President/Publisher of InterVarsity Press
Work Location:
Lisle, IL - Intervarsity Press
Schedule:
Full time
To advance the purpose of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, the President/Publisher will serve as IVP's senior executive and a Vice President of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, responsible for the full scope of its publishing program, financial performance, staff leadership, and strategic direction. The President/Publisher leads a talented leadership team and serves as IVP's primary spokesperson across the publishing industry, the church, and the broader evangelical world.
Major Responsibilities Personal: - Be a maturing disciple of Jesus Christ: growing in love for God, God's Word, God's people of every ethnicity and culture, and God's purposes in the world
- Be a lifelong learner who prizes the discipleship of the mind, particularly staying current on issues of business practices within ministry, human resources, and talent management
Position Responsibilities: - Provide integrated strategic and operational leadership across IVP's editorial, sales and marketing, finance, and fulfillment functions
- Cultivate and steward IVP's author relationships as a strategic organizational asset, ensuring a robust pipeline of prospective authors across IVP's publishing program, actively developing emerging voices alongside established ones on multi-title arcs, and maintaining the trust and loyalty of authors whose work defines IVP's catalog and reputation
- Drive financial performance with a clear focus on profitability and the sustainable margins that fund long-term publishing investment and mission
- Assess and strengthen IVP's revenue architecture by developing institutional and channel partnerships - including seminaries, Christian colleges, campus ministries, and bulk-purchase networks - that reduce dependence on retail sales velocity and build more durable, relationship-based revenue streams
- Move real authority toward the leaders closest to the work - building decision-rights frameworks, distributing meaningful accountability, and holding that structure even under pressure - so that the organization's capacity is not dependent on any single person
- Invest personally in the development of IVP staff at every level: mentoring deliberately, building bench depth, and creating the conditions where talented people do their best work and grow into greater responsibility
- Represent IVP as its primary voice in the publishing industry, the church, academia, and international evangelical relationships
- Build and deepen the strategic relationship between IVP and IVCF, developing InterVarsity's alumni, staff, and campus network as both a ministry channel and a high-affinity market
- Continue developing joint programming with IVCF Field staff that activates the campus and alumni network as an operational distribution channel - creating co-investment models around author visits, campus events, and curriculum adoption that serve both organizations' missions simultaneously
- Partner with IVCF leadership and the board to communicate IVP's publishing direction and missional contribution with clarity and conviction
- Strengthen IVP's publishing program with both editorial credibility and commercial discipline, holding creative excellence and financial performance together
Qualifications - Annual affirmation of InterVarsity's Statement of Faith
- Thorough knowledge of, or demonstrated ability to learn, the purpose, vision, ministries, and policies of InterVarsity
- Minimum 10 years of senior publishing experience with demonstrated strength across editorial, commercial, and/or operational dimensions; previous experience in Christian publishing strongly desired
- Embrace of IVP's editorial philosophy and ethos for both academic and general interest books
- Theological grounding consonant with IVCF's Doctrinal Basis; theologically orthodox with a broadly evangelical posture
- Fluency in publishing production, distribution, and supply chain management
- Proven P&L responsibility within a media or publishing industry context
- Deep familiarity with the Christian publishing market and the broader evangelical landscape
- Working knowledge of International Rights and Permissions, including IP licensing for both ministry and revenue purposes
- Proven experience engaging key stakeholders including boards of directors, industry associations, churches, and ministries
- Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred
- Position based on-site at IVP's office in Lisle, Illinois
Pay Range: $157,872.00 - $210,492.00 per year
Benefits:We offer a competitive benefits package, including health care and retirement savings with a match. Eligibility is based on employee type and hours worked. Benefits include the following:
- 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan
- 403(b) matching contributions
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Employee discounts
- Flexible work schedule
- Flexible spending accounts
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Professional development assistance
- Vision insurance
