Skift Is Hiring a Research Director and Sales Executive to Start 2018

Skift hit the ground running in 2018, and we’re starting the year looking to make two significant hires as we ramp up the team. We are seeking to hire a Senior Director, Skift Research to lead this cutting-edge area of our business, and a Skift Sales Executive — Branded Content, who will become a key player in our renowned Branded Content group.

If you have the qualifications — or know someone who does — to fill one of these roles at the most dynamic travel media company on earth, then read the job descriptions below and please get in touch.

Senior Director, Skift Research

Skift, the best travel media company on the planet, is seeking a full-time Senior Director of Skift Research, based in New York City, to lead Skift’s primary research group of highly motivated analysts. The right candidate should have demonstrated experience in leading an analyst team, with a solid understanding of the travel vertical and business, tech, marketing, and financial strategies within the various sectors of travel. This role, which is key to build Skift’s overall revenue and subscriber base, reports directly to the CEO.

What You’ll Do

Skift Research is aimed at marketers, strategists, and technologists in the global travel industry. The senior director will oversee a team of high-energy analysts who publish twice-monthly Skift Research Reports, Data Sheets, and Analyst Calls for paid subscribers. You will be an instrumental part of designing and driving the evolution of Skift’s research department, products, and services, that in turn will drive Skift’s overall thought leadership in the travel sector and beyond. You will also drive and lead partnerships with third-party research firms and data vendors, to help build a better research product.

Responsibilities

• Set Skift Research’s annual canvas: Identify disruptive industry and consumer trends that reshape and redesign the travel industry landscape and build the slate of research reports around them.
• Build the research report and product schedule; manage the team effectively to improve the quality and timeliness of delivery of reports, podcasts, and analyst calls.
• Cultivate sources; manage relationships with key industry executives; use research methods to form data analysis and artfully narrate the perspective/facts in Skift’s tone, making recommendations that are essential to the industry.
• Oversee all freelancers and analysts with the structure, focus, and sources for reports; edit reports and work inter-departmentally to deliver products on time.
• Actively involved in writing some of the key reports yourself, with help from other analysts as needed.
• Build a data bank around the product schedule for use in all Skift Research products.
• Work inter-departmentally to not only deliver products on time, but also provide assistance with the development of creative marketing and sales tactics to further enhance research subscriptions and sales growth.
• Work with Enterprise Sales team to measure, analyze and grow the subscriber community. Help close the larger sales deals as the topic expert.
• Talk to our subscribers to understand their research needs and help build a customer-and-market-centric research practice around their needs.
• Attend conferences, speaking engagements, and other media as our research lead.
• Work with the CEO and senior management to direct pricing, marketing, sales, and product strategy for Research products.
• Professionally develop a team of junior- and senior-level analysts.
• As the team grows, lead the hiring for the new analysts in the U.S. and the rest of the world.
• Closely work with editorial leadership to coordinate and cross-promote each other’s work.

Requirements

• 10–12 years experience as a senior-level research analyst and team leader in research
• Demonstrated record of leading teams of analysts
• Demonstrated understanding of financial acumen and analysis of companies and sectors
• Solid understanding of the travel vertical and business preferred
• Track record of researching, writing, and editing long-form research reports with a focus on big-picture trends and technology
• Familiarity with online and offline research tools and survey methods
• Extremely comfortable working in a lean environment
• A strong record of academic achievement: B.A. or B.S. minimum; M.B.A. or M.S. preferred
• Ability to work with a team under tight deadlines and handle multiple tasks
• Highly organized and can prioritize your own work and the team’s work to deliver highly polished products

NOTE: PLEASE APPLY WITH A COVER LETTER AND YOUR RESUME TO OUR CEO Rafat Ali at [email protected]

NOTE: Skift is an affirmative action employer that hopes to recruit and advance qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. OUR GOAL FOR OUR TEAM AND CULTURE IS TO REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF THE GLOBE OF TRAVELERS.

Skift Sales Executive — Branded Content

Skift, the best travel media company on the planet, is seeking a full-time Sales Executive — Branded Content to become an essential part of our growing team. The right candidate will be a self-starter who enjoys selling, has a proven track record closing business, and understands the consultative sales process. The position requires a lot of listening, understanding the client’s communication objectives, and then coming up with branded solutions that Skift can help them with. This is a client-facing position in an energetic and dynamic work environment.

What You’ll Do

The Sales Executive — Branded Content will take ownership of accounts developed and provided as leads across various travel industry sectors, as well as develop new business on their own. This candidate will develop client relationships through in-person meetings, phone calls, and conference attendance. Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to: developing new business, setting and taking client meetings in-person and over the phone, putting together sales proposals, facilitating and creating sales contracts and media plans, etc.

Key Responsibilities

• Independently build a large pipeline of leads to drive RFPs and IOs
• Build relationships with brand contacts and explain the power of advertising platform
• Work with sales planning team to build and present proposals to our advertising partners and prospects
• Must have an understanding of digital technology and revenue ecosystem and be able to explain product benefits within this context
• Manage a robust pipeline and accurately forecast new business closure rate and revenue booked in Salesforce
• Work closely with VP of sales to consistently achieve and exceed revenue goals
• Interact with the account management team to effectively manage client expectations and ensure successful campaign delivery
• Convey field intelligence to product management teams in regard to development features
• Involve sales management as needed or required

Minimum Requirements

• Experienced digital seller with 3–5 years experience
• Experience and understanding of the travel industry would be an asset
• Experience in B2B media sales also a plus, but not required
• Proven communication, presentation, phone etiquette and general sales skills
• Experience in a lead generating/sales planning/sales position, preferably at a digital media company
• Understanding of branding and performance campaigns
• Experience in structuring and negotiating deals within the digital media space
• A true passion for online content, native advertising and a strong sales drive
• Strong analytical skills to collect business intelligence by conversing with clients and monitoring/identifying trends in data and in generated reports
• Excellent technological skills and ability to quickly learn what is needed to support the campaigns’ successful implementation and optimization
• The will and ability to work in a fast-paced, ever-evolving environment and learn, learn, learn!
• Working knowledge of Salesforce
• Existing media relationships are highly, highly preferred*
• Percent travel required (approximate): <10%

PLEASE APPLY WITH A COVER LETTER AND YOUR RESUME to [email protected]

NOTE: Skift is an affirmative action employer that hopes to recruit and advance qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. OUR GOAL FOR OUR TEAM AND CULTURE IS TO REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF THE GLOBE OF TRAVELERS.