Director, Independent Bookstore Sales; NYC Hybrid

Harper Collins Publishers is seeking a strategic, commercially minded, and collaborative Director, Independent Bookstore Sales to help lead and grow our Independent Bookstore business across both Adult and Children's publishing.

Reporting to the VP, Independent Sales & Wholesale, the Director will lead a team of eight field sales representatives and play a key role in developing and executing sales strategy for the Independent Bookstore channel. This individual will combine strong knowledge of the independent bookselling landscape with data-driven decision-making, exceptional people leadership, and the ability to translate publishing priorities into effective marketplace strategies.

The ideal candidate is an experienced sales leader who can move comfortably between high-level channel strategy and title-level execution, develop a high-performing field sales organization, identify opportunities for growth, and serve as a strong advocate for independent bookstores across Harper Collins.

Independent Bookstore Strategy & Growth

• Partner with the VP, Independent Sales & Wholesale to develop and execute strategies that drive revenue growth, market share, and distribution across the Independent Bookstore channel.
• Identify opportunities to expand business with existing accounts, develop new accounts, and strengthen Harper Collins' position within the independent bookselling community.
• Use sales performance, POS, market trends, account-level data, and competitive insights to identify opportunities and inform channel strategy.
• Translate Adult and Children's publishing priorities into effective Independent Bookstore sales strategies, ensuring appropriate focus and execution across the field organization.
• Contribute to seasonal sales planning, forecasting, inventory planning, promotional strategy, and other key commercial decisions affecting the channel.
• Develop and oversee Independent Bookstore programs, promotional opportunities, terms, and seasonal initiatives designed to support booksellers and drive profitable growth.
• Represent the Independent Bookstore channel in cross-functional discussions and advocate for its opportunities, priorities, and marketplace needs.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the evolving independent bookstore landscape, including emerging accounts, regional trends, competitive activity, and changes in bookseller needs and buying behavior.

Field Sales Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of eight field sales representatives, establishing clear goals, priorities, and expectations for performance.
• Build a high-performing, collaborative sales culture focused on accountability, communication, commercial thinking, and exceptional account service.
• Provide ongoing coaching on account strategy, title selling, territory management, opportunity identification, and business development.
• Establish consistent sales priorities and ensure field representatives understand and effectively execute Harper Collins' seasonal, title, and channel strategies.
• Evaluate territory and account performance and work with representatives to identify opportunities for growth and address areas of underperformance.
• Partner closely with the Inside Sales Manager to ensure a coordinated approach to account development, new account opportunities, and coverage across the Independent Bookstore channel.
• Ensure the field organization is equipped with timely information, inventory insights, selling tools, and marketplace intelligence necessary to maximize sales.
• Support the team in navigating complex account situations and serve as a senior point of escalation when appropriate.

Publishing & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Build strong relationships with Adult and Children's publishing teams, Retail Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, and other internal partners to align Independent Bookstore sales strategies with broader publishing objectives.
• Provide publishing teams and senior sales leadership with a clear perspective on Independent Bookstore trends, opportunities, challenges, and title performance.
• Partner with publishing and marketing teams to identify titles and authors with particular opportunity in the Independent Bookstore channel and develop strategies to maximize their potential.
• Develop and deliver compelling presentations on seasonal lists, key titles, channel performance, and marketplace opportunities for internal and external audiences.
• Represent Harper Collins and the Independent Sales organization at industry events, conferences,…