Yuma Sun Careers

Business Manager

Do you have a mind for strategy, an eye for efficiency, and a heart for small town life? This is your chance to put your ideas to work and make a real difference in the community as well as within our own organization and our much larger parent company.

We are The Yuma Sun, and we are part of a large national media company that is revolutionizing the news and information business. Although we are the leader in our market, we know that new challenges await us at every corner, and we are taking the initiative to continuously improve and transform ourselves in order to not only sustain but grow our leadership position in this highly dynamic industry.

If you have a strong accounting/finance background, experience or interest in the newspaper industry and the desire to be part of the leadership team and manage both a local team and 3rd party service provider, this is your opportunity to build a rewarding career with Freedom Communications running the Finance/Business Office of the Yuma Sun.   We are looking for a savvy Business Manager to be a part of designing our future and guiding our team to the next level of success.

Your Rewards

• Impact -- you'll become a key player on the newspaper's executive team and will be very involved in our strategic planning and decision making. You will also be encouraged to introduce your ideas for innovation and improvement into our business and operations.
• Visibility -- as the right hand to our Publisher and the key liaison between the Sun’s business team and the enterprise financial planning and analysis team, you'll be in a prime position to showcase your strengths at multiple levels and quickly garner the recognition you deserve.
• The "best of both worlds" -- as a smaller publication, we enjoy a tight-knit team environment focused on collaboration and partnership in support of each other and our community. But we also benefit from the extensive resources and assistance of the larger Freedom Communications organization at both the Regional and Corporate level. This allows us to equip our team with the technology, tools, and training to pursue opportunities for which a paper our size would normally be unable, such as the advances we are making on our interactive initiatives.
• Career growth -- we love to promote from within, and your success in this role will position you for a variety of advancement opportunities throughout the Freedom Communications organization. Excellent compensation -- along with a competitive salary and bonus program, we offer a full benefits package that includes medical and dental insurance, a 401(k) plan, and more.
• Great location – Yuma is a small city with a hometown feel.  In a market strongly influenced by agriculture, military and tourism economies, there is plenty of growth potential.  Diverse cultures blend in a family-friendly atmosphere where people come together to make progress happen.  Located just 2 ½ hours from San Diego, 3 hours from Phoenix and 5 hours from Las Vegas, you can enjoy the best of both worlds—easy access to the entertainment and cultural opportunities or a big city with the lifestyle of a smaller community.  If you enjoy the outdoors, Yuma provides excellent recreational activities year around.  In addition, you'll join an organization dedicated to serving the unique needs of its community and a well-established national media company known for its best practices, progressive strategy, and industry-leading products.
• Great environment -- we promote a very supportive and collaborative atmosphere within an organization committed to life-long learning.

Our Requirements

• Strong background of accrual accounting, general ledger, GAAP, etc.
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or related field with experience in management
• 5+ years business accounting and/or financial management experience which includes:  development and implementation of strategy; proven ability to foresee opportunities and risks and to create plans to exploit or counter them; 3+ years of leadership experience; experience driving and managing change in a dynamic environment; experience serving as a business partner to key leadership
• Firm grasp of Financial Planning and Analysis and a demonstrated understanding of accounting basics
• Strong change management, team-building and leadership skills
• Experience leading and managing the installation of new systems and technology
• Highly disciplined approach to financial reporting and forecasting
• Outstanding organizational, analytical and communication skills
• Advanced proficiency in Excel.
• Ability to read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, and governmental regulations.
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
• Unrestricted Arizona driver's license.

Preferred, but not required:

• Newspaper or media industry experience
• Connection to Yuma and the surrounding communities
• Experience managing a team of direct reports
• Experience in managing 3^rd party service providers
• Experience with interactive products and online business development
• Knowledge of Great Plains.

More About Your Role

Reporting directly to Publisher with dotted line responsibilities to the VP Finance- Newpaper Operations, you'll take charge of the Finance/Business Department of the Yuma Sun and oversee a local staff of two.  Additionally, you will be responsible for overseeing the accounting services provided by a 3^rd party offshore service provider.  The Business Managers primary focus is ensuring the local accounting team and 3^rd party service provider are delivering accurate and timely accounting and credit services.  Providing financial planning, analysis and business guidance to the local management team, while You'll aim to quickly come up to speed on our various systems (including Great Plains and PBS) with on-the-job training as you assume the responsibilities of the role, which will include:

• Acting as key business partner to publisher and local leadership team
• Serving as liaison to corporate finance
• Coordinating departmental budgets and forecasts for the Sun and all related products
• Overseeing weekly and monthly EBITDA flashes
• Managing month-end close to ensure the accuracy of the financials as well as in the interpretation of results.
• Taking a leadership role in contingency planning and gap closure recommendations as needed
• Identifying capital needs and providing analytical support
• Overseeing daily operations of accounting department and the 3^rd party offshore service provider
• Partner with 3^rd party offshore provider to ensure timely and accurate response to corporate requests for information
• Ensuring integrity and accuracy of all financial data.
• Monitoring aging of accounts receivables; collecting on delinquent accounts and trouble-shooting of credit problems.
• Researching and resolving problems, questions, errors in all types of customer accounts (advertising, circulation, and payroll).
• Ensuring security of company assets (cash, equipment, property, etc.) and proper segregation of duties.
• Working with internal and external auditors, and implementing audit recommendations.
• Understanding and administering company polices and procedures, standards of acceptability, sources to confirm regulations and legislation.
• Reviewing proposed adjustments to all types of accounts and ensuring proper documentation for approved adjustments.
• Participating in strategic regional goal setting and implementation with other Freedom newspapers.
• Participating in weekly department head meetings and working as a member of a collegial leadership team.
• Keeping abreast of activities in the business community.
• Advocating and demonstrating a superior level of excellent internal and external customer service.

Keys to Success

In addition to managing the department, securing company assets, and ensuring accurate financial reporting, we'll look to you to take a strategic approach to cutting costs and improving other inefficiencies in our operations, and your success in these areas will require you to:

• Quickly get up to speed and learn our business so that you can become an effective partner for both the Publisher and the Regional Accounting teams who will support you.
• Take ownership of our financial planning and look for ways in which we can standardize, automate and improve efficiency.
• Affect change through effective managerial influence
• Take the initiative to build strong working relationships with department heads and earn their respect.
• Forge relationships with your existing team and lead them through the transition with strong guidance, empathy, and support.
• Keep abreast of corporate plans and prepare your staff in advance for upcoming change initiatives.
• Work with our regional accounting and corporate teams to ensure the resources you need to succeed are in place.
• Establish yourself within the community and get to know the specific needs of this area.
• Be flexible and effectively handle change and ambiguity

If this sounds like the right mix of challenge and opportunity, and you meet the required qualifications, we look forward to hearing from you.

To apply for this position please Click Here

The Yuma Sun is a drug-free workplace. - EOE

Web Designer

 The primary responsibilities of this position include maintaining, improving upon and updating the company’s web sites.  This includes but is not limited to content management, daily updates, editing HTML and PHP code.  This position requires design work on both advertisements and web sites, including limited animation.  This may involve modifying or creating images for web-based application.

Our chosen candidate must be familiar with current web designs and able to layout user friendly web pages.  Prior experience in web design, internet programming and database experience is preferred. Qualified applicants must have demonstrated attention to detail, an aptitude for technical problem solving, self-initiative and the ability to work well under pressure and well in a team environment.

Education:    High School Diploma or GED

Experience:  Familiarity with standard HTML editors, primarily Dreamweaver is desired.  Photoshop, knowledge of Flash, Open Source software all a plus.

To apply for this position please Click Here

The Yuma Sun is a drug-free workplace. - EOE