Marketing Director

Overview

The Marketing Director of Frontlist is a strategic and tactical leader in planning and executing marketing programs for Zonderkidz and Blink YA frontlist titles. This position will lead the development and execution of marketing campaigns for author-driven frontlist titles for Zonderkidz and Blink YA Books. This role works closely with the VP of Marketing and serves as strategist and relationship contact for authors, driving launch strategy and execution for their books, from positioning and messaging through launch, PR, and post-launch performance. This candidate is a marketing innovator who inspires trust and confidence in internal and external stakeholders, and capable of handling multiple projects all at different stages in the marketing cycle with expertise and passion.

Our ideal candidate is a seasoned marketing leader with an interest in children’s publishing and familiarity with the ever-changing digital marketing landscape. The candidate is a strategic and tactical leader in working with the vice president of marketing to plan and manage marketing activities for our frontlist books to achieve sales goals. This position will lead the strategic development of select book marketing campaigns and develop an integrated marketing strategy and plans, in coordination with the vice president of marketing. This position will also be responsible for the ROI analysis and clear and timely reporting of results and actions for each book. The marketing director will work with the vice president of marketing and other marketing team members in a coordinated approach to bring awareness to and engagement with children’s and teen titles and authors.

Our preference is to fill this position in Grand Rapids, MI but we are also open to qualified candidates that are located outside of this area. Travel may be required based on the need of the business.

Responsibilities

• Creates vision for and implements several key author-driven marketing programs.
• Communicates with internal leadership, with editors, authors, sales, and retailers.
• Develops and implements strategic individual book marketing campaigns working closely with cross functional partners including research/consumer insights, editors, authors, agents, sales, and retailers.
• Pursues strategic partnerships with companies, retailers, and influencers to drive book sales.
• Creative ability to craft effective messaging, branding, marketing storytelling, and digital campaigns.
• Focus on continually improving existing marketing practices while staying attuned to trends and new opportunities.

• Understand how to analyze research and apply it to actionable, strategic decisions.
• Develop and strengthen relationships with key sales accounts and sales representatives.

• Manage title marketing budget for assigned projects, adjusting based on revenue expectation and goals.
• Work closely with marketing managers to implement a strategic Amazon marketing and advertising campaign for each title as assigned including stores, A+ content, SEO and keyword strategy, and advertising.
• Build video strategy for key titles and execute across video-centric platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
• Develop and execute eBook and audio book promotional strategies for Zonderkidz in collaboration with Digital Sales team.
• Measure success, trends, and ROI of marketing initiatives.
• Participate in presentations for title alignment meetings, sales conferences, retailer specific meetings, and other meetings that arise with internal partners and the executive team as well as external partners.
• Proactively participate in regular marketing meetings.

Qualifications

Work Experience/Knowledge:

• 7-8 years in a marketing or related field role.
• Experience with product launches.
• Well-versed in digital marketing campaigns.
• 2+ years of people management experience preferred.

 Education: Bachelor's in Marketing, Digital Marketing, or related field. Master’s degree preferred.

Industry Knowledge:

Required: Knowledgeable in digital marketing & analytics best practices. Understanding of marketing, brand management, and publicity. Some familiarity with book publishing, preferred.

Preferred: Experience in client-service role or author care. Existing relationships with advertising reps and media outlets. Knowledge in the inspirational, entertainment, or children’s product space preferred.

Skills:

• Strong communication skills – both external communication to potential readers and retailers, as well as internal communication to facilitate the planning & execution of marketing strategies with core constituents including authors & agents.
• Teamwork – this role works cross-functionally with various team members throughout the organization.
• Deep knowledge of digital marketing strategies and tools/applications within that space (including social media, pay-per-click advertising, email).
• Proven ability to develop and maintain strong professional relationships with authors, agents, colleagues, and vendors.
• Exceptional written and oral communications skills.
• Exceptional organizational skills with ability to juggle many logistics and deadlines.
• Strong analytical and metrics-based decision-making experience.
• Technical proficiency with marketing tools and programs.
• Amazon Marketing Services (AMS) ad platform expertise and best practices.
• Experience managing multiple, competing priorities, duties and/or projects.
• Must be able to work independently under tight deadlines. 
• Must possess the skill to set priorities and problem solve.

Personal Characteristics:

• Ability to interact and communicate effectively with a diverse group of people both internally and externally. The ability to be flexible and prioritize various projects going on at once. Positive. Team-oriented. Strong initiative. Proactive. Strategic. Solution-Oriented. Organized to meet high-volume workflow on time and on budget. Self-starter. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Curious about new marketing tools and trends.  
• Passion for the Christian publishing industry and for children’s publishing preferred.
• Contributes to team culture of collaboration, teamwork, and celebrating one another and our wins.

HarperCollins Christian Publishing is an equal opportunity employer.

HarperCollins Christian Publishing is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities, in our job application and/or interview process. If you need assistance or accommodation in completing your application, due to a disability, email us at TalentManagement@harpercollins.com. Note: we will only respond to accommodation requests.