General Manager

POSITION : General Manager / Advertising Director

About the Company :

Our client is a family-owned media and technology company that has been providing trustworthy, quality journalism and business solutions for more than a century. They’ve always been in the business of telling stories, but they’re more than just a newspaper today. As one of the Upper Midwest’s largest media organizations, they are leaders in the business of print and digital news, broadcasting, printing, and agency advertising. The company is comprised of passionate and purpose-driven people fueled by collaboration and innovation. In addition to a generous benefits package, you’ll enjoy development and growth opportunities, an inclusive and creative culture, and a safe working environment. They believe in supporting each other, working hard towards common goals, and having fun. Come for the perks. Stay for the people.

About You :

Are you looking for a role that offers you the opportunity to lead a dedicated and passionate team, the ability to influence daily operations and the opportunity to contribute to important work in the community? As the General Manager you will manage the Brainerd, Minnesota, publication to ensure revenue goals are achieved. You will demonstrate your creativity, drive, and passion in developing strong community and business relationships throughout the Brainerd market. You thrive on the win and on building relationships within in your community, and you have a knack for assessing and translating business needs and challenges into a successful partnership opportunities. In this role, it is paramount to maintain strong communication with both clients and internal parties. As the strategic leader of these publications, it is paramount that you’re able to adapt to market changes and solicit input from local leaders to ensure the business is positioned to support the local community.

Responsibilities :

• Direct and manage the comprehensive day-to-day operational activity of the Brainerd Dispatch to ensure achievement of revenue goals and maintenance of expense budgets
• Provide guidance to team members to ensure company goals and objectives are met and ensure that company expectations of delivering quality service and product to the community are met
• Coach and manage local advertising sales team members for continued success, working with them to ensure that advertising strategies are developed and that revenue targets are attained
• Set tone for location, making sure employees are challenged, supported, understand expectations, and are held accountable, creating and maintaining an atmosphere of openness and positive communication
• Work closely with the Vice President of Advertising and Vice President of Newspapers to align on strategy and to prepare the annual budgets, collaborate on sales opportunities and work in continuous collaboration with Marketing, Finance, Human Resources, Circulation, and Commercial Printing as it relates to specific location to grow total print and digital audience
• Provide observable local market intelligence to company wide leadership
• Communicate with the business office in regards to revenue forecasting, payments, sales variances, etc.
• Provide assistance with employee recruitment, hiring, supervision of new hire sales training program, staff development, and participate in succession planning for key leadership roles
• Work to ensure that the local business is profitable and sustainable long term, identifying ongoing continuous expense improvement measures to ensure maximum efficiency
• Represent the brand through engagement with civic groups, interacting with local business leaders, and representing each location at community events
• Participate on community boards to demonstrate commitment to the local community and to strengthen long-term relationships and enhance advertising revenue generation by opening doors and creating relationships for sales team members

Qualifications :