Title: Distribution Director (Baton Rouge, LA)

Department: Circulation

Reports to: Senior Distribution Director

General Summary of Position: The Distribution Director is responsible for all Home Delivery and Single Copy newspaper distribution in the Baton Rouge market. Baton Rouge is the state capital which is ideal for print news coverage. We are a media organization that is committed to our print subscribers and expect to adhere to quality service standards to retain our customers. Baton Rouge has multiple community publications that are delivered to non-subscribers with delivery to thousands of households weekly. Our Baton Rouge market is where The Advocate began and is of the utmost importance to the company. The Baton Rouge Director must be driven, insightful, dedicated, and task oriented. Of most importance, ensuring superior customer service is required of this leadership position.

The Distribution Director of Metro establishes and maintains all negotiations, contracting, and terminations of independent contractors in the Baton Rouge market and communicates with customers to uphold consistent quality service. Leads a team of one area manager and six distribution managers. This position will be paramount in ensuring all contractor routes are filled with quality candidates, maintain the expected complaint level while keeping an eye on the expense budget to be met.

Primary Responsibilities and Essential Duties:

A. Planning and Supervision 

1. Evaluates, trains, coaches and/or disciplines employees in accordance with company policies. 
2. Negotiates contracts with independent contractors, prepares changes and additions to contractual agreement. Develops independent contractor routes and boundaries. Terminates independent contractor routes when necessary. Delivers downed routes when necessary.
3. Responsible for design and implantation of daily redelivery of complaints.
4. Insures are retail locations are being delivered, collected, and recorded.
5. Resolves conflict between and among circulation employees and contractors, listening to issues of all parties and making fair and appropriate decisions. 
6. Coordinates leave requests, compiles, and maintains employee attendance records in an accurate and timely manner ensuring records are correct. Reviews and submits timesheets for payroll every two weeks.

B. Monitoring and Accountability

1. Reviews CPM Reports and strives to maintain a Blended CPM rating of 2.0 – 2.5 on a weekly basis for the Baton Rouge markets.
2. Keep Expense budget within expected parameters.

C. Customer Interaction/Communication 

1. Contacts Customers to respond to inquiries, enhances customer service by asking relevant questions to determine the needs of the customers.
2. Resolves customers’ complaints, concerns, and delivery issues by performing activities such as redelivery of product, refunding money, or adjusting bills.
3. Reviews daily service reports to obtain and examine all relevant information to assess validity of complaints and to determine possible causes.
4. Monitors delivery of various products in keeping with the service goals.
5. Fields activity to assess customer and contractor issues in resolution attempts.

D. Administrative 

1. Works with the Accounting department to resolve independent contractor issues for final printing and mails such as return credit, shortages, credits, delivery fees, direct deposit, vendors’ numbers, etc. Home delivery customer accounts are often adjusted for non-delivery, vacation hold and wrong service. 
2. Works with consumer sales leaders to increase circulation.

E. Other duties as assigned

Education, Experience, and Knowledge Requirements:

• 5 years newspaper circulation and managerial experience preferred. 
• Thorough knowledge of communications and media – knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods
• Thorough knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Thorough knowledge of administration and management – business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Thorough knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, and sales control systems.
• Considerable knowledge of computer and electronics, including applications and programming.

Skill Requirements: 

• Reading comprehension — understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Writing – communicating effectively with others in writing as indicated by the needs of the audience.
• Active listening — giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical thinking — using logic and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches.
• Quality Control Analysis – conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
• Speaking - talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Judgment and decision making – considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions and making the most appropriate decisions to support business success and assure the ethical and legal treatment of all personnel.
• Time management – managing one’s own time and the time of others.
• Monitoring – monitoring or assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Problem identification – identifying the nature of problems.
• Social perceptiveness— being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Ability Requirements: 

• Ability to read, understand and interrupt written communications including legal and technical documents.
• Ability to write company policy and other correspondence in a clear, succinct, and understandable form.
• Ability to speak clearly, understandably, and effectively with individuals and groups of varying educational levels.
• Ability to apply general principles, policies, and rules to specific problem situations in a logical and consistent manner.
• Ability to assemble specific relevant information when investigating organizational issues and apply appropriate policies in a logical and consistent manner.

Supervision Requirements (total number of people supervised may vary): 

• Single Market distribution directors, Area Managers, District Managers, and oversees Independent Contractors (Carriers)

Physical Requirements (Sensory Acuity; coordination, dexterity, and strength):

• The job requires the following demands daily: hear normal conversations and speak clearly so someone else can understand what you say.
• The job requires the following demands once or twice a week: see nearby objects and have accurate depth perception.
• The job requires the following physical demands daily: feeling, finger dexterity, grasping, reaching, sitting, standing, turning, and walking.
• The job requires the following physical demands less than once a week: bending, lifting and/or carrying up to ten pounds.

Work Environment:

• Moderate noises (business office with computer and printers, light traffic)
• Interacts with others
• Sometimes requires traveling to meetings in vehicle and exposure to outdoor weather conditions.

The Advocate is an equal employment opportunity employer, committed to recruiting, developing, and promoting a diverse workforce while providing unique opportunities and career paths for our employees. We encourage applicants of all backgrounds and experience levels to apply.