Careers at TCM

Associate Education Editor

Position Summary:

Edits manuscripts and prepares them for print under the direction of an Editorial Director; consults on product development from an education perspective.

Essential Duties / Responsibilities:

• Edits and prepares product manuscripts and CDs for multiple product lines, ensuring educational validity, clarity, purposefulness, best practices, and ease of use.
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of educational trends, practices, and interests, and advises team leadership accordingly.

Minimum Qualifications:

• BA or BS degree in education or equivalent experience
• K-12 classroom teaching experience, preferably upper elementary or middle school
• Content area specialization in social studies or science strongly desired
• Spanish speaking/writing a plus

Physical Requirements:

• Sit for extended periods of time; including at a computer.
• Occasional lifting up to 15 lbs.
• Repetitive hand and wrist movements from frequent use of computer keyboard and mouse.

Work Conditions: General office environment.

Sales Consultant

Open Locations:

• MI

Position Summary:

This is your opportunity to join a successful and growing company, and represent an award winning product line that will benefit children and teachers alike. You’ll enjoy solid training, a collaborative and supportive culture, and he freedom and autonomy to grow the business via your own strategic plan. This position offers a strong base, plus commission and bonus.

To be a good fit for this position you will have:

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• Two to five years of consultative sales experience, preferably in education or a related industry. Teaching experience is a strong advantage.
• The drive and tenacity to build a pipeline, manage an extended sales cycle, and hit goals.
• Polished interpersonal and relationship building skills.
• The ability to work from home and travel up to 50% of the time.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities:

• Receive and answer incoming telephone calls and communications from customers in order to solve customer problems/requests.
• Understand customers' business needs and issues faced and opportunities with various customer buyers in order to develop viable solutions.
• Meet with senior level buyers in order to build relationships and gain their support and commitment to various initiatives/programs.
• Build business plan/solution and contingency plan in collaboration with the customer using information collected during the account discovery process to ensure plan meets customer needs.
• Solve issues that arise during execution in order to eliminate barriers.
• Develop customer call strategies to interact with buyers (coaches, gatekeepers) in order to gain access to senior level buyers.
• Coordinate implementation of agreed upon activities (e.g., trade shows, product training, regional workshops) within geographical responsibility in order to execute plan.
• Identify opportunities consistent with the objectives, priorities and strategies of assigned customers through discovery in order to prioritize potential focus area(s).
• Review with the customer how the recommended solutions are linked to customer's needs to highlight Teacher Created Materials' commitment to customer needs.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent work experience
• 2-5 years in professional sales in the education or related industries

General Competencies:

• Customer Focus: Making customers (external and internal) and their needs a primary focus of one's actions; developing and sustaining productive customer relationships; creating and executing plans and solutions in collaboration with the customer.
• Communicating Effectively: Conveying information and ideas in a clear, meaningful, and timely manner; providing information to ensure understanding; solicits input from the audience during the communication.
• Planning and Organizing: Establishing courses of action for self and/or others to ensure that work is completed efficiently in light of the strategies and destination of the department and/or organization.
• Exerting Personal Influence: Persuading others to support or agree with an idea, issue, or position.
• Acting with Integrity: Maintaining a commitment to honesty; models social, ethical, and organizational values; firmly adhering to codes of conduct and ethical principles.
• Work Standards: Setting high standards of performance for self; assuming responsibility and accountability for successfully completing assignments or tasks; self-imposing standards of excellence rather than having standards imposed.
• Knowledge of the Business: understands value from a customer perspective; stays informed; understands the organization; understands the educational market.
• Building Value Based Relationships: explores opportunities for relationships; identifies relationship needs; facilitated mutual agreement; develops credibility; maintains open lines of communication

Physical Requirements:

• Frequent travel by airplane and automobile.
• Sit, stand, and walk for extended periods of time.
• Must be able to carry up to 50 lbs. when traveling and/ or carrying materials to and from sales meetings and destinations.
• Repetitive hand and wrist movements from frequent use of computer keyboard and mouse.

Work Conditions: Home office; frequent traveling.

Inside Sales Account Executive

Position Summary:

The Inside Sales Account Executive will be responsible for selling educational products and materials into the K-12 market.

Essential Duties / Responsibilities:

• Responsible for sales of educational products, materials and services into K-12 academic market.
• Gain an understanding of customers' business needs and issues faced in order to develop and propose viable solutions.
• Achieve assigned annual revenue targets.
• Research and prospect to identify and qualify new potential customers utilizing a consultative sales approach.
• Drive sales opportunities within the assigned territories and accounts via cold calls, email correspondence webinars, conference calls, etc.
• Responsible for creating and conducting product presentations and demonstrations to customers via the Web.
• Maintain and grow pipeline of forecasted opportunities to ensure sales goals are met.
• Prepare and present complex pricing proposals for each sale.
• Ensure customer satisfaction with responsive account management.
• Maintains records of all sales interactions with customers and internal departments using a CRM (Salesforce).

Desired Qualifications:

• Proven success within a consultative, structured inside sales environment.
• Successful sales track record with “hunter” mentality.
• Successful experience within the full sales life cycle, from lead generation to the closing of deals.
• Experience managing a full sales life cycle over the phone.
• Territory planning and territory management experience
• Outstanding time management skills and the ability to set priorities.
• Very strong written communication and presentation skills.
• Excellent verbal communication, interpersonal, and telephone skills.
• Excellent planning, organizational and prioritization skills.
• Energetic, self-starter with strong work ethic and track record of success.
• BS/BA required.
• Experience in K-12 Education or Educational Sales a plus.

Physical Requirements:

• Sit for extended periods of time; including at a computer.
• Repetitive hand and wrist movements from frequent use of computer keyboard and mouse.

Work Conditions:

General office environment; exposure to frequent noise due to surrounding phone conversations.

IT Assistant

Position Summary:

We are looking for a person with excellent planning, organizational, and prioritization skills. The ideal candidate should be energetic, personable, and possess a strong work ethic. As an IT Assistant, you will provide basic tech support—including desktop and application support—for Windows and Mac users. You might also assist with other IT related tasks such as basic programming and database maintenance.

Essential Duties / Responsibilities:

• Assist with the setup of laptops and workstations.
• Install software.
• Assist with the troubleshooting of IT problems.
• Provide basic application support for both Windows and Mac users.
• Assist with Quality Assurance of local systems.
• Assist with basic HTML e-mail templates.
• Assist with basic database maintenance.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education/Certification: Degree or certification in a technical or computer science related field preferred, but not required.
• 1-3 years related experience.
• Experience with desktop systems (Mac and PC) preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Proficiency in Windows Operating Systems.
• Strong IT troubleshooting skills.
• Experience with both Mac and Windows environments.
• Experience in HTML/XHTML, CSS, PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript is a plus.
• Experience with Adobe CS4 desired, not required.
• Well organized.
• Accurate and attentive to details.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to assist and support others.

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to lift and carry computers and related peripherals.
• Frequent walking to various locations of employees to assist with their technical issues.
• Sit for extended periods of time; including at a computer.
• Frequent lifting up to 20 lbs
• Repetitive hand and wrist movements for frequent use of computer keyboard and mouse

Work Conditions:

• Technical and general office environment.

Warehouse Manager

Position Summary:

The Warehouse Manager will manage receiving, assembly, storage, and distribution of products (components and finished goods). This position will manage 3 facilities, supervise the warehouse and its team of 15 people, which is expected to increase or decrease seasonally. The Warehouse Manager is a key member of the management team, involved in all aspects of operations to ensure that products are fulfilled in a timely manner and meet customer expectations. The Warehouse Manager will focus initially on Warehouse Operations, adding responsibilities as key initial projects are completed.

Essential Duties / Responsibilities:

• PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES:
• To achieve the mission for this position, the Warehouse Manager must produce the following critical actions and results:
1. Improve Warehouse Operations: The Warehouse Manager must rapidly develop an understanding of existing conditions in the warehouse, and complete a thorough analysis of how merchandise flows through the facility. Upon completion of the analysis, will implement a structured approach to improving warehouse management, which includes the following:
1. Work Flow: Optimize the flow of material through the facility, particularly the “pick” line, where orders are assembled for shipment. Ensure balancing of work flow based on peaks and valleys in orders and operational capacity.
2. Quality Assurance: Developing a methodology to ensure absence of errors.
3. Controls: Develop a comprehensive set of controls and procedures, and ensure adherence by all employees.
4. Modernization: Implement equipment, procedures, systems, etc. to ensure that warehouse operates in an up-to-date fashion.
5. Coding: Implement a RF scanning system (or other automated inventory management) to easily track SKUs for assembly, packaging, inventory management, errors, etc.
6. Develop and monitor a cycle count system to ensure accurate inventory control.
7. Overall, implement a new warehouse management system.
2. Organizational Development: The Warehouse Manager will develop the organization, including the following:
1. Ensuring that each employee in the Warehouse group has a complete understanding of the contribution their job makes to the business.
2. Improving understanding and compliance with critical processes.
3. Resource management, including estimating cyclical hiring and meeting requirements with temporary staffing as needed.
4. Hiring of permanent staff as needed with a view toward balancing the skills in the department.
5. Planning for employee development, successorship and future supervisors, leads and managers.
3. Assembly Processing: As most of the company’s merchandise is repackaged into kits and sets, both in print and digital formats, the Warehouse Manager must evaluate the current assembly processes and optimize the assembly function. This will include evaluating what is assembled in-house vs. outsourced, and recommending the best solution. The Warehouse Manager will source and evaluate new Assembly vendors and ensure that there is always a ready supply of Assembly solutions during peak periods.
4. Metrics: The Warehouse Manager will work with the senior management team to identify appropriate metrics for operations (both group and individual performance), including error rates, line item shipping accuracy, etc. The metrics must measure each stage of the order handling process, and ensure the greatest level of efficiency.
5. Vendor Management: Ensure that the company has excellent vendors selected for all outsourced needs, including assembly, shipping, supplies, facility maintenance, etc. Establish performance metrics for vendors and create an inspection / vendor evaluation process to ensure compliance.
6. Improve Shipping and Receiving: Establish and document procedures for shipping and receiving, including inspection checklist, quality control, etc. Analyze shipping methods and rates, research alternatives, negotiate with shipping vendors, and ensure the best choices are made for speed, accuracy, quality and cost.
7. Facilities: The Warehouse Manager serves as the company’s Facilities Manager and Planner. This will include:
1. Management: Manage maintenance vendors (gardening, janitorial, etc.) to ensure the premises are safe, clean, and well maintained.
2. Manage facilities requests for approx. 150 employees.


• PERFORMANCE EVALUATION:
The success of the Warehouse Manager in achieving the objectives described above will be measured by the following:
• New modernized system in place in warehouse, including optimized work flow and RF scanning system.
• Order processing is transparent and speed is improved.
• Processes, policies and checks and balances are in place to ensure efficient and error free shipping.
• Organization is well defined and documented. Highly qualified, motivated productive individuals are in place, and all understand their roles.
• Assembly operations are highly accurate.
• Metrics are defined and tracking toward improved performance.
• Vendor performance is optimized.
• Shipping/Receiving has improved and documented processes with low cost and high quality control.
• Operations smoothly implements all improvements to automation, including RF scanning.
• Space management and planning is keeping pace with company’s needs.

Minimum Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will have the following education, work history, knowledge and skills.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree.
• Experience: 5+ years in warehouse operations, with 2+ years in management of warehouse personnel and operations. Experience in a large company with well-established processes and system is a must. Prior experience in implementing a warehouse automation system is important. Currently a Director or Manager of Operations, Warehouse Manager, Fulfillment Manager or similar. Solid experience in managing a team of at least 10 people.
• Knowledge and skills: Familiar with bar-coding, EDI, proof of delivery procedures. Experience and knowledge of setting up and running an assembly operation is a strong plus. Labor forecasting and flexing work is important. Familiarity with standards and practices established by BISG (Book Industry Study Group) is a plus. Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Personality and Character:

The ideal candidate will have most of the following traits:

• Flexible.
• Goal oriented.
• Can-do, entrepreneurial spirit.
• Creative, can come up with new ideas.
• Hands-on.
• Willing to try new things.
• Good leadership skills, and able to motivate others.
• Willing to hire strong people and build bench strength.

Physical Requirements:

• Frequent daily use of hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; talk or hear.
• Frequent standing and walking.
• Occasional climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, or crawling.
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Sit for extended periods of time; including at a computer.
• Repetitive hand and wrist movements for frequent use of computer keyboard and mouse.
• Occasional travel to out of state facility.
• Frequent short distance travel between 2 local facilities.

Work Conditions:

• General office and warehouse environment.
• Frequent exposure to material handling equipment.
• Occasional exposure to high and precarious places.
• Frequent exposure to varying temperatures and outside weather conditions.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud.

Beta/Quality-Assurance Tester and Proofreader

Teacher Created Materials is an educational publishing company specializing in curriculum and content for elementary classrooms. Products include children's readers, activity books, teacher's guides, transparencies, interactive whiteboard files (SMART Notebook and Promethean ActivInspire), audio books, ebooks, PDFs and other electronic documents, podcasts, and webinars.

We are looking for tech-savvy, freelance, software beta testers and quality assurance testers to work on upcoming digital and print products. Previous or current educational experience is preferred. Candidates should have a strong sense of grammar and excellent written communication skills.

Job Summary:

Successful candidates will step-check, test, proofread, and bug report on a variety of digital products, including interactive whiteboard activities, enhanced ebooks, and other digital products targeted at the educational market (primarily K–8). The person filling this position will work from home but occasionally come in-house to the company offices (in Huntington Beach) for training and certain kinds of quality-assurance and proofreading work.

Duties and Tasks:

• Test/evaluate ebook software functionality and design
• Proofread text in ebooks and listen to recorded audio for clarity and accuracy
• Proofread digital and printed text
• Step-check interactive whiteboard activities
• Evaluate the ease-of-use of digital product

Requirements:

• Pass a proofreading test and a software quality assurance test
• Access to Mac and/or Windows computers with MS Office (Word and Excel) and capable of running modern Adobe Flash-based applications
• Access to home broadband Internet (DSL, Cable, or FiOs)
• Tech-savvy, preferably with experience using audio files, Adobe Flash apps, and web technology
• Able to read and follow quality assurance procedures and checklists
• Good grasp of English grammar
• Able to listen to audio files while checking for mispronunciations of technical terms and proper names
• Experience in education preferred
• Experience using interactive whiteboards preferred
• Bilingual (English and Spanish) a plus
• Within reasonable commuting distance to Huntington Beach, CA, offices

Hours & Compensation:

Approximately 10-20 hours a week, depending on product development phase
$12–$16 dollars an hour, depending on experience

Freelance Spanish Proofreader

Specific Responsibilities:

Must proofread educational materials in Spanish in all content areas including language arts, math, science, and technology. Must possess strong grammar, punctuation, and spelling skills. Potential proofreaders should also be able to proofread for word choice, layout, and consistency, while following the TCM style across product lines. All applicants must take a written proofreading test and be able to pick up projects at the main TCM office in Huntington Beach.

Freelance Spanish Voice Talent

Specific Responsibilities:

Must be a native speaker of Spanish with good pronunciation, tone, and expression. Must be able to audition with sample audio from one of TCM’s products at the Huntington Beach main TCM office. Willing to work flexible hours. Experience doing voice work in Spanish is a plus.

Please attach a resume and a cover letter.

Freelance Audio Engineer

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Records/edits/mixes audio tracks for audio books and songs.

Qualifications:

• Proficient in ProTools LE Software
• Proficient in recording/editing/mixing audio tracks
• Able to provide samples upon request
• Knowing voice talent to use for audio books and educational songs is a plus
• Experience as a sound engineer is a plus

Please attach a resume and a cover letter.

Freelance Author

There are many opportunities with our company for educators to author lessons and other teacher/student materials. If interested, please contact us at jobs@tcmpub.com to receive a relevant writing sample test. Note that it is essential that our authors be knowledgeable in current educational trends, and expertise in a particular content area (especially science, mathematics, and social studies) is a plus. Prior editorial/writing experience is also a plus.

Freelance Copyeditors/Proofreaders

Teacher Created Materials is looking for freelance copyeditors/proofreaders for educational manuscripts. Applicants must:

• possess strong grammar, spelling, and punctuation skills.
• be able to follow company style for consistency across product lines.
• read for style, usage, and clarity.
• be proficient in Microsoft Word and have a working knowledge of Quark or InDesign.

We need freelance copyeditors/proofreaders willing to proofread educational manuscripts in all content areas including language arts, math, science, social studies, and technology. 2+ years experience in copyediting or proofreading is preferred.

Some applicants will be sent a test manuscript to complete.

Freelance Photo Research

Find and secure reproducible artwork and other graphics for educational books and e-books working primarily with digital photographs. A strong background in publishing is preferred. Please send resume to sreid@teachercreatedmaterials.com.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Conceptualize/research images for stories.
• Provide low resolution images for placement in book designs.
• Ensure images are viable, appropriate options.
• Check file sizes and concept for placement.
• Communicate with Photo Editor to determine optimal photographic content and photo opportunities.

Qualifications:

• Great eye for creative photography; efficient and focused, with strong research skills.
• Conceptualize.
• Ability to work quickly under tight deadlines and roll with last-minute changes.
• Pro-active problem solving.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Familiar with a wide array of photographers and agencies.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, MS Office and Mac OS a plus.
• A great sense of design, visual hierarchy and photography.
• Experience in licensing photos, image usage and copyright laws.
• 2-3 years' experience in a photo department or a related area.
• Knowledge of print graphics and a thorough understanding of digital file formats.
• Photography skills a plus.

Presenters/Trainers

We are looking for experienced, engaging educators to provide professional development training to teachers and administrators nationwide and internationally. This is a part-time, per diem position. Ideal candidates will have at least 5 years classroom teaching experience as well as extensive experience in preparing and delivering motivating and pedagogically-sound professional development. We are looking for trainers for multiple grade levels and content areas as well as those who can provide one-on-one coaching and modeling. Those with flexibility in their schedules for travel will be given priority. Please submit the following to presenters@teachercreatedmaterials.com:

• Resume detailing training experience
• Cover letter with per diem fee
• References
• Video demonstrating speaking experience. Videos should be a minimum of 15 minutes and no more than 60 minutes in length. (Video can be provided on DVD and mailed to: Presenters at TCM, 5301 Oceanus Blvd., Huntington Beach, CA 92649. Alternately, candidates can post videos to YouTube or TeacherTube and provide the url link to the video.)

Interested applicants will be contacted once resume and video have been received and reviewed.

Math Reviewers

Teacher Created Materials is seeking mathematical problem solvers to review educational manuscripts on a freelance basis. Applicants must possess strong mathematics content knowledge and competence in secondary-level mathematics. Applicants must be available to pick up projects from the main office in Huntington Beach, CA, or review and notate PDFs of manuscripts. Completion of post-secondary mathematics courses is preferred. Applicants will be sent a problem-solving test to complete.

Freelance Production Artist

Applicants must:

• have a working understanding of layout, type and color.
• take instructions from a designer and create a complete layout.
• work proficiently in InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator.
• be able to follow company style for consistency across product lines.
• manage time and work within specified deadlines.

Send resume to jobs@tcmpub.com

Freelance Designer

Applicants must:

• possess strong Creative Suite skills.
• take instructions from a designer and create a complete layout.
• work proficiently in InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator.
• be able to follow company style for consistency across product lines.
• manage time and work within specified deadlines.

Professional design experience preferred. Send resume to jobs@tcmpub.com

Freelance Illustrator

Traditional and/or digital artists welcome. Strong traditional drawing skills required. TCM produces materials that require a wide variety of illustrations: from children of all ages engaged in activities, science diagrams, historic illustrations, maps, and technical diagrams. Send samples to jobs@tcmpub.com or llustration Manager at 5301 Oceanus Dr., Huntington Beach, CA 92649

Manuscript Submissions

Thank you for considering Teacher Created Materials as a possible publisher for the resource you have developed. We are proud to publish materials that have been written by credentialed professionals and successfully used in the classroom.

When submitting a resource, please follow these guidelines:

• 10 to 12 sample pages (minimum)
• A tentative outline or table of contents
• A one page summary describing the intended audience, content, and objectives of your manuscript
• A self-addressed envelope with sufficient postage if you would like your material returned

Mail the above items to:

• Editor-in-Chief
• Teacher Created Materials
• P.O. Box 1040
• Huntington Beach, CA 92647

Responses will be mailed when a final decision is made.
Please note we do not accept electronic submissions at this time.