Senior Director of Sales - OPTICA at Society for Scholarly Publishing

OPTICA has expressly engaged Jack Farrell & Associates (www.jackfarrell.com) to find the winning candidate for this important hire. Interested parties should contact Mike Bennett (mike@jackfarrell.com). Thank you.

Metro DC-hybrid preferred; full remote is possible

Position Summary:

Optica, a Washington, DC-based scientific society, is seeking a dynamic and strategic individual to lead its publishing sales team. The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of the scientific publishing industry, exceptional leadership skills, and a proven track record of driving institutional revenue growth. The successful candidate will be expected to develop and implement innovative sales strategies, foster strong relationships with key stakeholders, and oversee the execution of sales initiatives to achieve Optica’s organizational goals and revenue targets.

The Senior Director of Sales reports to the Chief Publishing Officer, and will oversee the activities of, and recommend the strategic direction for, Optica’s sales staff and subscription agents around the world, working with them to effectively position and sell Optica’s portfolio of wholly owned and partner journals, digital archive products, and conference papers, as well as other new publishing products that might be developed and launched. The Senior Director will have overall responsibility for developing and meeting institutional revenue targets for the Publishing division, reviewing and successfully managing contracts and associated negotiations with new and/or existing customers and subscription agents, managing an internal sales team of three, evaluating and implementing new sales channels, and working closely with all key stakeholders to increase sales across the publishing portfolio and the globe. Direct and indirect reports (all are shared with Marketing) include: Director of Account Management & Data Analytics, Senior Manager of Data Analysis, and Publishing Sales & Marketing Coordinator.

As a pivotal member of the publishing division’s leadership team, the Senior Director will contribute to expanding Optica’s market presence and shaping the future of the Society’s publishing program. Ideally, the winning candidate will have proximity to Optica’s DC headquarters and come to the office eight days per month. However, outstanding candidates who require a full-remote arrangement will be considered.

Key Activities:

• Track market trends, the competitive landscape, and customer feedback, and share and use insights gained to help inform strategic decisions that support the publishing division’s strategic plan; collaborate with marketing and editorial teams to refine and optimize sales strategies and align them with overall publishing and organizational goals.
• Identify and lead publishing institutional sales across the globe, including Read & Publish and open-access publishing agreements, and opportunities in non-traditional areas (e.g. outside the technical communities traditionally served by Optica and/or in rapidly growing international markets such as India); cultivate and engage new clients, develop proposals, and close sales related to these activities.
• Negotiate all consortium and multi-site subscription deals and associated license agreements in conjunction with the Executive Editor and/or Chief Publishing Officer.
• Work with the sales team to build and maintain strong relationships with customers and sales agents, maintaining a high level of responsiveness and engagement; work with customers, sales agents, and colleagues to ensure all quotes and proposals are provided and payments collected in a timely manner.
• Create and maintain accurate and up-to-date records of all sales and prospecting activities; monitor and report on sales performance metrics on a regular basis, focusing on agreed KPIs, and provide regular updates to senior management.
• Develop annual revenue recommendations and associated budgets; execute comprehensive sales strategies to achieve or exceed the targets and growth objectives.
• Develop and recommend annual price increases and, if applicable, new product packages, and provide analysis to justify their adoption; collaborate with marketing colleagues and Optica’s Sr. Data Analyst on annual renewals.
• Lead, mentor, and manage a three-person team, providing guidance, support, and professional development to enable high performance; provide managerial oversight for their day-to-day activities with particular emphasis on meeting agreed KPIs and developing and implementing sales territory plans and gap analysis by country/region; set individual targets/sales quotas for each team member and track on a weekly basis.
• Manage all contracts associated with the licensing of Optica’s journals and packages; work with the legal department and Executive Editor and/or Chief Publishing Officer to implement institutional license agreements and annual and multi-year consortium contracts.
• Represent the society with clients and at industry events to enhance visibility and network with potential customers and partners.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

• Four-year college degree.
• 5-10 years experience in a senior level sales management role with a scientific society or commercial publishing organization; a minimum of 8-10 years overseeing all aspects of library sales for a scientific publisher.
• Proven track record of successfully leading sales teams and driving revenue growth.
• Demonstrated success in developing a robust library-based sales infrastructure, growing and managing an international sales team and agent infrastructure, negotiating consortium and multi-site license agreements, retaining and growing institutional subscriptions, and developing and implementing pricing and new product package strategies.
• Experience developing and implementing new business models, in particular open-access sales models for institutional customers.

Skills and Abilities:

• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, with good judgement and the ability to develop and implement effective sales strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze sales data, market trends, and performance metrics to inform decision-making.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Outstanding skills as a coach and mentor with a focus on staff development and team-building.
• Comfortable working in a small team and prepared to be a hands-on manager in all aspects of the business.
• Proficiency in sales management software (e.g. salesforce.com) and CRM systems.
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, a high level of professionalism, and a commitment to achieving excellence.
• Ability to travel 10-15% to domestic and international clients and conferences.

This role offers a unique opportunity to make a significant impact with a leading scientific society publisher, driving innovation and growth in a dynamic and rapidly changing industry. If you are a strategic leader with a passion for scientific advancement and sales excellence, we invite you to apply.

A highly competitive compensation and benefits offering await the winning candidate.