About us
Gibbs Smith is an employee-owned, B Corp certified publisher. We positively impact the communities we serve, including employee-owners, local communities, the book and education industries, and Planet Earth.
About the Job
The Publishing Operations Manager ensures that Gibbs Smith Education’s publishing operations run efficiently, collaboratively, and in alignment with segment and company goals. This role serves as a key connector among GSE Publishing, GSE Sales, GSE Digital/Customer Success, and GS Central Operations, helping teams communicate clearly, follow effective processes, and achieve successful outcomes.
The Publishing Operations Manager oversees operational systems, reporting, vendor relationships, production support, inventory processes, budgeting, and financial tracking. This role ensures that procedures, schedules, tools, and workflows support the broader mission and strategic priorities of Gibbs Smith Education.
KEY DELIVERABLES
- Serves as the segment subject-matter expert for key technology platforms, including Monday.com, SharePoint, Teams, NetSuite, Power BI, HubSpot, storage solutions, and other operational systems.
- Oversees publishing operations processes and outcomes related to data, accounting, production, fulfillment, and printing.
- Supports inventory planning and management, including print runs, reprints, stock monitoring, and related operational workflows.
- Assists in budget creation, tracks financial performance, establishes, and evaluates KPIs, and uses reporting to support segment and company goals.
- Ensures that GSE schedules, workflows, and operational priorities support the company’s mission, strategic objectives, and segment-wide success.
- Manages vendors and outside support functions to ensure quality, accountability, timeliness, and cost-effectiveness.
- Maintains and organizes the GSE archive, ensuring materials and records are accessible, accurate, and properly preserved.
- Identifies opportunities to improve processes, reporting, systems, and cross-functional communication across the segment.
SPECIFIC JOB TASKS
Financial & Business Operations
- Ensures timely budget development and ongoing financial management in accordance with company practices.
- Partners with the Publisher, Editorial Director, National Sales Director, and Finance Team to develop budgets, monitor P&Ls against actual results, prepare projections, analyze historical performance, and identify opportunities for cost savings and revenue growth.
- Oversees procurement activities for the Education segment.
- Oversees the management of financial and commercial contracts, purchase orders, quotes, invoices, and work-in-progress (WIP) reporting in partnership with Accounts Payable.
Systems & Technology
- Serves as the segment expert for operational technology platforms, including Monday.com, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, NetSuite (ERP), Power BI, HubSpot, storage solutions, and other business systems.
- Designs, maintains, and continuously improves operational systems, workflows, automations, dashboards, and reporting to increase efficiency and data accuracy.
- Serves as the primary point of contact for Education technology issues, resolving user questions and coordinating with the company's IT partner on more complex issues.
- Manages the segment's archives, digital storage, and file organization to ensure accessibility, consistency, and long-term record retention.
Publishing Operations
- Coordinates pre-publication planning, including planning documentation, folder creation, ISBN assignment and tracking, and title data management.
- Partners with the Editorial Director to develop standardized templates for programs and instructional components.
- Ensures timely review and completion of publishing projects, delegating responsibilities as appropriate.
- Collaborates across departments to maintain accurate title information, specifications, schedules, publication dates, and metadata.
Production, Printing & Inventory
- Oversees publishing operations related to printing, fulfillment, inventory management, and production data.
- Coordinates proofing activities, implements corrections, updates copyrights and printer keys, and reviews production files and purchase orders for accuracy.
- Maintains the ISBN master database and ensures the integrity of title and product data.
- Monitors print margins, production schedules, and manufacturing efficiency to support timely and cost-effective printing.
- Partners with Sales, Production, Inventory Management, and Data & Accounting to monitor inventory levels, fulfillment, large customer orders, delivery schedules, and inventory disposition, proactively communicating issues and solutions to stakeholders.
Operations Support
- Oversees operational activities such as platform registrations (School Watch, school listservs, and similar services) and other administrative support functions.
Digital Publishing
- Ensures editorial files, revisions, and corrections are accurately transferred to Digital Production in a timely manner.
- Partners with Customer Success and Digital teams to support platform improvements and digital product innovations.
And of course...other duties that may be assigned.
DESIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, Education, English, History, Social Sciences, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- Exceptional organizational, planning, and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to gather, interpret, and leverage data to support sound operational and business decisions.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including formulas, tables, data analysis, and reporting.
- Proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications and collaboration platforms, including Teams, SharePoint, and related tools.
- Experience using enterprise systems and project management platforms such as Monday.com, NetSuite, HubSpot, Power BI, or similar business applications.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including strong editing, grammar, and document preparation abilities.
- Highly detail-oriented with exceptional accuracy and a commitment to quality.
- Strong collaboration, relationship-building, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively across departments and with external partners.
- Demonstrated ability to improve processes, solve problems, and implement operational efficiencies.
- Ability to adapt to changing priorities with professionalism, flexibility, and resilience.
- Self-motivated with a commitment to continuous learning, professional growth, and proactively seeking feedback and new knowledge.
DIRECT REPORTS
DIRECT SUPERVISOR
- Publisher & President, Education
Pay: $75,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Professional development assistance
- Tuition reimbursement
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s):
- Do you have experience using enterprise systems and project management platforms such as Monday.com, NetSuite, HubSpot, Power BI, or similar business applications. If yes, please explain.
- Do you have a Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, Education, English, History, Social Sciences, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- What is your experience in publishing operations?
Work Location: Remote
