Overview

The Director of Operations plays a vital role with the Cider Mill Press & Applesauce Press imprints of HarperCollins Focus to proactively exceed budget by managing key business areas that impact financial margins.

Areas of responsibility include financial planning and analysis, enhancing title-by-title profit margins with our production and inventory teams, overseeing vendors relations for product development (excluding printers and material suppliers), developing reporting and strategic initiatives to be planned with all teams across the publishing ecosystem: sales, editorial, design, marketing, production, inventory, logistics, and finance. We are looking for a self-starter who is driven by financial analytics and has a bias-towards-action that can allow us to stay nimble and adjust regularly quickly to changing market conditions.

A deep understanding of the publishing business, especially from the operational standpoint, is needed in order to assess and take initiative towards driving growth, improving profit margins, and coordinating strategy across all departments of the business. Areas under the purview of this role include budget accuracy, production cost optimizations, inventory provisions, deploying capital effectively that drives sales, and working with sales channels to identify new and emerging opportunities for our business.

Responsibilities

Essential Responsibilities:

1. Inventory Forecasting & Provisions : Establish regular touchpoints and strategic initiatives across various sales channels to ensure growth. Create regular reporting to identify inventory needs and titles at risk of being reserved and written-off for inventory. Develop strategies with Marketing team to increase rate-of-movement and optimize inventory balance sheet.
2. Production & Pricing : Maximize intellectual property through production and pricing.
3. Data Analytics & SEO : Establish analytic reports to review data-feeds. Work with Editorial Teams and Consumer Insights teams to identify ways towards improved SEO with an emphasis on Amazon, both domestically and internationally.
4. Publisher Support : Meet regularly with Publisher to monitor key business metrics and other various day-to-day needs and builds reporting for the CMP team and leadership. Participates with Publisher, Editorial Director, Creative Director, and Director of Marketing regarding pipeline review; analyzes fiscal year financial impact combining frontlist and backlist titles, ensuring we are publishing to revenue goals; analyzes sales conference line up and annual title performance; tracks progress to budget throughout the year.
5. Overhead & Budgeting : Review monthly financial reports and create new reports to gain visibility into each of the key financial performance and expense areas of the business.
6. Creative Operations : Support the Editorial team with vendor and creator relationships and create vendor agreements.
7. Industry Trends : Maintain awareness of market conditions, consumer buying patterns, and publishing trends. Has an ongoing commitment to develop expertise in the publishing process, internal systems, and procedures, works with production to find the newest product development trends.

Qualifications

Knowledge

Excellent understanding of the publishing business from an operational and financial perspective. This is not a creative role as much as it a business role that requires deep understanding of publishing's profit margins, supply-chain, sales channels and accounts, marketing levers, and the big picture everchanging landscape of book publishing. Other areas include: mastery of the English language; ability to understand and analyze financial documentation; proficiency in Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; aptitude for proprietary and industry software applications; file management and the efficient use of shared drives; management, leadership, and professional development experience; efficient task management; excellent time/project management skills; efficient product development management; can lead meetings with specific desired outcomes; public speaking.

Work Experience

Minimum 8 years in publishing with supervisory experience in a financial or similar role that requires financial analytics and operational excellence.

Education

Bachelor's Degree from a four-year university

Industry Knowledge

A deep understanding of the book publishing business is required.

Skills:

Strong strategic thinker; good communication and presentation skills with internal and external contacts; keen attention to detail; effective at managing staff and managing multiple ongoing tasks simultaneously; team-oriented; supportive of leadership, highly productive; high integrity; committed to follow through. Loyalty, positivity and team-building spirit.

HarperCollins Christian Publishing is an equal opportunity employer.

Job Locations US-TN-Nashville

Category Other

Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status. EEO/AA/M/F/Disabled/Vets