Job Description

Overview

The Vice President of Children’s Sales will play a pivotal role in driving revenue growth and shaping the strategic direction of our children’s publishing division across all sales channels. This dynamic leadership position will lead a team dedicated to maximizing sales performance, expanding market share, and building strong partnerships with key accounts.

We are seeking a candidate with a deep understanding of the children’s book market who can anticipate trends and collaborate with our editorial team, ensuring our publishing list is positioned for success. Reporting directly to the President of Sales, this position will have the opportunity to make a significant impact in a creative environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a strategic sales plan for children’s books, aligning with the broader corporate goals and publishing strategy.
• Lead sales initiatives for frontlist and backlist titles, overseeing seasonal account presentations, promotional strategies, and tailored pitches to drive sales.
• Collaborate closely with publishing and marketing teams to create impactful campaigns.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key national accounts (e.g., Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, independent bookstores).
• Strategize with the sales team to ensure each account receives customized and effective
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing sales team, providing training, resources, and guidance to enhance their skills and performance.
• Partner closely with special markets and educational sales teams.
• Monitor industry trends, competitor offerings, and consumer behavior to identify growth opportunities and adjust sales strategies accordingly.
• Use market data and analytics to predict sales trends, inform publishing decisions, and optimize stock and pricing strategies.
• Collaborate on title positioning, cover design feedback, pricing strategies, and marketing initiatives to support sales objectives.
• Manage the sales budget, tracking revenue and expenses to ensure profitability goals are met.
• Analyze and report sales metrics, revenue projections, and performance results to senior management.
• Oversee sales forecasting to support supply chain and inventory planning.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in trade book sales, ideally with a focus on children’s books, and people management experience.
• A Bachelor’s degree is required.
• Extensive knowledge of the children’s retail landscape and current book market trends including key players and customer behavior.
• Proven track record of developing and executing successful sales strategies.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret market data and sales metrics to inform strategic decisions.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, capable of crafting tailored pitches for diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain strong relationships with national accounts and key stakeholders.
• Experience leading and mentoring high-performing sales teams, fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including Editorial, Marketing, Publicity, Ops, Man Ed, and Customer Service
• Strategic thinker with a proactive approach to identifying growth opportunities and adapting to market changes.
• Familiarity with sales forecasting and budget management processes.
• Adaptable and resilient in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

HarperCollins Publishers is a company full of people who are passionate about books.  When you apply for a position, we want to know why you want to work here, and why you are interested in the job. That’s why cover letters are strongly preferred.

The salary for this position is $200,000-225,000. We recognize that attracting the best talent is key to our strategy and success as a company. As a result, we aim for flexibility in structuring competitive compensation offers to ensure we are able to attract the best candidates. The quoted salary range represents our good faith estimate as to what our ideal candidates are likely to expect, and we tailor our offers within the range based on the selected candidate's experience, industry knowledge, technical and communication skills, and other factors that may prove relevant during the interview process.  

In addition to cash compensation, the company provides a comprehensive and highly competitive benefits package, with a variety of physical health, retirement and savings, caregiving, emotional wellbeing, transportation, and other benefits, including "elective" benefits employees may select to best fit the needs and personal situations of our diverse workforce.     

HarperCollins Publishers is an equal opportunity employer.

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