Head of E-Commerce

Job description / Role

Job Summary

The role holder is responsible for leading and directing the E-commerce department within the Sports Division across the GCC and geographies that GMG operates. The job holder’s mission will be to ensure profitable market share and net sales growth within e-commerce space while respecting the image of the Group brands. The role holder will be also responsible for overseeing and supervising the key aspects within E-commerce such as product and merchandising, consumer experience, performance marketing and order fulfillment. It will also include components of web development, studio and design management, projects, and offline interaction. The role will be accountable for overseeing the content of Sports division digital stores, and leading web commerce initiatives always in line of the group Brand direction and in line with the division’s overall objectives.

Accountabilities

Strategic Responsibilities:

• Responsible to implement the ecommerce strategy, assisting in developing this strategy and its execution plans
• Drive net sales and profit to meet budget expectations by setting clear targets and action points for the team. Constant tracking of results, analysis of risks and new opportunities and clear and sound communication to the CEO and the board.
• Helps to prepare the annual budget for the Department and upon subsequent approval, tracks expenditure and ensures adherence to the budget
• To find, direct and support talent with high potential and foster performance culture within the team
• To ensure compliance with internal policies and regulations and to abide to high quality standards in terms of deliverables
• Emphasizes and drives collaboration with other departments, most importantly shared services and Marketing to ensure seamless execution within and outside the Department

Core Responsibilities:

• Oversees the development of best-practice performance marketing programs: site marketing, outbound email list, data feed strategy and execution, content development and partnerships, network advertising, affiliate marketing, key word and search engine optimization
• Oversees all aspects of E-commerce to ensure that technology, structure, organization, design and functionality are customer driven, user-centric and metrics-based
• Establishes, refines, and revises site and performance metrics that will drive the business and enhance operational efficiency
• Supervises the activities of the Trade & Commercial function within E-commerce, to ensure adequate inventory levels to sustain direct to consumer demand: i.e. online sales and catalogue transactions
• Tracks and pursues E-commerce margin opportunities to execute specific online promotional strategies in consultation with the Business Unit Teams
• Provides sales, margin and cost justification analysis for emerging E-commerce initiatives and promotions
• Collaborates with the Information Technology department to establish online cataloguing, payment / merchant gateways and web security in line with the latest trends in online commerce technology
• Establishes content strategy and execution schedule that both supports and drives key metrics
• Manages multiple projects ranging from small single release web portal deployments to large, high-profile, cross-team initiatives of the department including construction, launch, and management of E-Commerce sites
• Besides developing a performance marketing strategy to drive traffic and conversion, will also oversee the execution of online marketing and content to ensure is relevant and sound, and will cooperate with the group marketing function to secure relevant, timely and technically good content for the digital stores.
• Deliver consistent delivery service module in all the regions that GMG operates
• Provides research and analysis to the respective brands related to online merchandise selling trends, marketplace price sensitivity, and consumer response to merchandise products
• Builds and maintains relationships in a network of E-commerce vendor/suppliers, web affiliates and partner websites
• Keeps abreast E-commerce trends, latest technologies, digital marketing techniques, systems and controls, to ensures alignment with current processes and practices
• Ensures integration between portals, websites and other digital means with the physical in store and above the line marketing ensuring consumers have a fully integrated consumer Journey
• Consistently cooperates with the Brick and Mortar team to provide seamless consumer experiences (click and collect, store digital catalogs, etc.), facilitating consumer centric purchase experiences in all occasions where digital meets physical

People Management:

• Defines goals and key performance indicators for each member of the team and ensure effective implementation of the GMG performance management process
• Develops talent within the team by providing guidance and coaching to achieve the defined goals
• Drives a culture of feedback and coaching in the Department by providing feedback on an ongoing basis, identifying development needs and coaching the employees on the areas of improvement

Requirements

Educational Qualifications and Certificates:

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing / Information Technology
• Master’s degree in Business Administration with specialization in Marketing / Information Technology is preferred

Experience:

• A minimum of 12 -15 years of relevant experience with at least 4 years in E-commerce delivery and management in a retail industry preferably

Skills:

Language skills:

• Written and spoken English is essential, Arabic is preferred

Additional skills:

• Strategic mindset and visioning
• Highly proficient in all design aspects
• Possess strong conceptual skill, creative flair and originality
• Analytical skills and business acumen
• Forecasting ability
• Interpersonal & Collaborative mindset

About the Company

Established in 1978, by the Baker family who still own and manage the company today, Gulf Marketing Group is one of the Middle East's leading, family owned companies. Gulf Marketing Group operates regionally, across the GCC and boasts a diverse portfolio of brands, retail outlets and services. Gulf Marketing Group subsidiaries operate in key sectors such as retail and distribution of sporting goods and lifestyle brands, health and fitness, food and food processing, integrated 3PL logistics, real estate, healthcare and pharmacies, education and technology. Since 1978, Gulf Marketing Group has introduced more than 90 international brands into the Middle East, as well as building the reputation of our homegrown brands as reliable and quality driven companies.

We are proud to be one of the top 10 retailers in the Gulf region with:

• More than three decades experience managing international brands in local environments
• A prestigious portfolio of world class brand partners
• Anchor tenancy in all major GCC shopping malls
• A proven track record of securing exclusive retail and distributor agreements
• An experienced management team
• Strong customer relationships