Publisher​/Business Unit Executive

About the job Publisher/Business Unit Executive

Arkansas Talent Group isseeking a dynamic business leader, sales strategist and creative thinker to lead one of several established media brands for our client. While the traditional title for this position is Publisher
, this is not a role reserved for someone who has spent their career in publishing.

Think of this position more as the CEO of a business unit
.

The Publisher will have responsibility for the overall success of an established brand or division, including revenue growth, profitability, sales leadership, team performance, product strategy and long-term direction. Depending on the candidate's background and strengths, this individual could ultimately be placed over one of several business-to-consumer, business-focused or digital media brands.

The ideal candidate may come from sales leadership, business development, marketing, general management or another entrepreneurial leadership environment
. What matters most is the ability to lead people, grow revenue, understand a sophisticated audience and identify creative ways to connect businesses with that audience.

• Serve as the overall business leader for an established media brand or division with approximately $1.5M–$4M in annual revenue
  .
• Own the division's performance, including revenue growth, profitability, budgeting, expense management and overall P&L accountability.
• Establish short- and long-term strategies for growing the brand, audience and revenue.
• Lead, coach and develop a team that may include sales, content, creative, production or other professionals.
• Function as a senior sales leader
  , establishing expectations, monitoring performance, coaching the sales team and helping develop strategies for major accounts and opportunities.
• Identify new customers, partnerships, sponsor ships and revenue opportunities.
• Develop creative new products and offerings based on the needs of both the audience and advertisers/customers, including print, digital, events and other potential platforms.
• Work with sales and marketing teams to develop compelling proposals and customized solutions for businesses, organizations and government entities.
• Understand the needs of an affluent, educated and highly engaged audience of consumers and decision-makers and ensure products continue to deliver value to that audience.
• Help establish and maintain the quality standards of the brand, providing high-level direction without necessarily being the person writing, editing or designing the final product.
• Balance the sometimes-competing interests of the reader/audience, advertiser/customer and business while protecting the long-term credibility and value of the brand.
• Make sound business decisions even when the best decision for the audience or integrity of the product may create a difficult conversation with an advertiser or partner.
• Serve as a visible, credible representative of the organization within the business and broader community.
• Recruit, develop, motivate and manage employees while creating clear expectations and accountability.
• Collaborate with executive leadership to establish goals, budgets, performance metrics and growth initiatives.
• Bring an innovation mindset to the organization, identifying opportunities to modernize products, processes and revenue strategies.

A strong candidate will likely bring:

• Significant experience in sales, business development, sales management, marketing or general business leadership
  .
• Proven success leading and developing a team.
• Strong commercial instincts and the ability to identify opportunities to grow revenue.
• The ability to think like an owner and take responsibility for the overall performance of a business unit.
• Experience setting sales goals, holding teams accountable and coaching people toward improved performance.
• Strong creative problem-solving skills and the ability to turn a customer or market need into a compelling product or business solution.
• The ability to understand multiple stakeholders- including the audience, customers/advertisers, employees and the overall business.
• Strong communication, presentation and negotiation skills.
• Executive presence and comfort representing an organization publicly.
• The judgment and confidence to make difficult decisions when competing priorities arise.
• A collaborative leadership style paired with the ability to establish accountability and drive results.
• Comfort using data, budgets and performance metrics to make business decisions.
• A forward-thinking approach to technology, digital products and innovation.

Experience managing a P&L or having direct responsibility for a business unit's financial performance is strongly preferred.

Media, journalism or publishing experience is a plus, but not required.You don't need to know how to write a magazine article or edit a publication. You do need to know how to lead a business, grow revenue, understand a customer and audience, develop people, and recognize a great idea when you see one.

The…