Regional Managing Editor - Agriculture

Fastmarkets•Chicago, IL

About The Position

The Role The regional managing editor is a key role helping to deliver our PRA strategy by leading and managing a team of price reporters and team leaders, across a range of related commodity areas. The role is accountable for developing and executing the regional strategy for the relevant markets under its remit, and for contributing to and help driving the global strategy. The regional managing editor implements the broader Fastmarkets growth strategies, working with the editorial directors for the relevant vertical, and the senior leadership team to shape and communicate the Fastmarkets vision. The role will balance occasional market coverage with expectations around maintaining unique content and commentaries that support pricing services; engaging with market participants to drive adoption; and doing so in a way that effectively balances managerial responsibilities against their role as a team member. The goal is to drive excellence across the regional team, establishing the group collectively as industry experts, ensuring a constant stream of leading content and robust, correction-free pricing, and overseeing, nurturing and developing a high-performing team of market experts. The role can oversee up to 20 reporters in a region and relies on team leaders to co-manage the team and day-to-day operations, while being accountable for the regional strategy and supporting the editorial director to design and drive the global strategy.

Requirements

Strong background in pricing markets and journalism with expertise in relevant commodity sector.
A full understanding of the use of Fastmarkets’ prices as benchmarks. Experience with high-pressure benchmark markets welcome.
Track record of strong leadership skills: demonstrable ability to plan, motivate, delegate work and achieve results through others, not themselves.
Experience in recruiting, training and mentoring a team to meet and exceed Fastmarkets’ standards for pricing, content and market coverage. This includes setting objectives, conducting appraisals, providing feedback and promoting Fastmarkets’ values.
Experience in managing people managers and coaching them to drive performance within their team.
Experience in market engagement including organising or overseeing roadshows, webinars, external meetings and speaking at events.
Ability to manage a budget and prioritise use of resources to achieve efficiencies and bring results, which include making tough decisions, building business cases, and defending a spending plan.
Able to operate at the highest levels internally within a matrix management structure and with external stakeholders.
Able to lead multiple projects simultaneously with a strong vision that is communicated clearly and coherently.
Support risk and compliance in audit activities, ensure that team is comfortable and familiar with all processes under review.
Innovation and Creativity: Ability to foster a culture of innovation within the organization. Creativity to generate new product ideas and solutions to meet customer demands.
Business Acumen: Comprehensive understanding of the business, industry, and economic factors that impact growth. Financial literacy to assess the viability and profitability of new initiatives.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Effective communication and collaboration skills to work across different departments. Ability to build and lead cross-functional teams to execute strategic initiatives.
Adaptability and Flexibility: Ability to adapt to changing market conditions and adjust strategies accordingly. Flexibility to pivot when needed and embrace continuous improvement.
Customer-Centric Focus: Understanding of customer needs and preferences. Ability to align product development with customer expectations.

Responsibilities

Uphold the integrity of our prices by serving as a role model for the Fastmarkets' price development process; ensure team leaders and price reporters adhere to it when launching, amending or discontinuing prices.
Build trust in and drive usage of our prices by championing our IOSCO-compliant approach to price reporting, ensure team knows and abides by all processes around pricing, methodologies and audits.
Adopt and drive the LPDA (Launch, Promote, Defend, Attack) approach to price development and engagement campaigns.
Coach editors and collaborate with the editorial operations team to make continual improvements to our content and how it is delivered to improve quality, promote value-added reporting and find compelling ways to highlight our expertise.
Lead and conduct market engagement via meetings and events with a focus on driving price adoption. Ensure a consistent flow of meeting insights are shared with relevant stakeholders to improve interactions and uncover opportunities.
Manage the regional team’s responsibilities and diary to ensure that a solid back-up system is in place to maintain coverage through leaves or business travels, cooperating with other teams if needed.
Balance being the last resort for market coverage, while overseeing others' pricing and editorial work strategically to ensure that each supports the other.
Coordinate cross-functional, cross-department and cross-regional collaboration, helping to break down silos and enrich content or pricing coverage.
Work with other managing editors to facilitate successful staff development and retention, maintaining a positive working environment and culture. Champion Fastmarkets’ MAGICC values.
Support recruitment of high-calibre candidates, develop and retain talent within the pricing team and across the broader Fastmarkets group, promoting cross-commodity and cross-discipline moves where desirable.