Associate Director, Research

Associate Director of Research – Gagosian, New York

Gagosian seeks an Associate Director of Research to join its New York team. The Associate Director of Research works closely with the Director and Global Head of Research to advance and continuously refine the gallery’s research output. The role is scholarly and practical, combining hands‑on research and writing with collaborative leadership, operational support, and strategic thinking.

A central objective is to partner with departmental leadership and other stakeholders in developing research materials, ensuring 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 actively produces high‑quality research, supports team workflows, mentors junior colleagues, and translates broader research goals into clear, effective deliverables.

• Research, Writing, Editing & Sales Support: conduct in‑depth research and produce clear, persuasive written materials that contextualize primary and secondary market artworks to support 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 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 workflow development.
• Coordinate research needs for consignments, exhibitions, and art fairs.
• Identify opportunities to enhance research materials for 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 providing feedback on research produced by team members.
• Mentor junior colleagues and interns while contributing to a collaborative, rigorous, and collegial research culture.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.
• Pre‑tax flexible spending, dependent care, and commuter benefits.

$100,000–$110,000 annually, commensurate with experience.

This is a full‑time, salaried, exempt position with a Monday–Friday schedule.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V, committed to ensuring that all current and prospective employees are afforded equal opportunities.

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