Managing Director, Publications

Job Description

Job Description

Position Summary

The Managing Director of Publications provides strategic and operational leadership for the organization's publishing portfolio. They are responsible for establishing publishing practices coupled with processes that respect volunteer engagement, build technical authority, and contribute to the association's larger purpose of serving humankind. The department's work encompasses book and standards publishing, magazine management, academic journal publishing, and digital media development and access. Nurturing partnerships that provide specialized services and expand markets form a critical component of the department's success. This role drives content quality and excellence, operational efficiency, revenue growth, and market expansion while ensuring that publishing activities align with the organization's mission, strategic priorities, and quality standards.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The essential functions include but are not limited to the following:

• Develop and implement publishing strategies aligned with the association's long-range plan.
• Manage fiscal resources, human resources, and revenue projections to support strategic objectives.
• Communicate with volunteer leadership to inform members about publishing opportunities and business implications.
• Translate volunteer-established policies into actionable publishing strategies with measurable success metrics.
• Lead and inspire editorial, advertising, and publications sales, inventory, and publishing services staff teams.
• Foster a culture of engagement and professionalism within the teams.
• Monitor fiscal performance and implement corrective actions to meet financial goals.
• Evaluate and manage partnerships with suppliers, associations, and government entities to ensure return on investment.
• Introduce innovative technologies to enhance publishing efficiency, customer satisfaction, and market reach.
• Oversee licensing and resale agreements to expand market penetration.
• Ensure ethical, timely, and high-quality content development while respecting volunteer contributions.
• Manage branding and corporate awareness sales, including content acquisition and distribution strategies.
• Guide leadership in publishing and related activities.
• Serve as a key resource for business and publishing decisions within the association.
• Represent the association at domestic and international conferences, industry events, volunteer leadership meetings, partner engagements, and other business functions to promote publishing initiatives, cultivate relationships, and support organizational objectives.
• Travel domestically and internationally, including overnight travel, as required to support publishing operations, stakeholder engagement, volunteer leadership activities, business development efforts, strategic partnerships, and association events. Anticipated travel includes periodic domestic travel and international travel at least twice annually, subject to organizational needs.

 

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• College degree required.
• Minimum of 12 years of experience in publishing.
• Proven ability in identifying and capitalizing on business opportunities.
• Previous association experience is highly desirable.
• Strong interpersonal skills to earn trust and respect from volunteers, staff, and business contacts.
• Ability to confidently present the business perspective authoritatively within the association.
• Effective representative of the association at industry events.
• Capable of reinforcing the association's mission and addressing key industry issues.

 

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those required of an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to use their hands or fingers and handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, sit, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate.

 

Travel Requirements This position requires periodic domestic and international travel to attend conferences, meetings, industry events, volunteer leadership activities, and partner engagements. Travel may involve overnight stays and is expected to occur throughout the year, including international travel at least twice annually, based on organizational needs. The employee must be able to travel with or without reasonable accommodation.

Note

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an "at-will" relationship.

 

ASHRAE is an Equal Opportunity Employer, a drug-free workplace, and complies with ADA regulations as applicable.