Job Opening: Editor-in-Chief, AIM Outdoor Group's Trade Division

Location: Boulder, CO

Reports to: Trade Division president

Start date: January 1, 2012

Boulder, CO: Active Interest Media’s Outdoor Group is currently seeking a talented editorial leader with passion and expertise in the outdoors to serve as Editor-in-Chief of its Trade Division. In this role, you will lead all facets of content strategy and execution for a small team of editors, designers, and reporters that produces a range of B-to-B information and training products in the outdoor, fitness, and wintersports markets. Our expanding stable of magazines, websites, and trade show dailies includes: SNEWS online (www.snewsnet.com), the leading trade media brand in the outdoor and fitness industries; SNEWS Retail College, a retailer training publication and program; and the Outdoor Retailer Daily, a biannual publication serving the industry’s largest trade show.

Candidates for our editor-in-chief position must have experience editing and writing for online and print publications, hands-on experience updating Web editorial content using an editorial production system, excellent creativity and strong verbal as well as written communication skills. Candidates must also have the ability to respond quickly to editorial and business needs and to drive projects to completion on deadline and within budget.

Candidates must have a demonstrated ability to develop ideas and programs independently, but also the ability to manage projects that involve stakeholders from online and offline editorial, product development, circulation, marketing, and sales departments. Successful candidates will have proven experience in a leadership role.

Job Responsibilities — Specific duties include but are not limited to:

• Lead the editorial team to create great content products that are filled with first-on-scene news, in-depth investigative reporting, useful reviews and analysis, and entertaining human-interest features.

• Brainstorm and collaborate with the sales team on new initiatives that drive measurable revenue, subscription, and traffic growth.

• Develop and execute the division’s content, subscription, traffic, social media, and distribution strategy, and manage the edit and production staff to those ends.

• Oversee all editorial operations, including issue planning, budgets, recruiting, employee development, monitoring/report metrics, and interaction with users, readers, and subscribers.

• Represent and promote the Outdoor Group to the industry as the primary face and diplomat of the trade division.

• Serve as the primary liaison between the edit staff and both internal stakeholders (sales, IT, marketing, accounting, human resources) and external partners (Outdoor Retailer, Health & Fitness Business, Interbike, and SIA).

• Participate with group executives in annual strategic planning sessions.



Minimum Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, English or a related field

• At least 5+ of varied professional newspaper or magazine writing experience, emphasizing news, feature stories, business reporting, product review and trend reporting, and development of social media web content

• At least 3+ years experience managing a team and department budget

• Direct experience writing and/or editing outdoor and fitness content

• Experience with audience development and traffic analysis

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Demonstrated entrepreneurial talent with regard to exploiting emerging digital technologies to create new content or audience

• Ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines, and handle multiple tasks simultaneously

• Experience with Microsoft Word and Adobe CS4 a plus.



Desired Qualifications:

• Experience working both an editing and daily business news beat on a daily newspaper

• Trade and business reporting experience

• Fluent and/or conversant in a second language a plus

• Digital photography and photo editing skills a plus

• Basic web design proficiency

• Active participant in outdoor, wintersports and fitness activities

• Strong product knowledge in the area of outdoor, fitness and wintersports activites

To apply:

Email resume, cover letter, and 3-5 recent writing clips to jobs@snewsnet.com

• Job location: Boulder, Colo.

• Compensation: commensurate with experience

• Active Interest Media is an equal opportunity employer