Associate Director E-Comm DACH/CZ

Who we are:
Founded in Japan in 1887, Kao is passionate about making a difference in people’s lives with our high quality products and services to create a Kirei Life for all – a beautiful life that respects the needs of our consumers and customers as well as the planet. We never compromise on quality and craft our products with care for the consumer and the environment.  As a company driven by purpose and strong corporate values we pride ourselves to be listed among the World´s Most Ethical Companies since 16 consecutive years. Our corporate philosophy, the Kao Way, guides us in everything we do – acting with integrity, courageously driving innovation and treating each other with trust and respect.P

Purpose of the Position

The Head of Ecommerce defines the Ecommerce strategy for the DACH/CZ hub in alignment with the Regional go to market strategy to unleash the full business potential of e-commerce for Kao Salon. In addition the position holder sets up a dedicated business plan with key e-com customers to bring the aligned strategy to live delivering over-proportional growth. In order to achieve that the position holder will not only define all resources and capabilities needed to achieve the targets but also build its own team to unlock the full potential. It is essential the Head of Ecommerce brings a vast experience in the Digital/Ecomm space and is in touch with latest trends to further develop the channel and adapt to evolving needs and technologies.

Educational

• University Degree (Master, Diploma) in BA/Sales/Digital

Professional Experience

• Digital and Ecommerce experience with a successful / established Ecommerce player of min - 8 years in total. 
• Experience in leading teams of min - 5-6 years in total

Other Requirements

• Affinity to Beauty and Lifestyle brands
• E-com experience with B2B and B2C platforms
• Fluent in German and English
• Experience in developing and building customer relationships and negotiation skills

Position Profile

• Define and develop Ecommerce Strategy and Action Plan for Kao Salon DACH/CZ to target salon owners (B2B) as well as end consumers (B2C). Define and select to relevant platforms and e-com partners and build a winning e-com ecosystem including our own web-shop in alignment with the regional go-to market strategy. Develop the e-com business for Kao Salon as a complementary pillar of winning omnichannel strategy. 40%
• Build and develop Ecommerce Team. Define a winning e-com organization structure with clear roles and responsibilities including sales, marketing and analytics. The organization needs to support the 4 countries. Build capabilities of the team and ensure a seamless collaboration with sales, marketing, education and country leaders. 20%
• Customer Relationship Management. Develop with the team and the e-com customers winning joint business plans. Lead yearly customer negotiations. Deliver against sales and profit targets by defining the relevant assortment and conditions. Develop joint activation plans on the respective platforms to increase share, drive visibility and win the purchase basket. 20%
• Define clear KPIS as part of the business plans and establish a continuous tracking and monitoring of the e-commerce business and activities. Optimize Marketing investment on the platforms. Budget Management. 20%

Functional Competencies

• German and English fluently
• Ecommerce and digital experience and competencies including search, websites, email newsletters, social, performance marketing, media planning and reporting
• Strategic thinking and Analytical Skills
• Business planning and Budget management skills
• Team Leadership skills
• Negotiation Skills in interaction with customer
• Stakeholder management skills

Additional Working Information

• The position holder needs to be willing to travel to existing and new customers for joint business planning purposes and follow ups as required.
• The Head of Ecommerce leads the Ecommerce business for DACH/CZ. The position reports directly to the General Manager DACH/CZ and will be part of the DACH leadership team.
  

How we work: Having been selected amon