most popular destination for special objects. As a growing, diverse and sustainable scale-up, we proudly live by three core values. If these values resonate with you, we’d love to explore how you can join us. - Taking ownership and driving impact - Being open to change and feedback - Being passionate about our mission and our customers. ## Your Mission Use your specialist expertise in Southeast Asian, Oceanic or Americas Art & Antiques to curate high-quality auctions, applying sound judgement to authenticity, provenance, quality and commercial relevance. Combine expert curation with seller development and market insight to strengthen the category, grow high-quality supply and identify new commercial opportunities. ## What You’ll Do - Curate high-quality auctions by evaluating objects for authenticity, age, attribution, condition, provenance, market relevance and buyer appeal. - Safeguard trust and responsible trade by researching provenance, identifying potential risks and applying authenticity, quality and compliance standards consistently. - Grow high-quality supply by identifying and developing relationships with dealers, galleries, collectors, professional sellers and collection owners across Europe and relevant international markets. - Support sellers with specialist knowledge and practical guidance on estimates, reserve prices, timing, presentation and object quality to improve auction performance. - Identify category growth opportunities using market insight and auction data, including buyer demand, supply quality, sell-through and average object value. - Develop and test auction themes, seller initiatives and process improvements, taking ownership from initial idea through execution and results. - Share specialist knowledge and commercial insights with colleagues to strengthen curation standards, market understanding and the wider Asian & Tribal Art team. ## What You’ll Bring - Demonstrable specialist expertise in Southeast Asian, Oceanic or Americas Art & Antiques, plus good knowledge of at least one additional area within the role’s wider scope. - Professional experience in the art, antiques, auction, gallery, dealer, collecting, curatorial or online marketplace environment, with the ability to assess authenticity, attribution, quality, condition and provenance. - Strong research skills using specialist literature, archives, databases and auction records, alongside awareness of cultural-property, responsible-sourcing and provenance considerations. - A strong understanding of the European art and antiques market and auction dynamics, including estimates, reserve prices, sell-through, buyer demand and supply quality. - A commercial and proactive approach, with the confidence to develop relationships with dealers, collectors and professional sellers and identify opportunities for category growth. - Strong written and verbal communication skills in English, attention to detail and sound judgement, with confidence using digital platforms, data and research tools. - The ability to work independently, take ownership and collaborate effectively, with willingness to travel periodically. Expertise in African Art & Antiques, an established specialist network, relevant additional languages or broader regional expertise are strong advantages. ## How We Work - Work closely with experts, account managers, Business Development, Marketing, the Category Lead and Category Manager to develop opportunities and strengthen auction performance. - Take ownership of opportunities and projects while contributing to shared team goals and openly sharing specialist knowledge. - Research beyond your primary specialism, recognise the boundaries of your expertise and seek additional specialist input when needed. - Combine object-level research, seller relationships and auction performance data to inform decisions and continuously improve ways of working. ## Where You’ll Be This is a Europe-based role that can be based in any of our European offices. ### **Why You'll Love Working with Us** - **Create a visible impact** by working at scale in a global organisation serving millions of customers across 80+ categories. In our flat structure, every role has a broad scope and directly impacts both our customers and the business. - **Learn and grow** through our Learning & Development initiatives, including clear development plans and mentorship programmes to support your career progression. - **A culture of connection defines us**. We’re a passionate, diverse team of 800+ Catawikians representing 60+ nationalities. We foster an inclusive and queer-friendly environment where everyone is encouraged to bring their full self to work. - **Celebrate life’s moments with us.** You’ll receive a €100 Catavoucher when you join, a €50 Catavoucher on your birthday, and an extra day off each year to “Pursue Your Passion**”**. We also offer additional leave for key work anniversaries and important life events. Benefits may vary by location. ### **Our Offices and Way of Working** Our vibrant offices in Amsterdam and Lisbon are designed to inspire collaboration. Most Catawikians operate in a hybrid setup, combining office-based and remote work, with a minimum of two days per week in the office, unless a role is explicitly stated as fully remote or fully office-based. ### **Interested?** Apply with an English CV and Cover Letter. By applying, you agree to [Catawiki’s Applicant Privacy Policy.](https://www.catawiki.com/conditions/applicant-privacy-policy.pdf) If you’re excited about this role but don’t meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.