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Business Manager

MO - Sedalia

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Opportunity Snapshot

This unique position offers you the opportunity to be a key member of the Sedalia Democrat's leadership team, acting as a business partner to the Publisher and other decision makers. We're more than just a business, we are the voice of the community and you'll play a strategic role in driving that voice, from helping develop new ideas and opportunities to encouraging risk taking in an entrepreneurial atmosphere. Quick question for you - click here

You'll enjoy the "best of both worlds:" the small town culture of the Sedalia Democrat and the resources of Freedom Communication, Inc (FCI), one of the nation's largest media corporations.

In addition to leading all financial aspects of the Sedalia Democrat, from analyzing new opportunities to overseeing accounting activities, you will perform local human resources (HR) functions, although HR experience is not required. To be a good fit for this opportunity you will have solid experience in finance and accounting, including a high level of proficiency with analytics and financial modeling. We're looking for a professional with strong leadership skills, supervisory experience and the ability to foresee opportunities and threats, and create plans to exploit or counter them. You also will need to be a creative thinker and team player.

The Sedalia Democrat serves print and online readers in an eight-county area of west-central Missouri. In spite of what you may have heard about the industry, we are the dominant advertising medium in our market -- we have strong reach and measurable impact that, simply put, kicks butt compared to radio and TV. Sedalia is a stable market with a low cost of living and good schools, located near recreational opportunities at Lake of the Ozarks and Truman Lake.

What Else You'll Bring to the Table

In addition to the qualifications detailed above, you'll need:

The ability to:
- Solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables.
- Effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
- Work with mathematical concepts such as probability, statistical inference and return on investment.
- Quickly understand the organization's business drivers and operational needs.
- Write reports and business correspondence.
- Maintain relationships with educational institutions and recruitment agencies.
Strong change management and leadership skills.
Solid organizational, analytical and written/verbal communication abilities.
A highly disciplined approach to financial reporting and forecasting.
Excellent presentation and conflict resolution skills.
Outstanding computer skills, and knowledge of ERP accounting system (experience with Great Plains preferred).
Newspaper or media industry experience is a plus.

What's in It for You

Strategic focus, tactical impact -- the leadership team takes a highly collaborative approach and you'll be fully involved in just about all aspects of our business, from setting goals to analyzing performance to identifying areas to strengthen. Quick question for you - click here

While we are part of FCI, we operate with a good deal of autonomy, tailoring our strategy to the greater Sedalia community.

Career development -- we have opportunities in Sedalia to keep you challenged for years to come, but your success in this role could set you up to pursue multiple career paths within Freedom Communications, particularly if you are willing to relocate.

Entrepreneurial innovation -- the Newspaper Division of FCI is taking an innovative approach to "riding the wave" of change in our industry, propelled in part by a diverse and market-responsive portfolio of products and services.

Excellent compensation -- we offer a competitive salary, incentive bonus potential, and a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, dental, and life insurance, a 401(k) plan, and more.

The Sedalia Democrat and Our Regional Market

Founded in 1868 (just eight years after the city of Sedalia was founded), the Sedalia Democrat has a circulation of 11,758 daily and 9,961 Sunday. Superb reproduction and full-color section fronts complement our excellent design. Our portfolio includes the daily paper, six weekly shoppers covering regional areas, and our Internet sites, which are high growth revenue streams for us. We also have a strong commercial printing division which serves clients as far away as Kansas City and Tulsa OK.

We serve an eight-county area, as Sedalia is a regional center for shopping, healthcare, and other activities. The city is also home to the Missouri State Fairgrounds, Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival (Joplin made his home here), the Missouri State Pow Wow, and other major events. We are a destination location for visitors to the Katy Trail, Missouri's 250-mile "rails to trails" state park and are within an easy drive to Kansas City, Columbia and Jefferson City, the state capitol.

As a place to call home, Sedalia offers history, modern amenities, and the neighborly spirit of a small town. The city borders the scenic Missouri Ozarks and is not far from beautiful resorts such as Lake of the Ozarks and Lake Truman. The cost of living, including housing, is significantly lower than the national average.

More About Your Role

If you're a good fit for this position, you already know most of what this job entails. However, to be sure we're providing a complete picture, here are some details.

You will report to the Publisher and also have working relationships with the Newspaper Division Vice President of Finance and Regional Human Resources (HR) Director. In turn you'll provide direction to the Finance Clerk and indirect supervision to local Associates involved in cash collections and inventory verification.

In essence you will be the leader of finance for the Sedalia Democrat, with a goal of proactively influencing the executive management team (of which you will be a part) on strategy and tactical operations. Your main objectives will include:

Providing financial reporting and analysis to support local decision-making, from budgeting and forecasting to capital needs to product and program profitability. Quick question for you - click here
Acting as the key liaison between the Sedalia Democrat's business team and the enterprise financial planning and analysis team as well the advertising, circulation and operations analysis teams to ensure local business teams are properly supported.

On the HR side you will handle or oversee local activities such as processing new hire paperwork, helping coordinate benefits enrollment and answering benefits questions, coaching and developing staff, ensuring payroll is processed and more.

Keys to Success

To excel in this role you will strike the appropriate balance between strategic and tactical activities; as a smaller organization we're all willing to "roll up our sleeves" to get the job done. In addition, in order to be an outstanding Business Manager, you will:

Keep an eye out for business opportunities in the market as well as opportunities to improve internal processes and procedures.
Bring strong self-motivation and a drive to achieve results.
Manage multiple activities and competing priorities effectively.
Share our commitment to promoting the Sedalia community.
Model a high energy, upbeat approach for the staff.

If this sounds like the right mix of challenge and opportunity for you, and you meet the minimum qualifications, we want to hear from you!

The Newspaper Division of Freedom Communications

With a combined circulation of nearly a one million subscribers, the Newspaper Division of Freedom Communications, Inc remains committed to the communities it serves by focusing on local customers and markets, doing what it does best --delivering quality news products every day.

Freedom Communications is a privately owned information and entertainment company of print publications, broadcast television stations and interactive businesses. The broadcast stations -- five CBS, two ABC network affiliates and one CW affiliate -- reach more than 3 million households across the country. Our Interactive businesses include web sites coast to coast, each offering up-to-the-minute breaking news stories, extensive local content, and trusted local news coverage on demand.