Publisher/Business Unit Executive

Arkansas Talent Group is seeking 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.

What You'll Do

• 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, sponsorships 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.

What We're Looking For

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.

Benefits

The organization offers a particularly strong benefits package, including:

• 17 days of PTO during the first year, accruing immediately, with PTO increasing with tenure
• Generous 401(k) matching of up to 10%, with the potential for additional profit-sharing contributions
• Employer-supported health insurance
• Employer-paid long-term disability coverage
• Six weeks of paid parental leave
• A family-friendly culture, including accommodations designed to make balancing work and family easier
• A welcoming, people-focused office environment

Why This Role Is Different

This is an opportunity for someone who wants more than a traditional sales-management position. You'll have the ability to shape a brand, lead a team, create new products, influence strategy and directly impact the financial performance of your division.

If you're the kind of person who can look at a market and ask, "What aren't we doing yet? What would our audience value? What would businesses pay for? And how do we build it?" - this may be the opportunity for you.

Publishing experience can be taught. Business judgment, creativity, leadership and the ability to drive growth are what we're really looking for.

For more information, please apply directly or reach out to Bailey Clark at bailey.clark@arkansastalentgroup.com

Arkansas Talent Group is an Executive Permanent Placement Recruitment Firm, all considerations will be held confidential.