Chief Revenue Officer
This is a full-time position based in New York City.
The Counter is a multi-award-winning digital magazine, named one of the four best “micro newsrooms” in the country by the Online News Association. We offer opportunities for professional development, benefits, the option to work partially remote, and an informal, creative, and intellectually inspiring newsroom culture.
This position is a senior leadership position within the organization, entailing the ability to oversee the big picture and execute on individual initiatives. Key metrics for success involve the creation and execution of a mixed revenue model, oversight of the business and development teams work, forecasting with the Executive Director, and ability to plan and interface with the editorial team on execution of substantial new revenue streams.
Position Summary:
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A member of the senior leadership team, the chief revenue officer is responsible for the creation and oversight of all income-generating activities for the organization. The CRO will create a strategic plan to develop and scale earned revenue, along with the oversight of the development team and the fundraising activities for the organization. The CRO will be a key member of the organization, creating and managing the business team, while developing a sustainable model with the Executive Director that is scalable within a 12-18-month timeframe. The CRO will lead sales and client services with a focus on developing new business partnerships and growing revenue, while overseeing the development team and strategies.
Core responsibilities:
1. Build, lead and manage the new revenue team.
2. Grow The Counter’s traditional funding base (individual giving, major gifts, annual giving, events, campaigns, planned giving, foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, membership).
3. Develop additional creative funding streams including earned revenue.
4. Build audience and conversion efforts.
5. Expand The Counter’s capacity in the areas of marketing, strategic partnerships, and new product development.
The CRO will have a broad range of duties under these focus areas, requiring a strong mix of skills, experience and character.
These include:
1. Having experienced professionally the particular challenges and rewards of work in the areas of media and journalism.
2. Working with the CEO and Board to develop and implement a multi-year revenue strategy that includes growth of our major donors, foundation support and membership programs.
3. Taking the lead in hiring the revenue team, which will grow from 2 to 4 members over the next two years, while providing strong leadership and effective management for the team.
4. Advancing the field of nonprofit journalism and growing The Counter’s reach through collaboration with local organizations as well as state and national entities.
5. Balancing a multitude of, and sometimes conflicting, viewpoints while always keeping journalistic integrity and the best interests of the organization at the forefront.
6. Embracing traditional philanthropic fundraising methods while also leveraging best practices and innovative strategies from the corporate world and startup sector.
7. Rethinking events and traditional fundraising approaches.
8. Connecting The Counter with younger and more diverse audiences and building awareness as to the critical need for good journalism now and into the future.
9. Constantly scanning the journalism landscape for new ideas and use of tools to emulate in delivering our content in broadcasting or on the internet.
10. Thinking creatively about The Counter’s assets and capabilities to pilot new and innovative ways to translate those into revenue as well as trading/in-kind for other resources.
11. Partnering with other organizations (including other nonprofit entities) to develop joint funding and sponsorship opportunities.
12. Instilling a culture of philanthropy that spans across our organization and board, assisting every team member to support our revenue goals however they can.
13. Setting appropriate short- and long-term revenue targets and taking responsibility for achieving those goals.
14. Managing a personal portfolio of major donors and prospects.
15. Co-managing our data management efforts in Salesforce; providing reports and updates to the ED, Board and staff as needed.
16. Staying current on events within media, internet technology, and the food sector.
In order to succeed in a CRO role in nonprofit journalism, this person must be:
1. Ambitious: likes to build things, beat targets and win.
2. Passionate: holds a firm belief in the First Amendment and the critical role of accurate information in our society.
3. Strategic: is a true thought partner to the ED; enjoys formulating aggressive goals and designing innovative, yet practical methods for achieving them.
4. Entrepreneurial: able to be bold and to take calculated risks, says “yes” to new opportunities.
5. Visionary: always learning, focused on the future and devising a path to get there.
6. Transparent: collaborates to empower others; shares information and uses an open and inclusive decision-making style.
7. Confident: comfortable and effective working with senior executives and major philanthropists; not afraid of having the difficult conversations.
8. Storyteller: able to communicate the impact of our work beyond single articles and issues.
9. Analytical: uses well-researched numbers and other data points to support their strategies and business plans; able to carefully study issues, identify trends and formulate new ideas.
10. Communicative: possesses strong written and oral communication skills. An effective public speaker and representative of the organization.
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Hours: 40 minimum per week and flexibility to be available as needed
Benefits: Health Insurance, Dental & Vision, 403(b) retirement plan, LTD, STD, life insurance, generous vacation and personal time, flex-work schedule with part-time remote
Location: Metropolitan NYC Area with part-time remote and regular travel schedule
To apply: Please send resume and cover letter to [email protected] or apply via LinkedIn.
