Executive Director, Audience Development

Condé Nast•New York, NY

2d•$130,000 - $200,000•Onsite

About The Position

Bon Appétit is the destination for food-obsessed audiences who live to eat. We deliver original, home-cook-friendly recipes; highlight techniques and products to improve or elevate everyday cooking; and offer restaurant and culture content that helps contextualize what’s happening right now in the world of food. Epicurious is the all-in-one platform for cooking inspiration and advice that helps home cooks at every level get dinner on the table. It is the brand that answers the question “What’s for dinner tonight?” and draws people in with trustworthy, myth-busting tips and techniques as well as the stories behind iconic dishes and expert shopping recommendations. Bon Appétit and Epicurious reach millions of home cooks and food lovers across Bonappetit.com and the magazine, Epicurious.com, the Epicurious app, the BA podcast, live events, video, newsletter, and social platforms. Job Description Location: New York, NY Bon Appétit/Epicurious’s Executive Director of Audience Development and Strategy will partner with the Editor in Chief and Executive Editor to build out the brand’s content strategy, ensuring the rubrics we produce align with business goals/KPIs and are informed by both analytics and editorial ambition. Reporting directly to the Executive Editor, they will collaborate with editorial leadership on content development efforts to expand the size of our subscriber audience.Together with the Editor in Chief and Executive Editor, they will play an active role in reviewing content proposals through the lens of our subscription and commercial goals, and will help shape the tactics our storytelling teams deploy to meet the business’s needs . They will use analytics, research, and a well-developed understanding of how to succeed in the digital media industry today to inform content, affiliate, and subscription strategies with an eye first and foremost toward maximizing revenue. They will also act as the chief liaison to our product team, overseeing improvements made to the app and our site in pursuit of subscriptions business goals. The ideal candidate is highly analytical, and is nimble and creative with the ability to incorporate data and testing into the strategic decision-making process. A passion for food & drink is a plus. The Executive Director of Audience Development and Strategy reports to the Executive Editor and is based in New York City.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in the media or entertainment industry, digital advertising agency or online marketing, advertising, or publishing organization, with a thorough understanding of online business models and audience strategies.
Deep understanding of and experience with all audience development channels (content refreshes, social, newsletter, and partnerships).
Detailed knowledge of social channels including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok, and a deep familiarity with social analytics tools.
Deep understanding of email strategies & testing, and experience with ESPs such as Sailthru.
Detailed knowledge of major web analytics tools such as Google Analytics, Omniture, Parsely, and/or Chartbeat.
Ability to clearly articulate and present analyses to all levels of management, including C-suite executives and editorial leadership.
Entrepreneurial and digitally savvy, with exceptional analytical, quantitative, problem- solving, and critical thinking skills.

Nice To Haves

A passion for food & drink is a plus.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with EIC and Executive Editor to ensure Bon Appétit/Epicurious’s content strategy across all platforms (digital, video, print, etc.) and verticals (cooking, recipes, restaurants, culture, etc.) is informed by audience development insights.
Unify data, analytics, and company KPIs with EIC’s editorial vision with the goal of driving audience growth and conversion.
Act as the chief liaison with the product team to enhance the brand’s suite of products (including bonappetit.com and the Bon Appétit app) for reader engagement, time spent, shopability, and subscription acquisition.
Collaborate closely with Consumer Marketing groups to drive consumer revenue, including aiding in establishing top, middle, and bottom of the funnel strategies to increase subscriptions and provide more value for existing and new subscribers.
Identify and execute on new growth opportunities and best practices based on emerging digital trends, competitive business intelligence, and consumer insight.
Explore and implement new distribution platforms and, in collaboration with the edit stakeholders, evaluate whether the brand should participate.
In concert with editorial leadership, help to develop and oversee distribution strategies across multiple platforms that amplify and extend the reach of the brand’s content via catalog refreshes, newsletters, social, partnerships, and more, and present strategies to all levels of management.
Together with the Editor in Chief and Executive Editor, play an active role in reviewing content proposals through the lens of our subscription and commercial goals, and help shape the tactics our storytelling teams deploy to meet the business’s needs.
Collaborate with brand leadership on budget and headcount allocation to make certain spending decisions are aligned with business goals.
Manage the Bon Appétit/Epicurious audience development team, including a newsletter editor and associate aud dev manager.
Liaise with analytics lead on the central data analytics team.
Collaborate cross-functionally with executive brand stakeholders and leadership across editorial, product, consumer marketing, commerce, and sales to develop and execute data-driven audience growth plans that are both consistent with the brand’s editorial missions and maximize consumer monetization.
Work closely with brand leadership and the central analytics team to determine and meet growth and consumer-driven KPIs and ensure that they align with editorial and revenue strategy.
Work with the central analytics team to define measurement and testing strategy, and conduct deep dives to identify new opportunities for brand growth and engagement.
Collaborate with video and audio teams on new and existing programming and develop distribution strategies that maximize audience engagement and monetization across platforms.
Work with editorial and commerce teams on strategy to drive consumer engagement to increase affiliate revenue for the brands.
Work closely with business and sales teams to package and deliver against sponsorships across distribution channels, including site and newsletter executions.