Associate Director, Appraisals

About the role

The Associate Director, Appraisals is the senior production core of WAG's appraisal department, responsible for managing assigned appraisal projects from intake through final delivery with accuracy, efficiency, and excellent client care. This role owns the day-to-day coordination of the most complex appraisal assignments—liaising with clients, specialists, and colleagues to ensure every report meets WAG’s quality standards and USPAP requirements.

What you'll do

• Manage an active portfolio of complex appraisal assignments, coordinating all project components from initial engagement through final report delivery, including client intake, specialist outreach and scheduling, timeline tracking, and invoicing.
• Serve as the primary client contact on assigned projects, communicating status updates, answering procedural questions, and managing expectations with professionalism and responsiveness.
• Draft, edit, and assemble USPAP-compliant appraisal reports across assigned property categories, incorporating specialist valuations, market research, and comparable sale data.
• Coordinate with both internal and contractor specialists to obtain valuations, supporting documentation, and object-specific expertise for multi-category or complex appraisal assignments.
• Perform and support onsite examinations of personal property collections, including photography and cataloguing, with travel as required.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date project records in WAG’s CRM and project management systems, flagging status changes, scope adjustments, or timeline risks promptly.
• Contribute to departmental process improvements, template development, and workflow initiatives under the direction of the Director, Appraisals.
• Assign report production tasks to Appraisal Associate, as needed.
• Partner with Business Development and Advisory to build relationships with clients and referrers.
• Support Business Development with proposals and optimize appraisers' schedules.

Qualifications

• Minimum five to seven years of experience in personal property appraisal, art research, or a related art services role.
• Current USPAP certification (15-Hour USPAP or equivalent); professional designation (ASA, AAA, or equivalent) in progress or achieved.
• Expert organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple active project files simultaneously and meet deadlines reliably.
• Expert written communication skills, including the ability to draft clear appraisal narratives and professional client correspondence.
• Experience working in one or more personal property categories (fine art, decorative art, jewelry, silver, furniture, collectibles, or related disciplines).
• High comfort working within technology-enabled workflows and digital collection management platforms.
• Experience with auction databases and art market research tools (e.g., Invaluable, AskArt, MutualArt, Artnet, or equivalent).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace; comfort with CRM systems and project management platforms.
• Ability to travel for onsite examinations as project needs require.