Set Director

Description

Set your sights on a career at Heritage Auctions, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with offices in New York, Chicago, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Munich, Germany and other cities. Heritage Auctions is the 3rd largest auction house in the world with 50 different Auction categories including, Entertainment, Popular Culture. Comics, Historical, Jewelry, Fine and Decorative Art, Wine, and many more.

Heritage Auctions is seeking a full-time Set Director who can do two things exceptionally well: create the vision for immersive auction preview environments and then physically bring that vision to life. This role is ideal for an accomplished set decorator, art director, or physical production designer who can combine creative concepting with hands-on, cost-effective execution across our galleries, trade shows, pop-ups, and special events worldwide.

The right candidate will transform exceptional offerings in entertainment, popular culture, music, historical, Sports and related categories into compelling physical settings that help clients see, understand, and connect with the items on display.

· Own both the creative vision and the practical build of large-scale set designs, gallery installations, and experiential displays for auction previews, exhibitions, trade shows, pop-ups, and client events.

· Translate auction themes, marquee consignments, and brand priorities into environments that feel elevated, immersive, and commercially effective.

· Source, rent, purchase, fabricate, repurpose, install, and dress furnishings, props, scenic materials, lighting accents, graphics, and other display elements.

· Work quickly and cost effectively while managing budgets, timelines, logistics, object safety, traffic flow, and installation constraints.

· Collaborate with specialists, marketing, events, operations, photography, facilities, shipping, and executives to ensure each installation supports the auction strategy.

· Prepare practical production plans, including mood boards, sourcing lists, schedules, vendor coordination, install plans, and strike plans.

· Lead on-site installation, dressing, troubleshooting, maintenance, and breakdown, including hands-on building, styling, and problem solving when needed.

· Coordinate preview and trade show logistics, including calendar scheduling, vendor and freight scheduling, and day-by-day setup and timelines to ensure an efficient, on-track installation and tear-down.

Requirements

· Significant experience in set decoration, art direction, production design, experiential design, visual merchandising, museum/exhibition design, live events, or a comparable physical design production role.

· Portfolio showing immersive environments, set builds, gallery displays, themed installations, or production design work.

· Strong creative taste, spatial awareness, and visual storytelling ability paired with practical fluency in materials, fabrication, rentals, props, vendors, budgets, schedules, and installation logistics.

· Ability to work hands-on, solve problems quickly, and collaborate across internal teams, contractors, vendors, installers, and specialists.

· Highly organized, calm under pressure, and able to manage multiple installations, deadlines, and evolving priorities.

· Willingness and ability to travel frequently to Heritage offices, galleries, trade shows, pop-ups, and events worldwide.

· Proficient in Microsoft Excel, including data organization, reporting, and spreadsheet management.

Ideal Candidate

· Background in film, television, theater, live events, retail environments, museums, brand activations, luxury exhibitions, or traveling installations.

· Passion for entertainment, sports, music, popular culture, collectibles, history, design, and the stories behind extraordinary objects.

· Comfort working around high-value, fragile, rare, or historically significant material.

Success in this role means creating memorable, visually striking environments that are logistically sound, cost conscious, and deeply engaging for collectors, consignors, press, and guests—helping Heritage bring extraordinary objects and cultural moments to life.

Heritage Auctions welcomes and encourages applications from women, minorities, veterans, mature workers, and persons with disabilities. EOE