Director, Trade Sales | Hybrid

Responsibilities

• Lives out Lifeway’s mission and values, showing deep commitment to Kingdom work
• Lead and grow Lifeway's trade retail channel partnerships across Christian retail, general market (Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million), mass market distribution (Readerlink), and ministry and specialty accounts
• Hire, coach, mentor, and develop the Trade Retail and Distribution Sales team, setting clear performance expectations and supporting career growth and succession planning
• Build and execute innovative strategic account growth plans including the sell-in of new releases, backlist catalog, and custom publishing solutions to expand market share
• Partner cross-functionally with Publishing, Marketing, Finance, Creative, and IT to align priorities and develop go-to-market strategies that grow sales and market share across all Lifeway brands
• Develop and manage annual revenue budgets, forecast channel performance, and oversee expense management to ensure profitable year-over-year growth
• Oversee account negotiations including discount structures and co-op agreements, and build strong relationships with account buying, marketing, and merchandising teams
• Drive a consistent annual growth target of across all domestic trade channels with full top- and bottom-line accountability
• Moderate travel, typically overnight

Requirements

• 10+ years of progressive sales experience across multiple retail and distribution channels including Christian retail, general market, mass market, and specialty/ministry partners
• 7+ years of sales management experience leading and developing sales teams
• 5+ years of experience in the publishing industry with strong knowledge of the market
• Demonstrated expertise in trade sales strategy and the ability to drive revenue and market share growth across diverse channel partners
• Strong financial and P&L acumen including budget management and profitable revenue accountability
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present confidently to executive and external audiences
• Moderate domestic travel, typically overnight

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Sales, Marketing, Communication, or a related field, required
• Masters degree, preferred