Account Executive - Ad Sales

ABOUT THE MEDIA GROUP

The Media Group, part of Media Source LLC, is a media and information company serving the library, literacy, and learning markets. Through Library Journal, School Library Journal, The Horn Book and Open Shelf we connect publishers, technology companies, service providers, and other advertisers with engaged librarians and educators through digital media, print publications, events, sponsored content, and integrated marketing programs.

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are seeking a motivated, consultative Account Executive to grow advertising and sponsorship revenue across our established media brands. This is a client-facing, revenue-generating sales position focused on building new business, expanding strategic accounts, and developing integrated campaigns that help advertisers reach decision-makers in school, public and academic libraries. The ideal candidate brings strong prospecting skills, digital advertising fluency, and the ability to translate customer objectives into compelling cross-platform proposals.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own and grow an assigned portfolio and territory of advertising and sponsorship accounts; develop account plans, cultivate senior-level relationships, and consistently achieve revenue targets.
• Prospect and win new business through targeted outreach, referrals, networking, CRM-driven sequences, and timely follow-up on inbound interest.
• Sell integrated programs across Library Journal, School Library Journal, The Horn Book and Open Shelf, including digital display, email newsletters, websites, print advertising, sponsored content, webinars, virtual programs, and in-person event sponsorships.
• Lead discovery conversations to understand advertisers’ business goals, target audiences, budgets, and measures of success; develop persuasive, customized proposals and presentations.
• Manage the full sales cycle, including prospecting, qualification, presentations, negotiation, closing, renewal, and upsell/cross-sell.
• Use campaign results, audience insights, and engagement metrics to identify opportunities, communicate value, and strengthen long-term client relationships.
• Maintain an accurate sales pipeline, opportunity stages, activity history, and forecasts in the CRM; take ownership of follow-through and sales performance.
• Collaborate with marketing, editorial, events, and production colleagues to shape executable client solutions and deliver a strong advertiser experience.
• Stay current on developments in public, academic and school libraries, children’s publishing, independent authors and small publishers, educational technology, and media advertising; bring new revenue ideas to the team.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 3–5+ years of successful B2B sales experience in advertising, media, sponsorships, marketing services, data, or related solutions.
• Demonstrated success developing new accounts, growing existing relationships, and meeting or exceeding sales goals.
• Experience selling digital advertising and/or integrated print, digital, content, and event sponsorship programs.
• Strong consultative selling, prospecting, negotiation, presentation, and executive communication skills.
• Comfort using CRM systems (such as HubSpot) to manage outreach, opportunities, and forecasts.
• Ability to analyze campaign performance and communicate customer value with credibility.
• Self-directed, collaborative, highly accountable, and comfortable managing multiple opportunities in a fast-moving environment.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Experience selling to publishers, library suppliers, technology vendors, education companies, or organizations serving librarians and educators.
• Knowledge of newsletters, sponsored content, webcasts, audience targeting, event sponsorships, and integrated media proposals.
• Familiarity with sales enablement, marketing automation, and media-sales systems such as Magazine Manager.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

A healthy and growing new-business pipeline; strong renewal and account expansion performance; consistently accurate forecasts; integrated sponsorship wins; and satisfied advertising partners who view Media Source as a strategic marketing resource.

COMPANY BENEFITS

• Medical HRA & HSA Plan Offerings / Dental / Vision / Medical & Dependent Care Flexible Spending
• Basic $10k Life insurance Policy – company paid
• Supplemental Life Insurance & Short/Long Term Disability Insurance
• Generous Paid Time Off
• Annual Paid Volunteer Day Program & Two Annual Floating Holidays
• Paid Holidays (9 per calendar year)
• 401(k) with 4% Company match

Media Source is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to equity and inclusion and seek to recruit, develop, and retain talented people from a diverse candidate pool.