Client Accounts Receivable Manager

ABOUT SOTHEBY'S

Established in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s premier destination for art and luxury. Sotheby’s promotes access to and ownership of exceptional art and luxury objects through auctions and buy-now channels including private sales, e-commerce and retail. Our trusted global marketplace is supported by an industry-leading technology platform and a network of specialists spanning 40 countries and 70 categories which include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, Jewelry, Watches, Wine and Spirits, and Design, as well as collectible cars and real estate. Sotheby’s believes in the transformative power of art and culture and is committed to making our industries more inclusive, sustainable and collaborative.

THE ROLE

Established in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s largest, most trusted and dynamic marketplace for art and luxury. We empower our international community of collectors and connoisseurs to discover, acquire, finance and consign fine art and rare objects. Our reputation for trust and authenticity is backed by our unparalleled global network of specialists spanning 40 countries and 50 categories, which include Contemporary Art including NFTs, Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, jewellery, watches, wine and spirits, and interiors, among many others. Guided by our forward-thinking spirit of innovation, we host over 600 auctions annually and offer a cross-category selection of items available for immediate purchase via both digital and physical shopping experiences as well as private sales.

The Client Accounts Receivable Manager is responsible for providing exceptional client service for a portfolio of sales.  This position oversees all client accounts activities from the auction through to payment and release on behalf of all internal and external clients whilst ensuring that all transactions comply with both internal and external financial rules and regulations.  The responsibilities of this position include but are not limited to the following:

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Overseeing the billing and issuing of all client related financial outputs e.g. invoices, statements, terms letters etc, working closely with the relevant post-sale coordinator and/or shipping lead (navigating Freshdesk tickets collaboratively to provide a streamlined client experience)
• Managing “no bid” clients and escalate requests as appropriate to ensure swift decision making and communication to clients
• Working closely with the bids office to reconcile all necessary information to invoice the sale and avoid after sale reinvoicing requests
• Taking deposit or requesting bank reference when necessary and processing deposit refund for unsuccessful bids
• Managing or escalating all extended payment term requests in respect of the corporate governance thresholds and ensure all required documentation is obtained before a sale in coordination with the business manager/director
• Proactively “close” a sale financially: collecting and managing all outstanding client debt and collaborating with client service operations to facilitate collection or shipments once payment has been completed
• Working with expert departments and relationship managers in respect of extended payment terms, property release, trade credit facilities, anti-money laundering (AML) regulations and debt collection
• Using discretion within corporate governance in respect of credit, payment terms, property release and the managing and collecting of charges (e.g. interest, storage)
• Managing chargebacks as part of the auto charge process as well as monitoring Adyen and Stripe
• Responsible for all payment activity reconciliations (including wire and credit card payment reports)
• Support compliance based activities, for example the collection of client due diligence forms (if required)

Client Accounts Management 

• Responsible for contributing to the end to end delivery of the positive client-first experience
• Supporting in the compilation and maintenance of current process documentation
• Maintain SLAs for client communication (phone; email; Freshdesk) and act as point of escalation from 3rd Parties (such as call centre)
• Be prepared to support applicable client account activity at both a regional and global level
• Staying current with AML and other company policies & procedures
• Contributing to management reporting in respect of debtors and provisions
• Collaborating with technical experts, e.g. payments team, legal, compliance, tax, wider finance team etc and take ownership of all escalated issues that relate to buyer payments
• Collaborating with all areas of client service operations to ensure high standards