Associate Director, Client Publisher Sales Operations & Business Analytics

Job Description

The Associate Director, Client Publisher Sales Operations and Business Analytics will support W. W. Norton's distribution clients with inventory management, sales operations, and warehouse operations. This role sits within the Client Services Department and involves extensive collaboration with the Trade Sales Department and our warehouse, National Book Company. The ideal candidate will possess the strategic leadership skills to conceptualize and implement continuous operational improvements that strengthen our distribution business, and will foster collegial and productive relationships with our client publishers.

The Associate Director helps bring to market hundreds of new titles per year in categories as varied as literary fiction, art, comics, cookbooks, nonfiction, mystery, poetry, and children's books. This dynamic and highly collaborative role involves working with all of our distinguished client publishers, which include New Directions, Fantagraphics, Thames & Hudson, Yale University Press, Harvard University Press, Akashic, The Experiment, Penzler, Abbeville, Tilbury House, and more.

The Associate Director, Client Publisher Inventory and Sales Operations reports to our Client Services Director and will be based in the New York office with a hybrid schedule.

Essential Job Responsibilities Include

Inventory Management

• Monitor sales activity of frontlist and backlist titles to ensure an optimal release and sufficient supplyKeep sales department informed of changes to the delivery date for key frontlist titles as well as the status of reprints and restocks for key backlist titles
• Advise client publishers on, and implement, an inventory allocation strategy when stock is low or when stock needs to be held in reserve
• In collaboration with the sales department, advise client publishers on our reprint recommendations based on sales demand
• Work actively to reduce excess inventory in collaboration with our client publishers
  
  

Sales Operations

• Generate sales and POS reports and analyze rates of sale and demand in all market channels
• Track backorders against estimates and first-print quantities, as well as ongoing sales demand against on-hand inventory and on-order quantities, to ensure alignment and prevent inventory shortages
• Communicate effectively with our client publishers about sales estimates and sales activity
• Provide training and support in our sales reporting systems to maximize our client publishers utilization of the programs
• Troubleshoot any operational or supply chain issues that impact sales
  
  

Warehouse Operations

• Act as primary liaison between our warehouse and our client publishers
• Create and document efficient workflows and processes for client distribution vis--vis warehouse operations
• Advise client publishers on optimal release dates and laydown strategy and collaborate with the warehouse to see these efforts through
• Collaborate with our warehouse to provide shipping quotes, ensure all inbound shipments abide by our receiving specifications, and manage any issues with hurt or delayed shipments
  
  

Please note: This job description is not designed to cover all activities required of the employee.

Required Experience

Required Qualifications:

• A minimum of six years experience in distribution, sales operations, or inventory management required
• Experience working with a warehouse and distribution clients preferred
• Advanced Excel skills required (including pivot tables, vlookups, and complex formulas)
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to glean meaningful insights from large amounts of data
• Ability to prioritize and problem solve in a creative manner
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with our broad range of client publishers
• Excellent organizational and project management skills
• Employment eligibility to work with W. W. Norton & Company in the U.S. is required
• Must be able to work from Nortons New York City headquarters
  
  

Compensation and Benefits*

Currently Available Benefits Include

• Annual compensation for this position is $85,000-90,000. All salaries and salary ranges posted by Norton may vary depending on experience, skills, location, and like considerations.
• Generous paid time off, paid holidays, and summer Friday afternoons beginning in July
• Generous health benefits, including PPO and EPO medical insurance options, vision insurance, dental insurance, flexible spending accounts for healthcare, dependent care and commuter, gym membership reimbursement, and more. Coverage for spouses, domestic partners, and dependent children is available.
• Profit-Sharing and 401(k) benefit plan with discretionary contribution matching by employer
• Disability and life insurances
• FMLA, parental and other leave
• Employee Assistance Program (for mental health, financial planning, and other needs)
• Company-provided laptop
• Employee discounts on Norton books
• Limited matching of employee donations to eligible non-profit organizations
• All policies and benefits described are subject to change at any time.
  
  

Keyword: Associate Director, Client Publisher Sales Operations & Business Analytics