Director, Production Services

JOB SUMMARY The Director, Production Services is responsible for oversight of: - vendor relationships in the content distribution supply chain - production, purchasing, and delivery for all print and digital content at UMPH - production of agreements for properties acquired by the editorial staff - maintenance of complete and accurate royalty records - copyright registration - subsidiary rights management The incumbent serves as liaison between the United Methodist Publishing House (UMPH) and external print vendors, digital content hosts, print and digital production services, rights management agents, authors and literary agents, and the Library of Congress.  The incumbent ensures quality products and services in a timely and cost-effective manner; proactively troubleshoots supply chain issues for all content formats; serves as an in-house resource to answer questions concerning content production, content supply chain, digital rights, legal, or contractual issues; and strives to achieve improvements in all related processes.   ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT & AREAS OF IMPACT Reporting Relationship & Peers Reports to the President & Publisher Emeritus, as do: - Business Systems Integration Director - Business Systems Manager - Controller - Director, Customer & Product Data Management - Director, Operations Integration & Bustiness Systems - Executive Director, Digital Commerce Systems - Senior Editor   Reporting Directly to This Job EXEMPT - Content Distribution Services Manager - Digital Production Services Manager - IP Support Services Coordinator Areas of Impact (as applicable) ANNUAL PURCHASING VOLUME - $25M – $30M ANNUAL ROYALTY PAYMENTS - $1.7M – $2.1M DEPARTMENT OPERATING BUDGET - $25,000     RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE Essential Job Functions PRIMARY - Manages the creation, execution, preservation, and maintenance of all legal publishing documents, such as contracts, licensing and rights documents, amendments, addendums, and other letters of agreement.  Manages disbursement of guaranteed advance and flat fee payments and otherwise ensures publisher legal compliance with active agreements.  Manages the processing of copyright registration, permission requests, out-of-print notification process, reversion of rights and copyright assignments.  Manages the processing of semi-annual royalty payment distribution periods (May and November), including testing and audits to ensure prepayment, payment and post-payment issues are resolved prior to payment process.  Serves as liaison with Accounting for completion of royalty periods in a timely and accurate manner.  Functions as key liaison with rights licensing agents and Associate Publishers for the purpose of protecting and exploiting rights to increase revenue through those sources. - Maintains and establishes relationships, negotiates effective pricing structures and terms, and coordinates business reviews with key partners and vendors.  Works proactively with vendors to ensure continuous improvement and optimal costs and production solutions for new and existing UMPH products.  Monitors supply chain issues, reviews options, and implementation of solutions.  Reviews specifications for new components with vendors.  Oversees cost control, inventory management activity, and inventory purchasing decisions.  Monitors inventory and gross margin performance to ensure that performance is aligned with corporate financial goals. - Oversees management of Digital Production team in providing centralized services for multi-format production, content and metadata distribution, publishing systems support and overarching process and standards, with the goal of preparing these products in a timely manner, resulting in a high-quality product with the highest standard of customer service.  Plans and implements a comprehensive Digital Production strategy, defines and ensures standards for Digital Production processes to fulfill UMPH production objectives.  Remains knowledgeable about industry trends in developing sectional long-range planning and participates in unit planning of work and procedures. SECONDARY - Develops, evaluates, and implements continuous process improvements across production units.  Develops and oversees tracking and reporting systems.  Oversees process integrity across Operations unit. These essential job functions are not intended to cover all work details or the occasional performance of other tasks as assigned by the supervisor.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.   Common or Complex Problem-Solving Challenges - Managing in a virtual work environment - Balancing multiple priorities and meeting deadlines - Ensuring that royalties are accurately calculated, accrued, reported, and paid on time - Maintaining publisher compliance to contract terms and U.S. copyright laws regarding royalties and rights for authors, composers, and other publishing partners - Negotiating and obtaining best terms and prices from supplier - Evaluating and reacting to changes in emerging technology - Proactively troubleshooting Production issues - Maintaining effective professional relationships with external parties (such as authors, literary agents, other publishers, and vendors in the content supply chain) as well as with internal staff, to maximize overall results and find mutually satisfactory resolution when conflicts occur - Achieving UMPH financial goals and balancing those with customers’ perception of value - Envisioning, implementing, and continuously improving the Production environment and processes to ensure integrated work with all UMPH departments and divisions in achieving corporate goals and objectives   Authority & Accountability - Authority to provide necessary training and support to help identify and improve knowledge and skills of staff - Authority to approve contractual provisions to ensure conformity to system requirements to ensure publisher compliance - Authority to negotiate rights sales - Authority to approve recommendations for resolution of problems related to royalty and rights revenue splits, calculations, and payments - Authority over company-wide uploads and downloads of data from various global FTP sites - Authority to respond to and address issues received by emails and phone calls from other UMPH departments and external customers, as received - Authority to solve problems and make decisions related to functional areas while referring, with recommendations, actions to be taken regarding specific employee matters/complaints - Authority to approve purchases up to $50,000 and keep management informed regarding budgetary issues, fluctuations in forecasts, and other problems that develop - Authority to approve process changes related to Production - Authority to approve changes in publishing systems that may affect integration with Production - Authority to remainder out-of-print titles at manufacturing cost to authors and publishing partners   Regular Contacts & Stakeholders INTERNAL - All Unit managers/supervisors within Publishing Production and Creative Services (including all units in the Publishing House) - Associate Publishers - Business Managers - Editorial groups - Accounting – Payables, Receivables, and Financial Reporting - Risk & Operations Services Staff - Information Technology EXTERNAL - Vendors – regarding acquisition of products and services - Resellers of UMPH digital content – regarding digital distribution - All authors, composers, publishing partners, royalty payees, heirs, and literary agencies - Industry associations for production, procurement, and intellectual property as applicable   JOB REQUIREMENTS Education, Experience, & Certifications REQUIRED - Bachelor’s degree in business, accounting, or other closely related field - At least five (5) years of formal training and/or experience with publishing production, publishing contracts, purchasing/procurement, royalty administration, and operations - An additional five (5) years of related experience may substitute for the required degree   Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities REQUIRED - Excellent negotiation skills - Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills - Excellent organizational, analytical, and planning skills - Demonstrated leadership ability and good supervisory skills - Demonstrated ability to prioritize competing schedule demands - Proficiency with all Microsoft Office applications - Ability to quickly learn and adapt to new software programs and processes - Knowledge of industry trends and tools (e.g., EPUB, ONIX, etc.) - Knowledge of publishing processes, purchasing concepts, and products - Knowledge of general accounting practices and procedures - Knowledge of royalty payment calculations, regulations, and practices - Familiarity with the Copyright Law of 1976, as amended and revised PREFERRED - Knowledge of UMPH publishing systems, processes, and business rules is preferred   AI-Enabled Workplace The United Methodist Publishing House is committed to maximizing the impact of artificial intelligence by adopting and integrating AI tools across our work.  These technologies are vital to enhancing productivity, fostering creativity, and strengthening decision-making.  All staff members are expected to engage thoughtfully and responsibly with AI as part of their professional responsibilities.  Core expectations include: - Responsible AI Integration – Leverage AI tools strategically to streamline workflows, generate actionable insights, and deliver exceptional outcomes that advance our mission. - Critical Evaluation & Oversight – Apply professional judgment and critical thinking when reviewing, refining, and validating all AI-generated content and recommendations to ensure accuracy and alignment with our standards. - Continuous Learning & Innovation – Maintain curiosity and adaptability toward emerging AI technologies, actively contributing to innovative practices within your area of expertise while supporting organizational growth. - Ethical & Secure Practice – Uphold UMPH’s commitment to ethical, transparent, and secure AI usage, ensuring all applications align with our mission, values, and community standards.   Equal Employment Opportunity UMPH is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.