Connecting Talent with Great Opportunities
Paulist Press has retained Jack Farrell & Associates (www.jackfarrell.com) to find the winning candidate for this position. Interested candidates should provide a resume and cover by email to Jack Farrell ([email protected]). Details on the cover letter are included below. Thank you. The oldest independent Catholic publisher in the United States – Paulist Press – seeks a President & Publisher to build upon its hallowed history and set the course for a publishing program that engages the intellect, challenges the status quo, and embraces the joy of a faith-filled life in the full spirit of the Paulist Fathers. Some of Paulist Press’s best-sellers include Trina Paulus: Hope for the Flowers; David Richo: How to Be An Adult; Robert Greenleaf: Servant Leadership; James Martin, SJ: Becoming Who You Are; Anthony Bloom: Beginning to Pray; and The Prayer of St. Francis (Children’s book). The President & Publisher will lead a highly experienced team of 23 and oversee the publication of up to 60 titles annually and will manage the operational and financial health of Paulist Press, including oversight of its headquarters in Mahwah, NJ. The President & Publisher reports to a Board of Directors which is made up of members of the Paulist Fathers community and outside publishing professionals who are highly engaged and committed to the growth and success of Paulist Press. In concert with the Board, the President & Publisher will set the editorial plan and make the necessary decisions to ensure the long-term health and success of this unique independent publishing house. In addition to the strategic management duties, the President & Publisher will play an important tactical role in actively acquiring and publishing titles in the fields of their choosing. The ability to have a direct and immediate impact on the success of the publishing program is one of the major appealing features of this opportunity. The editorial offices of Paulist Press are located in Mahwah, NJ, a bucolic suburb of New York City. The winning candidate will be required to be in the office three days per week or more. Relocation assistance is available. OVERVIEW & HISTORY“Our Power will be in presenting the same old truths in new forms, fresh new tone and air and spirit.”With these words, Servant of God, Fr. Isaac Thomas Hecker, set the Paulist Fathers on the task of bringing Catholicism to American culture and translating American culture to the universal Catholic Church. To dialogue with the multicultural, multi-religious America of the nineteenth century, Fr. Hecker selected publishing as the new form by which the fresh new tone, air, and spirit of Catholicism would be communicated; and in 1865 initiated the first American Catholic publishing ministry, now known as Paulist Press.In 1881, the Paulist Fathers established their own press (Columbia Press) alongside their mother church, St. Paul the Apostle in NYC, and from that location continued to publish books and pamphlets explaining the teachings of the Catholic faith that were carried throughout the country by a system of Paulist mission preachers, who focused on bringing Catholicism to non-Catholics as well as visiting the most remote and isolated Catholic communities. Paulist mission bands served as the first national distribution network for Paulist publications, reaching from New York to California, and from Los Angeles to Montreal. Wherever railroads laid tracks, Paulist missionaries and publications would follow.Fr. Hecker wrote that “a religion that does not enter into the actions of our daily life is a religion not worth having.” Consequently, Paulist publications emphasized a practical spirituality that would both comfort and challenge people in their daily struggles and aspirations. Alexander Doyle, CSP, William Hughes, CSP, and Walter Elliot, CSP, succeeded Fr. Hecker during this period.This proud publishing tradition continues to this day as Paulist Press publishes books on Catholic doctrine, spiritual practices, the Bible, Catholic social teaching, and the full array of topics germane to the Church and a people of faith or those in quest of faith. Since 2010, Paulist Press has been ably led by Mark-David Janus, CSP, PhD. Fr. Janus plans to step down in late 2024, but the Board of Directors and the Paulist Fathers strongly support a plan wherein he overlaps with the new President & Publisher to ensure continuity and a seamless transition.RESPONSIBILITIES· Lead a team of 23 in the day-to-day management of a $3 million publishing operation. · Collaborate with the Board of Directors to set the future course of Paulist Press and participate in regular meetings with the Board to ensure that it is hewing to its mission.· Explore new avenues for operational efficiencies and revenue generation across the publishing program including a critical review of current distribution partners.· Devise a digital strategy for Paulist Press to optimize distribution of its content in all channels and across all platforms.· Inspire the editorial team and identify publishing opportunities that bring to life the immutable precepts of the Catholic faith as it meets the challenges and realities of today’s world.· Utilize social media as a channel to expand Paulist Press’s global reach and relevance.· Serve as a willing ambassador of Paulist Press and the Paulist Fathers to help Paulist Press make its imprint on the modern landscape of faith and religious teaching and practice. · Through its publishing program and communications, internally and externally, help maintain the mission of the Paulist Fathers. REQUIREMENTS· 10 years of experience in publishing with more than 5+ years in a leadership position.· Alignment with the Paulist approach of presenting a Catholic perspective on the important questions of the day.· Proven track record of success in editorial acquisitions.· The acumen to manage the operational aspects of Paulist Press.· Financial savvy and the ability to manage the P&L and articulate the financial goals of Paulist Press to staff and other stakeholders.· Strong communication skills. A competitive compensation package is available to the winning candidate along with a robust benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, 401K contribution and more. NOTE: Paulist Press has retained Jack Farrell & Associates (www.jackfarrell.com) to find the winning candidate for this position. Interested candidates should provide a resume by email to Jack Farrell ([email protected]). In addition to a resume, candidates should supply a 2-page cover letter that addresses the following: 1) why am I interested?; 2) how am I qualified?; and 3) what might Paulist Press look like in several years under my stewardship? Thank you. JO 202308067