Director, Marketing & Publicity - Books and Consumer Goods

Position Overview

Director, Marketing & Publicity - Books and Consumer Products
We are hiring a Director of Marketing to lead demand generation efforts for frontlist and key backlist titles, maximize school and library marketing, equip our sales teams with high-quality sales assets, and ensure top-tier consumer-facing marketing materials. The Director will be responsible for generating strong demand for key titles, building long-term relationships with institutional customers, and providing the sales team with everything needed to drive performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Demand Generation – Set ambitious pre-order and POS goals for frontlist and backlist titles by executing effective PR campaigns, cultivating influencer relationships, and creating organic social and community engagement opportunities.
• School and Library Marketing – Develop and maintain strong relationships with school and public librarians and teachers, maximize review coverage, execute trade advertising campaigns, implement engaging trade show strategies, and drive an effective email marketing program.
• Brand Marketing – Leverage all available marketing tools to build a robust presence for Highlights Press, Highlights Learning, and My Highlights, and execute series marketing strategies that bolster key titles in the marketplace.
• Sales Support – Conduct high-impact sales conferences, deliver best-in-class sales copy and materials, and implement retailer email and trade advertising programs to arm the sales team with effective assets.
• Internal Partnership – Collaborate with Product Development and corporate D2C marketing teams to explore new categories, integrate brand voice across channels, and drive holistic demand generation.
• Consumer Asset Management – Ensure that compelling copy and visual assets are available online to maximize sales conversions.
• Additional Responsibilities – Mentor team members by teaching quantifiable demand generation, effective library marketing tactics, and sales support strategies.
• Short-Term Goals – Within the first month, assess the frontlist title count, evaluate current trade show commitments, and review internal and external resources for optimal team structuring.
• Long-Term Goals – Within the first year, develop a reliable demand generation system with verifiable reporting, enhance B2B and online sales materials, build a dynamic library marketing program, and deepen corporate partnerships to drive retail sales growth.
• Supervisory Responsibilities – Supervise one marketing associate with potential for additional direct reports as the business expands.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelors’ Degree in Marketing, Publicity, Journalism, or Media or commensurate experience.
• Experience Required: 10+ years direct work experience in book publishing marketing and at least 5 years in kids’ books.
• Qualifications: High level of personal ambition, self-motivation, and autonomy; proven ability to deliver impactful PR campaigns; strong understanding of school and library marketing tactics; exceptional copy-writing, attention to detail, and interpersonal skills; ability to travel up to 15%.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in brand/major series marketing is strongly preferred.
• Previous experience marketing key series and leveraging brand power to enhance demand is a plus.