JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE
Head of Online Operations
LOCATION
Dubai
REPORTS TO
Director of eCommerce
CAREER LEVEL
C
JOB PURPOSE
The Head of Online Operations is responsible and accountable for all aspects of the establishment, evolution, optimisation and improvement of Alshaya’s digital multi-brand trading operation, which covers our own direct to consumer operation and external marketplaces.
The role owns the online operations strategy across all Alshaya customer facing digital properties to ensure that we operate a best-in-class customer experience which is focused on growth and commercial performance. This includes external operations with marketplaces and cross border markets within our DTC operation. The role works seamlessly with brands to onboard them onto new trading platforms to drive and grow their online P&L.
The Head of Online Operations will partner with business leads across the digital environment to ensure that targets are consistently met or exceeded. They will work closely with performance/trading teams, digital product delivery teams, brand teams, data/insight teams, IT teams and logistics teams to achieve optimal operational efficiency at all times and hence a winning customer experience.
The role is responsible for a sophisticated multi-faceted trading operation across all relevant DTC markets and marketplaces to ensure that new ways of working are established and that brands are onboarded to trade meaningfully. The role will actively promote the part that digital plays within the omnichannel sales environment, fully contributing to improving customer experience and creating a customer centric culture.
The Head of Online Operations is responsible and accountable for the optimal effectiveness of all Alshaya digital shopping experiences from a customer perspective and will always demonstrate an accurate view on performance and efficiency. The role is empowered to deliver a customer centric strategy and experience through optimal operational efficiency and ultimately optimal conversion rates and reach.
This role
Works closely with the Director of eCommerce to deliver the agreed strategy.
Is responsible for the end-to-end operation of all digital environments.
Is responsible for the customer fulfilment proposition, including delivery and operational excellence.
Working closely with IT and logistics, to fully own the operation and roadmap to deliver a leading customer delivery offer.
Maximises conversion rates in all digital environments through effective operation.
Is a highly analytical, dynamic and attentive individual who is adept at relationship building with internal and external clients.
Identifies opportunities to improve the customer experience and create new revenue streams.
Owns a robust report suite across all aspects of ecommerce operations and is constantly seeking new ways to visualise and simplify complex trading issues and metrics.
Uses data, insights and research to drive idea generation and decision making.
Constantly scans new technologies trends and opportunities.
Owns relevant business cases.
Works seamlessly across the organisation forging strong relationships to deliver results.
Ensures that relevant projects and enhancements are delivered on time and provide tangible returns.
Owns relevant external supplier relationships.
Identifies ways of improving profitability through improved processes and management.
Ensures solutions are tested, resilient, optimised and secure.
Is highly technical and organised.
Is an ambassador for Alshaya and a thought leader.
KEY RESPONSIBILITES
Trading
Responsible in part for the financial performance of the Alshaya portfolio of brand websites and marketplace environments.
Work closely with brand, performance, delivery, IT and logistics teams to realise planned objectives, both strategic and tactical.
Own the end-to-end operational strategy to ensure that trading is optimal at all times.
Provide support down to campaign level and ensure that the customer experience is as intended for trading teams.
Operations
Own, manage and optimise a considered and strategic customer operation.
Build strong relationships with all departments connected to the ecommerce agenda and own communication lines with key stakeholders.
Responsible for the customer fulfilment proposition, including delivery and operational excellence.
Work seamlessly with IT and logistics, to own the roadmap for physical customer satisfaction.
Ensure that all customer facing digital properties and functions are running in an optimal way at all times.
Ensure that online inventory is optimised at all times.
Manage focus on improving site/app speed/performance/visibility.
Ensure that all required assets are in place to deliver planned business goals and objectives.
Ensure that omnichannel digital operations are delivered to the agreed strategy. This includes, but is not limited to, store fulfilment, click and collect and collection points.
Commercially focused and drive conversion through a best-in-class customer experience.
Execute and optimise a considered and strategic marketplace shopping operation.
Reporting and Insight
Chair regular operations meetings with relevant teams to ensure business goals and objectives are constantly delivered as planned.
Attend the weekly trading meetings to ensure that operations are not a barrier to trading excellence.
Defining KPIs, creating reporting frameworks and instigating best practice methodologies.
Deliver innovative insights and actionable outputs.
Drive and share operational reporting, ensuring feedback on success/failure is fed back in real-time.
Understand the customer and all KPIs to guide and influence future focus and commercial opportunity.
Understand the competition and deliver insight on trading activity.
Product Development and Program Management
Deliver operational projects that benefit the customer and support Alshaya’s strategic objectives.
Create and present clear business cases.
Work closely with other business leads on integration.
Own external relationships to establish technical solutions, requirements, scope and commercials.
Business Analysis
Review industry trends and competitors to identify key strategic developments.
Determine suitability and potential returns from new projects.
Measure and report on effectiveness of projects against objectives.
Research and present visual solutions and opportunities.
Cross departmental stakeholder management and requirements gathering.
Work with Data and Insights team and relevant business units to identify key areas for improvement and optimisation.
Customer Centricity
Manage the entire digital operation both DTC and marketplaces to maximise conversion and create a winning shopping experience for our customers.
Promote the ‘voice of the customer’ across all Alshaya business units.
Ability to understand customer journeys and identify opportunities to increase site performance.
Profitability
Play a key role in driving sustainable, profitable sales growth through a robust, efficient and effective digital operation across all DTC platforms, marketplace platforms, cross border markets and digital department stores.
People
Manage internal and external relationships wherever necessary to deliver initiatives and activity within the timeframes specified and ensure that the Alshaya work ethic, brand values and mission are upheld at all times.
Responsible for the delivery of a strategy spanning business units so an exceptional ability to connect teams, unite towards a common goal and engender deep respect and partnership up to SLT level.
Build a team of experts across the digital business, establish best practice working processes and develop/coach the entire online community.
Work seamlessly with other members of the online team to provide support down to campaign level and to ensure that projects are delivered in line with set processes and procedures, and in accordance with regional strategies, goals and objectives.
Work well on own initiative but also be a fully committed team player and engender respect and support from other members of the global business.
A coaching mindset to build, manage and develop an effective, happy and motivated team.
Expertise
Maintain an expert level of knowledge of all related activity and to be aware of industry developments and innovations at all times.
Be acutely aware of competitor activity and always poised to capitalise on opportunities and repel threats.
Contribute to the overall mission of the department.
Constantly look for new opportunities and regularly make suggestions as to how things can be improved.
EXPERIENCE / COMPETENCIES REQUIRED
Key Skills
At least eight years’ experience in a relevant strategic digital role with a proven record of success and delivery.
At least five years’ experience in managing and developing effective teams.
A true customer champion who understands how to successfully drive maximum value from a digital shopping environment whilst balancing the needs of an omnichannel operation/business.
Expert knowledge of how digital marketplaces operate and trade.
Expert knowledge and experience of complex online operational structures and working practices.
Strong leader and team player.
Ability to collaborate and co-create.
Strategic thinker.
Outstanding analytical skills.
Able to influence at all levels.
The ability to translate data into actionable insights.
Excellent communication skills, both written and spoken with the ability to show complex issues in an engaging and visual way.
Excellent understanding of all digital KPIs controlling performance.
Exceptional project management abilities and highly organised.
Ability to multitask and prioritise with outstanding attention to detail.
Commercially minded and extremely driven.
Experience of using specialist digital/web tools and software packages.
Exceptional leader and team player with an ability to collaborate and co-create.
Calm under intense pressure.
Self-starter with a high degree of initiative.
Experience of global markets.
Expertise with enterprise analytical tools (e.g. Google Analytics, Content Square, Optimizely etc.)
Working appreciation of HTML, Java and SQL (you do not need to be able to code).
Experience of a franchise business model and multi-brand operations.
Fashion, beauty and hospitality experience.
Relevant degree or professional qualification.
Experience of using specialist market research tools.
Experience of MENA markets.