Associate Director, Research

Associate Director, Research

Department: Research

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: 555 W 24th Street

Reporting To: Director, Research

Compensation: $100,000 - $110,000 / year

Description

Gagosian seeks an Associate Director of Research to join its New York team.

The Associate Director of Research is a senior research position that works closely with the Director and Global Head of Research to advance and continuously refine the gallery's research output. The role is both scholarly and practical, combining hands-on research and writing with collaborative leadership, operational support, and strategic thinking.

A central objective of the position is to serve as a key partner to departmental leadership and other stakeholders in the ongoing development of research materials-helping to ensure that the gallery's research practices, content, and work product remain best in class. This includes contributing to new and evolving approaches to research presentations, documentation, and internal and public-facing resources that support the gallery's sales, exhibitions, artist, and content teams.

The Associate Director of Research plays an active role in producing high-quality research, supporting team workflows, mentoring junior colleagues, and helping translate broader research goals into clear, effective deliverables.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to

Research, Writing, Editing & Sales Support

- Conduct in-depth research and produce, review, and refine clear, persuasive written materials that contextualize primary and secondary market artworks, highlighting significant historical, formal, and market considerations to support both internal sales understanding and client-facing conversations.
- Provide contextual and market research to inform pricing and positioning discussions.
- Work extensively with in-house and external libraries, databases, and, when appropriate, archival and primary source materials.
- Lead and support detailed object research and cataloguing, including provenance, exhibition history, bibliographic verification, and comparative analysis.
- Research museum holdings, private collections, and notable ownership histories of comparable works.

Research Leadership & Strategic Development- Partner closely with the Director and Global Head of Research to advance departmental priorities, research standards, and the ongoing development of workflows, templates, and presentation formats.
- Coordinate research needs for consignments, exhibitions, and art fairs.
- Identify opportunities to enhance research materials for both internal use and external audiences.
- Contribute ideas and practical input toward refining research workflows, templates, and formats.

Team Support, Mentorship & Workflow Coordination- Serve as direct manager for select team members. Support day-to-day research operations by assigning and tracking projects and deadlines, and by reviewing and providing feedback on research produced by team members.
- Mentor junior colleagues and interns while contributing to a collaborative, rigorous, and collegial research culture.

Qualifications & Experience

- Master's degree or advanced degree in modern or contemporary art history (or a closely related field) required.

- 7+ years' professional experience in a commercial gallery, auction house, museum, or comparable art-world institution.
- Managerial experience preferred.
- Demonstrated experience producing sales-focused research dossiers and contextual materials on individual artworks.
- Strong background in object research and cataloguing best practices.
- Extensive experience working with libraries, databases, online resources, and primary source materials.
- Exceptional writing, editing, and analytical skills.
- Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate across teams and with senior stakeholders.
- Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple time-sensitive projects.
- Demonstrated discretion and sound judgment in a fast-paced, high-level environment.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and Adobe Acrobat.

- Experience with Adobe InDesign or similar design tools preferred but not required.
- Familiarity with information systems or data architecture a plus.

Profile of the Ideal Candidate- A rigorous and curious researcher who values both deep scholarship and practical application.
- Comfortable working in close partnership with senior leadership.
- Thoughtful, collaborative, and dependable.
- Open to learning new systems, tools, and processes.
- An innovative thinker with openness to new ideas, methodologies, and technologies.
- Detail-oriented while maintaining awareness of broader strategic goals.
- Invested in contributing to a strong, team-oriented research culture.

Benefits and perks

- Comprehensive benefits suite through Cigna, including a fully subsidized employee only level HSA plan
- Met Life pet insurance
- A 401(k) retirement savings plan with a company match
- Employee discount on Gagosian products and publications
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