Ad Age is seeking a director to lead the editorial side of sponsor-supported programs and create a stronger working model between the newsroom and Custom Ad Solutions. This person will bring editorial judgment, audience insight and operational discipline to sponsored content, events, research, awards and programs built around Ad Age intellectual property.

The director will be the main bridge between editorial and commercial teams: shaping credible ideas, defining the newsroom's role, guiding work through review and approval, and protecting Ad Age's standards and editorial independence. The right person is an experienced editor and confident relationship manager who can make sound decisions, improve the process and represent Ad Age on stage, on camera and with clients.

Build a clear, dependable process in which editorial is involved before commitments are finalized, newsroom responsibilities and approvals are explicit, and sponsor-supported work is useful to the audience, credible and realistic to execute.

·    Serve as the newsroom's primary partner to Custom Ad Solutions for programs requiring editorial expertise, review, talent or intellectual property.

·    Turn commercial opportunities into credible, audience-focused concepts and clear editorial asks, with realistic roles, timelines and approvals.

·    Review and edit sponsor-supported content, research and event materials for relevance, accuracy and Ad Age standards.

·    Set guardrails for sponsor involvement, disclosure, conflicts and newsroom participation, and revise, escalate or decline work when necessary.

·    Host and moderate sponsored roundtables, panels, interviews and webinars, developing sharp questions and substantive conversations.

·    Work with editorial, events and commercial leaders to develop responsible extensions of Ad Age rankings, awards, research, franchises and expertise.

·    Coordinate newsroom participation, protect editorial capacity and improve the intake and approval process so work moves efficiently without disrupting core journalism.

·    Significant experience in editorial partnerships, sponsored or branded content, custom content, or a newsroom role involving substantial commercial collaboration; B2B media experience is a plus.

·    Strong editorial judgment and the confidence to distinguish useful thought leadership from promotional or unsupported content.

·    Excellent writing and editing skills across event concepts, moderator materials, articles, research narratives and client-facing copy.

·    A record of working effectively with sales, events, marketing, legal, commercial content and senior editorial leaders.

·    Strong project and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to clarify ambiguity and move complex work forward.

·    Confidence with clients and senior executives, as well as experience hosting or moderating on stage and on camera.

·    The ability to manage competing priorities and compressed timelines with calm, direct communication.

·    Knowledge of advertising, marketing and media, or the ability to build industry fluency quickly.

Location: New York City with in-office presence three days a week.

This position is exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not eligible for overtime pay.

Pay Transparency Disclosure:

The estimated salary range for this position is $130,000 to $150,000.

The final salary offering will take into account a wide range of factors, including experience, accomplishments and location. The salary range provided should not be considered as a salary limit or cap. In addition to base salary, Crain also offers competitive benefits including retirement plan savings contributions and bonus opportunities based on individual and company performance.

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Environmental Demands

Where you work matters. The job posting will provide specific information on where and when your amazing work would be performed. Employee work location is determined by the needs of the specific team and may include on-site, hybrid or remote. Employee work location is subject to change.

• An “in-office” role would require the employee to come into the office most days with occasional flexibility to work remotely if tasks can be performed elsewhere and if the manager approves. 
• A “remote” role would allow an employee to work from a home office that is in one of the states Crain does business in. We can only employ a remote / "work from home" employee if they reside in one of these states: AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MD, MA, MI, MN, NV, NY, NC, OH, OR, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, and Washington, DC.
• A “hybrid” role would be a mix of in-office and remote work. There may be a specified schedule for coming into the office or it could be at the discretion of the employee with the manager’s approval, subject to change.
• Employees who live within a reasonable commute distance from a Crain office are expected to work on-site 3 days per week.

Many positions will also include work done in “the field.” Depending on the role, this may include conducting in-person interviews, attending work-related events, meeting with sources or clients. Specifics will be noted in the job posting but are subject to change as a role evolves over time.   Employees may be exposed to adverse environmental conditions, specifically during field work. Other typical job functions are performed under conditions such as those found in general office work.  

Travel to cover news stories/events, meetings with clients, and to our geographically separated offices may be required.  It is the nature of many positions to experience non-standard working hours and be on-call when needed for responding to email, meeting with clients, attending work-related events, story development or breaking news. Most employees perform work Monday through Friday, although early-morning, evening or weekend shifts may be required.   Work schedule and travel requirements are subject to change as a role and needs evolve over time.  

Physical Demands 
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of many Crain jobs and are subject to change. 

Physical activities will include frequent in-person or virtual interactions.  For most positions, it is essential to be able to remain at a desk/computer workstation for prolonged periods, perform computer-related tasks, and create/maintain documents within filing systems.  Must have close visual acuity to perform an activity, such as preparing and analyzing reports and information, transcribing, viewing a computer terminal, or extensive reading.  The typical physical requirements are light work—exerting up to 25lbs of force occasionally and/or up to 10lbs of force frequently and may include climbing, pushing, standing, hearing, walking, reaching, grasping, kneeling, stooping, and repetitive motion.  Some positions will have additional physical requirements, including exerting up to 50lbs of force to move and/or carry equipment, supplies, files, or other materials as the role requires.  

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions and meet the environmental and physical demands of the role.