NowThis

Department: Executive

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: New York

Description

The Opportunity

Industry-Leading Growth Trajectory

• Significant Investment: In April 2023, NowThis secured investment from the Accelerate Change Media Network to capitalize on its position as a leading social news publisher, expand its coverage, invest in staff and creator development, and accelerate its already successful multi-platform audience growth strategy.
• Independent Entity: Through this investment, NowThis has become an independent entity, enabling its groundbreaking content creation team to cover a wider range of topics and stories in a time when video content is essential to social platforms where young audiences are spending their time.
• Strategic Partnerships: Vox Media has retained a minority ownership stake in NowThis and continues to manage all direct, for-profit ad sales for NowThis enabling the company to leverage Vox's world-class sales operation. For nonprofit and foundation sales, NowThis also partners with Accelerate Change and their extensive network of donors and mission organizations.

Powerful Mission & Responsibility

• Our "Why?": We serve the curiosity of young people by humanizing the issues that matter to them through informative, empathetic, and engaging storytelling. Our coverage meets our audience where they are, while amplifying and curating stories in a way that elevates awareness, encourages conversation, and drives meaningful action. As a brand, we focus on empowering an audience committed to building a future that challenges the status quo.
• Impact: As digital media continues to evolve with the rapid pace of emerging technologies and consumer trends, we believe that news platforms like NowThis are more critical today than ever before in combating misinformation and disinformation so we can all be informed participants in democracy. NowThis remains committed to raising up the issues that matter to young people including climate change, racial justice, LGBTQ+ equality, reproductive rights, and more.

The Role & You

NowThis is seeking an innovative, tenacious and commercially driven CEO to drive our next level of growth and expansion. Reporting to the Co-Chairs of the Board, Lea Madry and Peter Murray of Accelerate Change, you play a key role in developing and leading NowThis' vision and strategy. You bring transformational leadership to all areas of NowThis, including its business model, revenue, talent, and culture. As a guiding force and external ambassador for NowThis' mission and values, you are responsible for meeting revenue targets, audience development, content strategy, and elevating the brand.

Responsibilities:

Develop and Operationalize NowThis' Vision and Strategy

• In partnership with the Co-Chairs of the Board and advisors, you create the long-term vision and strategy of NowThis, including building new advertising revenue streams, innovation, business development and strategic partnerships, advising on deals and content investment, audience growth, content strategy, brand strategy, distribution, talent, licensing and emerging technology opportunities.
• Unafraid to experiment and challenge the status quo, you take an entrepreneurial and creative approach to developing new, innovative ideas that will stretch the organization and push the boundaries within the news industry.
• You collaborate closely with the Head of Business Operations and Editor in Chief in operationalizing NowThis' short-term and long-term strategy and roadmap, including establishing clear goals and expectations, metrics for success and key milestones that will enable our vision and mission to flourish.

Revenue Generation

• Oversee, drive and connect all revenue generating activities across NowThis, Vox Media and Accelerate Change for strategic alignment, client and audience experience, brand consistency, forecasting and optimization purposes.
• Effectively motivate and indirectly drive the performance of the Vox ad sales team to meet or exceed revenue goals through positive action, collaboration, communication and clear expectation setting.
• Unlock hidden value in the business by capitalizing on key business drivers, consumer trends and insights. You are able to prioritize and allocate resources to balance short-term business pressures, while keeping a firm eye on strategic growth strategies, new revenue streams and long-term goals.
• Build strong senior-level relationships with partners, advertisers, agencies and platforms. Develop a thorough understanding of their business challenges and close deals.

Brand & Content Development

• Collaborate with key stakeholders and advisors to refresh elements of NowThis' branding that could benefit from a refresh while staying true to NowThis' core brand that the audience trusts and admires.
• Leverage key stakeholders and advisors to deploy audience development best practices intended to identify, grow and engage NowThis' consumer base.
• Partner with the Accelerate Change media lab, leverage consumer insights and emerging trends to catalyze experimentation and innovation with NowThis' content for fast failures and key learnings.

External Brand Ambassador of NowThis

• Serve as the primary external spokesperson and steward for NowThis in speaking with the press, partners, audience, employees and others. You are energized by representing NowThis' mission, values, brand, products, employees and audience.
• You are willing and able to leverage your social platforms to speak out on issues core to NowThis' mission and values. You advocate for the shared interests of NowThis' industry, partners, advertisers, audience and employees.
• You provide regular thought leadership contributions on relevant topics such as digital media, future of journalism, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, emerging technologies, advertising, transformational leadership and innovation at industry events, panels and networking groups to expand NowThis' brand awareness.

Transformational Leadership

• Cultivate an inclusive, equitable, anti-racist and collaborative culture centered around belonging. You take actions towards attracting, developing and retaining a team that reflects the diversity of the communities NowThis serves.
• You invest in the development and growth of your two senior direct reports, the Editor in Chief and Head of Business Operations. Regularly coach, provide feedback and empower your direct reports to establish trust and credibility.
• Develop an innovative culture wherein employees feel empowered and safe to ask questions, experiment, fail fast, apply learnings and create something new.

You Have These

Experience:

• 12 - 15+ years of increasingly senior leadership experience at content-led B2C organizations within the digital media industry.
• You have a comprehensive understanding of the digital media landscape, ecosystem, emerging technologies, consumer trends, business models, audience development and revenue streams. You have strong, senior-level industry relationships and you have at least a foundational understanding of video and social media.
• Proven digital ad sales leadership experience with revenue oversight, negotiating deals, and monetizing content. You have a strong commercial and business acumen within digital media and are able to translate what its revenue opportunities could look like for your organization. You have a successful track record of identifying and maximizing new revenue streams.
• You have a comprehensive understanding of consumer insights, trends, research and audience development. You take a data-driven and open minded approach to understanding a target audience. You have previous experience in meeting the target audience where they are.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills with the ability to distill complex and nuanced messages of the organization's mission and goals to a variety of external audiences. Drives consensus and practices active listening in considering feedback and inputs from a variety of sources before making the best decision for NowThis.
• Proven track record of fostering innovative, data-driven and customer focused cultures that drive diverse teams to experiment, create and elevate to new ways of thinking and working.
• You are a champion for diversity with a track record of cultivating inclusive, equitable, anti-racist and collaborative cultures centered around belonging. You strive to attract, develop and retain a team that reflects the diversity of the communities NowThis serves.

We'd Love If You Also Have These:

• Deep understanding of social and video. Prior experience working with video or in video production.
• Prior experience with direct ad sales, ideally with selling digital social video.
• Demonstrated success innovating within the digital news/journalism space.
• Prior experience leading the planning, development, operationalizing and execution of a successful business strategy. Previous experience developing a company/brand's vision, mission and values.
• A strong pulse on emerging trends and marketplace moves such that you are able to predict and anticipate shifts to safeguard resources and investments or seize new opportunities.
• Prior experience working with a youth audience.
• Prior experience overseeing and being accountable for a P&L.
• You have a passion for the NowThis' content, brand and impact. Bonus points if you're a current NowThis follower!

How To Apply

How To Apply

To be considered for this role please submit your resume and cover letter. We understand that you are much more than your resume and we want to get to know you. Applications without cover letters will not be considered.

We strive to attract diverse top talent who are inspired by our mission, aligned to our values and are motivated to grow and make an impact, rather than candidates who check all the boxes, but aren't committed. If you are passionate about your work and eager to learn, we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the requirements listed in the job description.

Compensation

An employee's pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, travel requirements, revenue-based metrics, any contractual agreements, and business or organizational needs. The range listed below are just one component of NowThis' total compensation package. Other rewards may include bonuses, paid time off, and other benefits.

The annual base salary for this position is $400,000 - $500,000 with the potential of additional performance-based compensation.

Our Commitment to an Inclusive Workplace

NowThis is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Above and beyond discrimination/harassment based on "protected categories," NowThis also strives to prevent other, subtler forms of inappropriate behavior (i.e., microaggression) from ever gaining a foothold. Whether blatant or hidden, barriers to success have no place at NowThis.

This is a remote-first role requiring travel as needed.