Role overview

The College Department of W.W. Norton & Company, the largest and oldest independent and employee-owned publisher, produces textbooks and courseware for undergraduate studies across the humanities, sciences, and social sciences. Our success is built on developing high-quality content that supports course goals in diverse educational environments, with a commitment to equity-minded teaching that improves outcomes for all learners. Our integrated materials reflect cutting-edge pedagogy, flexible learning pathways, and best practices in accessibility, designed to help all students succeed.

We are seeking a goal-oriented College Publishing Sales Representative for our Chicago territory to promote our courseware and textbooks (print and digital) to undergraduate instructors. This role offers a unique opportunity to engage with higher education, foster intellectual discovery, and contribute to the success of students and faculty.

Job Advantages and Highlights

Pride in Independence: Nortonians value reading, learning, and sharing ideas. We foster a collaborative environment with a distinctive sense of shared purpose, and many employees have long-standing careers with the company.
Variety: This role involves in-person meetings with college instructors, requiring travel to colleges within your geographic territory. You'll experience changes of scenery, stay active, and encounter diverse academic challenges.
Intellectual Engagement: By consulting with instructors on their course goals, teaching strategies, and educational challenges, you'll be exposed to a wide range of ideas and information across numerous subject areas, making it ideal for lifelong learners who love to read and discover.
Camaraderie: Norton Representatives enjoy driving sales success while also valuing the exchange of ideas and discussions about shared interests. Our team comes from diverse backgrounds with wide-ranging interests and a commitment to continuous learning.
Career Development: Norton prioritizes internal promotion and professional advancement. Managers actively support employee development based on identified strengths and professional goals.
Mentorship: In addition to guidance from a dedicated Sales Manager, new Sales Representatives are supported through a mentorship program that pairs them with experienced colleagues.

Responsibilities

Conduct approximately four college visits per week during the academic year, aiming to consult with 10-15 professors per campus day.
Conduct virtual meetings with faculty on days not spent on campus.
Develop relationships with academic faculty by assessing their teaching challenges and demonstrating how Norton’s educational materials can provide solutions.
Engage with instructors on campus through cold calls and scheduled appointments.
Familiarize yourself with major new titles and revised editions annually, as well as competing texts.
Increase revenue and adoption rates for books and courseware within your defined sales territory.
Collaborate with colleagues on strategic plans for advancing priority sales opportunities.
Set tracking and revenue goals with guidance from sales management.
Identify opportunities, document related activities, and track progress using the company’s Salesforce-based customer relationship management tool.
Provide customer support to instructors who assign or wish to evaluate Norton’s course materials.
Attend national and regional conferences.
Overnight travel requires approximately 20% of the time.

Compensation and Benefits

Total compensation, including discretionary bonuses, ranges from $50,000-$80,000. Salaries and ranges may vary based on experience, skills, and location.
Company vehicle (including insurance, maintenance, fuel, and personal mileage allowance).
Reimbursement of qualified travel-related expenses.
Generous paid time off and paid holidays.
Comprehensive health benefits, including PPO, EPO, and High Deductible medical insurance options, vision insurance, dental insurance, flexible spending accounts (healthcare, dependent care, commuter), and gym membership reimbursement. Coverage is available for spouses, domestic partners, and dependent children.
Profit-Sharing and 401(k) benefit plan with discretionary employer contribution matching.
Disability and life insurance.
FMLA, parental, and other leave options.
Employee Assistance Program (for mental health, financial planning, and other needs).
Company-provided laptop.
Employee discounts on Norton books.
Limited matching of employee donations to select non-profit organizations.

Requirements

BA/BS degree and a valid driver’s license.
Employment eligibility to work with W.W. Norton, Inc. in the US.
Ability to travel by both car and airplane, with some overnight stays necessary for campus visits, sales conferences, training, and/or professional development.
Residence within or near the geographic territory encompassing the sales accounts for this job (relocation can be a negotiated condition of employment).
Strong communication and critical thinking skills.

Qualifications

Intellectual curiosity, self-motivation, competitiveness, resourcefulness, collaboration, organization, and persuasiveness are highly valued.
Candidates at all career levels are considered, from recent graduates to those with extensive experience.
Ideal candidates possess some successful employment or internship history in sales, marketing, editing, teaching, or roles requiring customer interaction.
Nimbleness and the ability to devise creative, strategic solutions for instructors are essential, as learning outcomes and pedagogy vary significantly across disciplines.
The ability to sharpen analytic and strategic skills daily is required.

College Publishing Sales Representative, Chicago

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Job Description