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Wet Seal seeks a Marketing Director, Ecommerce (Foothill Ranch, CA) SEO, PPC, CRM, SEM, Email

2012-05-25T03:14:45-04:00

FOOTHILL RANCH, CA - With more than 200 digital commerce searches each year, EcommerceRecruiter.com is the leading contingency-based executive search firm serving the Shop.org, Ad:Tech, and IR-500 communities. To opt-in to our popular "Ecommerce Job of the Day" email, click here. (Simply unsubscribe at the end of your job search.)

We are working with The Wet Seal, Inc. in their search for a Marketing Director, Ecommerce. Wet seal is a national specialty retailer operating stores selling fashionable and contemporary apparel and accessory items designed for female customers aged 15 to 39 years old. As of this writing, the company operates 558 stores in 47 states and Puerto Rico. Here's a video of their 2011 model search ...

HARRY'S COMMENTS: Wet Seal operates primarily mall-based store concepts under the names “Wet Seal” and Arden B.” Although the two brands have many similarities, there are important differences between them: Wet Seal is primarily a junior apparel brand for girls aged 15 to 23, while Arden B is a fashion brand at value price points for contemporary women aged 25 to 39.

The company’s Wet Seal and Arden B stores compete with specialty apparel retailers, department stores, and other apparel retailers including Abercrombie and Fitch, Aeropostale, American Eagle, Anthropologie, Banana Republic, BCBG, bebe, Charlotte Russe, and Express.

While both concepts maintain ecommerce stores designed to serve as an extension of their in-store counterparts, the company does not consider its web-based business to be a distinct reportable segment.

The company’s competitive strengths include its experienced management team and its strong financial position, which includes net cash representing 53% of its equity market cap. (That's a ton of cash, folks.)
How will Wet Seal leverage those strengths?

The company has identified several significant opportunities to improve revenues and drive sales productivity and it is concentrating on growth in same-store sales vis-à-vis its in-store base. Specifically, the company intends to ...

Develop a customer obsession: With the goal of making the customer the number 1 priority for both brands, recently Wet Seal undertook a massive customer research initiative which focused on determining its target customers wants and aspirations, likes and dislikes, why she did or did not shop in the company's stores, and competitively where she shopped and why. As a result of the research, Wet Seal uncovered many key opportunities for improvement that the company believes will allow to enhance its customers’ shopping experience.

Understand and redefine its brands: In light of its findings, the company is refining its “brand DNA” for both divisions, and it has developed a clear and concise brand proposition for both brands. This DNA will be reflected in both its stores and online as well as in the broader marketplace.

Improve its marketing: On the back of its new “brand DNA,” Wet Seal intends to make investments around both brands, and it plans to enhance its ecommerce sites as marketing vehicles for its stores, including social networking. WS also plans to focus on direct marketing programs and in-store visual merchandising.

Expand its ecommerce business: Wet Seal plans to better align its ecommerce CRM initiatives with its store loyalty programs. Additionally, the company intends to expand ecommerce only offerings in certain key merchandise categories while improving ecommerce inventory planning and allocation practices. Beginning in May 2011, it began to more closely align its ecommerce shopping experience with its stores, which resulted in better alignment of the company’s merchandise assortment and promotional messaging between its websites and stores.

Other ecommerce successes have included the addition of social media features to the company's website, as well as the implementation of a cross channel mobile phone application which allows its customers to design, rate, and by outfits. Its website features allow the company to sell internationally.
Enough already! What’s the job?

As the number 2 person in the ecommerce group, you will report directly to David Towers, the company's new VP of Ecommerce. I have known David for years, and he's amazing. Incredibly smart. Very business-oriented, yet laid-back and easy to talk to.
"This position will very much be a partnership with me." -David Towers

This is a senior position within the company, and you will have direct relationships with the president and CEO. You won’t report directly to them, but you will be leading a weekly ecommerce status meeting in the CEO conference room with the company's top executives. Ecommerce is that important to them.

The ideal candidate can be a senior manager or a director currently. You'll have 3 direct reports and lead a team of 13. The main idea is that “this is a wonderful opportunity to learn how to be a VP of Ecommerce.” (Dave actually said that.) You must be incredibly strong and web marketing, but this is a wonderful way to fill in the gaps in your background with regard to merchandising, fulfillment, and technology. In other words, Dave's goal is to turn you into a full-time GM either at Wet Seal or somewhere else. If that's not the mark of a people builder, I don't know what is.

During my 90 minute project kickoff call with David, most of my copious notes center on the expertise you will need to bring to this party:

Affiliate marketing

Comparison-shopping / Online marketplaces

Customer relationship management (CRM)

Email marketing

Loyalty and promotion management

Search engine marketing (SEM, PPC)

Search engine optimization (SEO)

Social media

Web analytics, and

Mobile commerce

In other words, you will need world-class experience in all of these areas (especially PPC, Email, and CRM) in order to be taken seriously as a candidate. Truly, the money for this role is phenomenal, and the upside potential for you, personally and professionally, is off the charts.
But we're not going to give this job to just anyone.

The ideal candidate will have fashion experience. But even if you don't, that's okay as long as you are savvy, nimble, and able to function in a fashion environment. Meaning, you need to be able to work in a team environment. Wet Seal feels like a small company in terms of its character, so you'd better be able to roll up your sleeves. Additionally, you'll need to work across multiple functions including merchandising, procurement, logistics, fulfillment, warehousing, etc.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Develop a comprehensive CRM strategy for the ecommerce business including name collection, segmentation, data cleansing and a full assessment of existing and potential technologies. Assess existing loyalty programs and revise as needed to improve repeat customer visits & purchases. Apply cross-channel tactics to increase web and store traffic.
Lead Wet Seal’s strategic and tactical email marketing capabilities. Drive initiatives that increase list size, open rate, conversion and ROI. Review creative and conduct A/B testing for effectiveness. Evaluate email delivery & other vendors to determine the optimal long-term partnerships for the business.
Lead strategy and manage execution for SEO. Drive performance, session increase and conversion with low cost & high ROI. Utilize knowledge of SEO best practices to guide website production & IT teams with detailed requirements. Identify and manage 3rd party services or consultants as needed.
Lead strategy and manage execution for SEM, affiliate marketing, retargeting, comparison shopping engines, display, and other paid media. Deliver increase in quality traffic with low cost and high ROI.
Oversee the production of Wet Seal and Arden B websites. Create disciplined production processes that incorporate the activities of creative, merchant and marketing teams. Ensure that all areas of the websites are updated with relevant and timely content. Implement A/B testing capability.
Optimize the Wet Seal and Arden B websites by leading and championing projects that drive conversion including checkout process, cross-selling, outfitter, site cleanup and wish list. Discover project opportunities with high ROI through detailed analysis of customer & website data.
Oversee the Wet Seal digital photo studio responsible for all product imagery and copy. Partner with merchants teams toward improvement of creative assets.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

5+ years of experience in apparel ecommerce.
3+ years managing staff in a leadership role.
Detailed understanding of end-to-end ecommerce processes.
Exceptional strategic thinking & evaluation skills.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience. MBA preferred.

OTHER SKILLS and ABILITIES:

Requires strong knowledge of MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook.
Requires managerial knowledge of HTML, CSS, and Photoshop.
Requires strong knowledge of ecommerce platforms, marketing software, principles of web design, mobile and social media.
Best-in-class project management skills; ability to effectively manage several projects simultaneously.
High level of personal integrity, ability to professionally handle confidential matters, and reflect appropriate level of judgment and maturity.
Effective organization skills, ability to learn quickly, be accurate and timely in completing responsibilities, with strong attention to detail.
Strong group facilitation skills with the ability to build consensus across a disparate group of team members & business functions.

Applications for this position are being coordinated by Harry Joiner. To apply, CLICK HERE. Candidates, please be sure to email Harry Joiner for a packet of market research and company / competitive intel that will differentiate you in your candidacy. Due to the intensely competitive nature of this search, thorough preparation for these interviews with this proprietary material is strongly recommended.

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Response Mine Interactive (RMI) seeks an Account Director (Atlanta, GA)

2012-05-16T01:03:35-04:00

ATLANTA, GA - EcommerceRecruiter.com is the leading contingency-based executive search firm serving the Shop.org, Ad:Tech, and IR-500 communities. To subscribe to the "Ecommerce Job of the Day," click here.

We are working with Response Mine Interactive (RMI) in their search for an Account Manager. RMI uses advanced direct response marketing strategy and interactive media optimization to help clients expand their customer acquisition marketing.

Founded in 2001, RMI serves leading brands in the travel, health care, home services and retail sectors. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, RMI delivers breakthroughs in volume and efficiency built around a unique strategy of margin-based decision making and a culture of testing.

HARRY'S COMMENTS: RMI's ultimate mission is to acquire more customers for its clients. Their next-to-ultimate mission is to have a good time: RMI's YouTube short, "$h*t Marketing Executives Say" is one of the funniest I've seen, and I'm proud to call their very brilliant CEO, Ken Robbins a personal friend. Ken is the Lex Luthor of performance marketing -- except that he's a force for good, not evil. I'd want my own kid to work at RMI, reporting directly to Ken if possible. Now there's an endorsement.

Overview:

RMI's Account Director is ultimately accountable for strengthening and expanding the relationship between client and agency, and managing agency resources to best serve the client while maintaining profitability goals on an account and group basis.

Responsibilities:

Understand account dynamics and mobilize account service, media and other necessary teams to meet and exceed client goals and needs
Create solid relationships with front-line and management contacts. Understand client roles, responsibilities and key objectives. Serve as day-to-day contact on select accounts while managing direct reports.
Form a complete understanding of clients organizational structure, internal politics, competitive set, business environment, strengths and weaknesses
Demonstrate significant knowledge of retail ecommerce digital marketing within paid search, organic search and display mediums
Keep team members informed on competitive tactics, positioning and communication developments relative to particular clients
Negotiate contracts, fees, and other related compensation for the accounts
Responsible for setting goals and expectations with Director and V.P. level client side contacts
Fully accountable for the P&L of accounts within group
Develop, review, educate and manage direct reports to deliver high levels of excellence in creativity, business performance and project management
Provide account development and leads strategic recommendations
Retain and grow accounts within group
Participate in the mentoring, retention and hiring of key talent
Participate in the new business process

Desired Skills & Experience:

5+ years digital marketing experience, agency experience required
3+ yrs of direct marketing experience required
3+ years in paid search and/or SEO management preferred
Track record of account retention, growth and profitability
The ability to address complex strategic marketing problems and propose viable solutions
Strong leadership ability and exercise good judgment and diplomacy
Strong analytical skills
Thrives in fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment
Extensive contract negotiation experience

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Charming Charlie seeks a VP of Ecommerce (Houston, TX)

2012-05-14T15:00:31-04:00

HOUSTON, TX - EcommerceRecruiter.com is the leading contingency-based executive search firm serving the Shop.org, Ad:Tech, and IR-500 communities. To subscribe to the "Ecommerce Job of the Day," click here. To connect with Harry Joiner on Linkedin, visit LinktoHarry.com and use Harry.Joiner [at] EcommerceRecruiter.com.

We are working with Charming Charlie in its search for a VP of Ecommerce. Founded in Houston in 2004, Charming Charlie is a unique retail concept that specializes in women's accessories - featuring thousands of fashion jewelry pieces, a wide assortment of handbags, belts, and scarves - all categorized by color, not category. Check out this quick video of the company. My wife and three daughters are going to spend us into the poor house when Charming Charlie comes to our local mall!

The VP of Ecommerce will be responsible for developing and executing ecommerce strategies and plans, and will ensure that the online strategy aligns with the firm's overall company strategy. This position will be responsible for all ecommerce concept development, strategy, planning, and implementation.

The VP of Ecomerce will oversee the company's online assortment, pricing, promotions, and product presentation, and s/he will track and report on the effectiveness of internet marketing success and appeal. Moreover, the VP of Ecommerce will analyze all web service usage trends to improve and/or add functionality while managing all relationships with external internet business partners.

HARRY’S COMMENTS: This is a great opportunity to work with one of the fastest-growing multichannel merchants in America. In the last few years, Charming Charlie has caught fire, growing to 14 stores by 2008; 36 in 2009; 96 in 2010; to 195 currently. By the end of 2012, the company expects to operate approximately 230 stores, with plans to grow at a similar rate for the foreseeable future.

Traditionally, accessories have been a cross-sell for department stores and, to a lesser extent, specialty retailers. But the industry is beginning to see accessories as a major growth driver (consider Fossil, Kors, and Vera Bradley). According to MarketWatch, shoe retailer DSW recently doubled its number of planned 2012 store openings to 35-40 due to customers' interest in the increased appeal of the company's accessories offerings.

So, the market opportunity is definitely there.

Charming Charlie's concept is simple but not easy: It focuses on fashion jewelry and accessories; not apparel. Its stores are usually ~8,000 square feet with a very broad array of product, merchandised by color, with price points between $4.97 and $49.97. The company has recently hired a number of industry veterans with impeccable experience, and it's supported by a very strong board.

Ecommerce is a key enabler of Charming Charlie's vision of making women everywhere feel fabulous by giving them a guilt free-way to complete an outfit, or update their look, in an affordable way. In the future, Charming Charlie will offer a curated selection online. Accordingly, the company seeks a dynamic VP of Ecommerce who will understand the brand, product and customer. It is essential that the candidate be able to prioritize and ultimately integrate the most future-oriented digital technologies into Charming Charlie's customer experience.

The new VP of Ecommerce must be intellectually curious about what's going on in the accessories space and be able to work cross-functionally to ensure that “editorial” and “non-product” content is a prominent component of Charming Charlie’s digital experience.

Initially, the new VP must help the team develop more effective weekly scorecards that tie-in ecommerce metrics with product-specific metrics. Also, s/he will need to work closely with Development and other departments to prioritize projects in the development cue. Also needed: Better process documentation from a UX testing, vendor management, operations, and merchandising perspective.

This is a fun, high profile, well-paying gig with a lot of moving parts, and Charming Charlie’s hiring process says a lot about what the company needs from its new ecommerce leader: By the final round of interviews, candidates should come well prepared to discuss their thoughts on how to grow Charming Charlie’s business in a brand-friendly, multichannel way.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Deliver annual earnings and related goals through improvements to the online shopping experience, expansion of product lines, and channel diversification
Assertively manage key drivers behind sales and gross margin, including: traffic, average order value and conversion, to ensure the team is on track to meet or exceed plans
Manage milestones, deadlines and scheduling for multiple simultaneous projects, keeping the team up to date with progress and decisions
Communicate to Executive team and other key business partners the strategies driving ecommerce, a vision and roadmap for future growth, and provides ongoing status updates across initiatives
Responsible for building and leading a successful ecommerce team and optimizing headcount based on business needs
Maximize customer conversion and retention through various methods of research and analysis
This position will conceive and deploy web site improvements and roadmaps and must have effective collaboration with cross functional business partners
Directly responsible for strategic and day to day execution of all online business aspects including ecommerce sales, budget, promotions, and customer experience
Meet financial objectives through annual budget preparation, forecasting, analyzing variances, and initiating corrective action
In close coordination with Merchandising team, responsible for online product assortment, selection and performance
Develops appropriate promotional and marketing strategies to drive the key metrics of the business, which includes traffic, conversion, sales and earnings, among other metrics
Supervises all website development efforts including content design and updates
Develop customer satisfaction measure by defining and communicating expectations
Other duties as assigned

REQUIREMENTS

Bachelors Degree plus 7-10 years of progressive experience in developing and maintaining a successful ecommerce website in retail or related field
Demonstrated leadership capability in recruiting and retaining a top performing team
Outstanding financial and business acumen with the ability to interpret results and recommend appropriate action
Must thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with ability to effectively manage shifting priorities
Proven experience working cross-functionally within all levels and departments of organization
Successful track record of vendor negotiations and merchandising experience
Demonstrated leadership in the execution of strategic plans in a rapidly changing environment
Effective communication skills, but verbal and written
Ability to adapt and thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment with shifting priorities

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Maclaren seeks a VP of Marketing (Norwalk, CT)

2012-04-26T22:46:49-04:00

NORWALK, CT - EcommerceRecruiter.com is the leading contingency-based executive search firm serving the Shop.org, Ad:Tech, and IR-500 communities. To subscribe to the "Ecommerce Job of the Day," click here. To connect with Harry Joiner on Linkedin, visit LinktoHarry.com and use Harry.Joiner [at] EcommerceRecruiter.com.

We are working with Maclaren in its search for a VP of Marketing based in Norwalk, CT. Maclaren is a world-renown manufacturer of baby buggies and strollers, founded in 1965 by Owen Maclaren, the inventor of the first umbrella-fold stroller. Today, strollers based around Mr. Maclaren's original design are sold in over 50 countries under the Maclaren brand.

As Maclaren's new VP of Marketing, you will be responsible for the vision, strategy, and execution of the firm's strategic marketing initiatives worldwide. Additionally, you will collaborate with Maclaren's ecommerce team in the creation of all digital content in order to drive consumers from all channels to ecommerce site.

Moreover, you will be responsible for leading the development of Maclaren's strategic digital roadmap, and you will see to it that there is a seamless brand image regardless of the channel.

In concert with Maclaren's ecommerce team, your marketing team will create relevant content to support high-quality customer acquisition and drive revenue. Additionally, Customer Experience and After Sales Care will fall in your bailiwick, as will Sponsorship and Events; Trade Marketing; and Retail Programs including POS and collateral development.

You will drive NPD program management, competitor benchmarking and analysis, while overseeing line and competitive reviews to develop range assortments and spearhead key new product initiatives in all product categories.

Clearly, the overall objective will be to develop and grow Maclaren's global business in line with budgeted sales and margin targets.

HARRY'S COMMENTS: Without a doubt, Adrian Stevens is one of the most talented candidates I have ever placed. Adrian started with Maclaren in December 2011 and already has done some amazing things as the brand’s new VP of Ecommerce. Now Maclaren seeks a Vice President of Marketing alongside Adrian and Carolyn Komminsk, the brand’s Creative Director, to propel the company, which is the preeminent global parenting lifestyle brand, into the forefront of strategic brand messaging.

There is no way to duck this: Maclaren was involved in a voluntary product recall in 2009, and the story was picked up by several media outlets. However, Maclaren's product quality never suffered, and the company’s handling of the crisis (by stepping out front and leading the child-safety discussion for all manufactures) was later featured in the Harvard Business Review.

Maclaren has been busy getting itself firmly into the digital age through a major eCommerce build set to launch in September. The company has a 50-year history of producing and marketing world-class products, and its best days are ahead of it. Especially now that Adrian is on board.

But there's a great deal of work to be done on the marketing side of the business. The company’s brand guidelines need to be revisited, and the marketing department is in real need of a tough, energetic, charismatic A-player to drive and manage positive change in the organization.

We absolutely cannot have an average player in this role. Period. Right away, we need someone to get traction on five critical goals:

Getting a handle on the Maclaren brand. The company designs and manufactures the BMW of baby strollers. Certainly there’s no debating that. However, the company recognizes the need to reignite its brand proposition to center around all things that are uniquely Maclaren. Essentially, the messaging needs to be “This is what Maclaren stands for, and this is what we stand behind.”
Putting into place a strategic plan for integrating and positioning Maclaren brand across all of the company's marketing channels, especially ecommerce.
Reviewing Maclaren’s entire mechanism of trade marketing and the way the company interacts with its key retail accounts.
Locking into place the company's promotional calendars for 2012 and 2013.
Gaining clarity on team structure and reviewing the marketing organizations talent needs.

On this last point, the focus will be on building the team around a small team of incredibly talented a players. To quote Jim Collins in his book Good to Great, the company plans to “Hire 5, pay them like 8, and work them like 10.” This is not to say that you will be overworked and underpaid. You will be completely challenged and VERY WELL compensated accordingly.

If you are a star, then this probably sounds like heaven to you. If not, it probably sounds like hell. I'm just being honest here. Talent wise, the focus will be on quality rather than quantity.

Finally, there is a lot to be said for process in an environment like Maclaren’s. For example, when the company launches a new product, suppose there are 5 to 10 things that must be done in order for the launch to be successful. Everyone in marketing must understand those things, chapter and verse, and be able to execute around them immediately, no questions asked. In fact the need for marketing process is as important at Maclaren as the need for marketing thought leadership.

But that can be said of any organization, not just Maclaren.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Marketing: Providing global marketing leadership regarding key brand objectives and all consumer-oriented communication and initiatives with a particular emphasis on digital channels.
Marketing Operations: Leading and managing the marketing team ensuring that global strategies are implemented across digital and all other channels and are unique and relevant in all territories.
Editor-in-Chief: Developing compelling content and awareness across relevant channels. You will assume complete responsibility for increasing brand standing as thought leader through editorial content.
Branding: Ensuring that Maclaren's brand image and style guide is consistently conveyed globally in all initiatives.
Sponsorship and Events: Management and support of all brand sponsorships with the objective of leveraging all activities into dynamic and cutting-edge digital content for online channels. Oversight of the worldwide event calendar.
Retail Services and Trade Marketing: Ensuring a consistent global approach to retail services, showrooms, merchandising and points-of-sale. This will include all trade marketing and channel specific initiatives.
Public Relations: Planning and management of PR and Press Office, plus planning and supporting all initiatives, new product launches and strategic objectives. Moreover, your team must increase brand awareness through strategic online relationships.
Crisis Management: Leading the crisis management team and Rapid Reaction team. This means ensuring that all cases are closed out by implementation of effective corrective action policies and procedures.

BOTTOM LINE: This is an extremely big job spanning multiple markets, multiple categories, multiple channels, multiple functional areas, in multiple time zones. (Expect some early mornings and late nights.) You will need to be strategic in the way you approach this job, as well as highly organized. Beyond that, you must be crystal clear in how you manage your team.

Each one of the above functional areas represents a full-time job for several people, yet all of those positions will roll up to you personally.

You won't have time to do the same job twice. Your direct reports must be well trained, know your philosophies, and clearly understand your instructions the first time around in order to execute your directives with a very high degree of precision. Your staff must know what you value and how you operate and be able to anticipate what you would do in almost any given situation.

Wimps, wafflers, and nebbishes needn't apply.

To apply for this role, please email your resume to Harry.Joiner [at] EcommerceRecruiter.com. Candidates, please be sure to email me directly for a packet of market research and company / competitive intel that will differentiate you in your candidacy. Due to the intensely competitive nature of this search, thorough preparation for these interviews with this proprietary material is strongly recommended.

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Lands' End seeks a VP of Digital Marketing (Dodgeville, WI)

2012-04-15T00:31:20-04:00

DODGEVILLE, WI - EcommerceRecruiter.com is the leading contingency-based executive search firm serving the Shop.org, Ad:Tech, and IR-500 communities. To subscribe to the "Ecommerce Job of the Day," click here. To connect with Harry Joiner on Linkedin, visit LinktoHarry.com and use Harry.Joiner [at] EcommerceRecruiter.com.

We are working with Lands' End in its search for a VP of Digital Marketing based in Dodgeville, WI.

Lands’ End is a premier source of apparel and gear for women, men, kids and the home, sold by catalog, online, and at nearly 300 Lands’ End Shops at Sears. Since 1963, the company has earned a reputation for quality, value and exceptional customer service embodied by one simple promise: “Everything we sell is Guaranteed. Period.” Lands’ End is a member of the Sears Holdings family of companies.

HARRY’S COMMENTS: I’m hearing that my posts are getting forwarded to highly qualified passive candidates by their friends. That’s wonderful! But it also presents my clients with a curious dilemma: How much dirt do they want me to throw on their uniforms when I write these things up? Seriously.

Because recruiting is about two things: Trust and Credibility.

A few years ago, a candidate chided himself for asking me for advice, quipping that “asking a recruiter if he should take a job is like asking a barber if he needed a haircut.” D’oh! Right then and there, I resolved to always sell FOR and AGAINST every position. On the phone, I’m famous for this. Online, not so much.

But those days are over, because candidates don't operate in a vacuum. They know how to dig up the dirt on any company, just as companies know how to research candidates' backgrounds. Might as well get it all out in the open. After all, ...

“You can’t ignore the 500-lb elephant in the room.” - Tony Soprano

In the future, the HARRY’S COMMENTS section will take this approach. And why not? All A-players are realists. No doubt, you’ll be asking yourself the same questions as the ones I’ll be addressing, so we might as well tackle those head on.

Now then, on to today’s epic search:

Lands’ End seeks a VP of Digital Marketing. In this industry, getting a job like that is like landing a spot in the starting rotation of the St. Louis Cardinals – a team with a rich history, loyal fans, a deep bench, and usually, a chance to win it all.

About the job:

As the Vice President of Digital Marketing you will mobilize the company’s already engaged consumer base, attract new customers, and drive purchases through the use of all available digital techniques, including emerging platforms and technologies.

Reporting to Meg Armstrong, this is a pivotal role in developing and delivering the Lands’ End and Lands’ End's Canvas business and marketing plans for the US Consumer Direct Business Unit. You will elevate and expand the consumers experience with Lands’ End. You will lead the building of our digital business including direct response programs, new customer acquisition, customer retention and engagement and web campaigns to grow the overall business by focused on the key business metrics of return on ad spend, demand, traffic, and site conversion, retention and engagement.

QUESTION: What’s the one thing I need to do to be successful in this role?

Acquire new customers. Simple, but not easy. Remember, this is branded apparel were talking about. It's one of the world's most competitive markets, and everyone at Lands’ End understands how daunting the task will be. Beyond having an iron grip on the technical aspects of the job, you will need to have a teachable point of view on how to grow the business. That means having ...

Great acquisition ideas based on a crystal clear knowledge of what it takes to win in the marketplace and how the organization should operate.
Acquisition philosophies that are on-brand and support values that everyone in the organization understands and lives up to.
Emotional energy that creates positive emotional energy in others.
An edge; the ability to make tough, informed decisions about which products to promote, through which channels, and how much to invest in specific acquisition media.

This is about so much more than just being able to push the buttons. Profitable growth is about having the right mindset -- and helping others embrace it. It will involve helping Lands' End become less catalog dependent. You must be an agent for positive change. Lands’ End has millions of customers in its database, and its goal is to get all of its customers digitally engaged across all digital platforms: tablets, smart phones, desktops, and more.

There is a lot I can share with candidates about Lands’ End’s channel priorities. For now, understand that email, paid search, and organic search are particularly important (and mobile is coming on strong).

For SEO, success means improving the relationship between high quality content, social connections, and backlinks. You won’t be in charge of each of these things – but you’ll have a vested interest in their improvement (vis-à-vis higher Adwords quality scores). Knowledge of Ontolo, MajesticSEO, Raven, etc is strongly desired.
For PPC, beyond a linear process, we’ll expect you to lower Adwords costs by identifying better marketplace opportunities, developing a better process for identifying better keyword lists, and working with the team to create harder hitting selling themes, stronger text ads, and highly effective landing pages. On a massive scale, btw.
Regarding email, Lands’ End’s volume is mind-bending, and management sees plenty of opportunity to improve this channel’s leading indicators of success (opt-in rates; open rates; bounce rates; click throughs, etc); lagging indicators (revenues; AOVs; etc) and integration with other channels. Email is hugely important in this role, and you must be as awesome in email as you are in organic and paid search. Be prepared to discuss your successes in all three of these areas ...

BOTTOM LINE: We need an acquisition leader + strategist with a strong track record of success as a tactician. Agency-side candidates are fine, as are client-side Directors who are ready to take a major step up. In this role, on any given day you may find yourself leading your team by “doing” – or presenting to a roomful of company executives. Either way, you’ll need to be amazingly authentic and authentically amazing.

QUESTION: How much does Sears’ business effect Lands’ End’s?

The last few years have been challenging for Sears, as evidenced by its recent announcement to close 62 stores. It’s a jungle out there. But such trials (necessary for any brick and mortar retailer in an era of showrooming) have had little impact on Lands’ End, whose brands, innovation initiatives, and viability as a stand-alone business remain as strong as ever. See if you don’t agree.

In November 2009, Lands' End launched a new line called "Lands' End Canvas," which offers a more fashion-oriented selection of casual clothing for men and women. The line is doing very well, both in terms of sales and its social media mojo.

In fact, Canvas’ social media successes have had a significant impact on Lands’ End as a whole.

Social media is making everything about Lands' End's approach to business is tighter and leaner. Land's End is actively listening to its customers, which is creating tighter feedback loops between its customers and product development team, thereby enabling the company to move towards monthly product introductions versus the seasonal cadence that has dominated the fashion industry since its earliest days.

And skeptics: Remember too, that Sears is #7 on Internet Retailer’s Top 500, so its not like they don’t “get” ecommerce. They do, and they appreciate Lands’ End’s accomplishments online. Call me for specific evidence on this point.

QUESTION: What can you tell me about Dodgeville, WI? I don’t see myself working in a small town.

I get it. But Dodgeville is awesome. See for yourself. Plus the crime rates and costs of living are really low. Remember fresh air and being able to sleep like a baby with your windows open? Me neither. But if you’ve ever wanted to ditch the rat race for a few years, this is your chance.

QUESTION: What’s the deal with the apostrophe on Lands’ End? That’s a typo, right?

Yes, it is. The company is named from its sailboat heritage, after Land's End, but the misplaced apostrophe was a typographical error that founder, Gary Comer, could not afford to change, as promotional materials had already been printed.

Anyway, it took me several hours to write this, and I’m sitting on a pile of intel that I pulled off of multiple databases – yours free if you are a qualified candidate. Plus, I'll even talk you through my uncut kickoff call notes with Meg. She was really candid! But before you apply: Remember! You’ll need to LEAD (not manage) 30-40 online marketing pros in this role. Is this really you??

Do you have the technical customer acquisition chops to do that? Seriously? Have you ever inspired a team of smart, hungry marketers who are just itching to make a difference? If so, we’d like to hear your story. Apply below.

Responsibilities:

Develop digital marketing plans to increase traffic and engagement with new, prospective customers.
Building a “best customer” program that enables consumers to become passionate brand advocates, while also driving cross-category purchases.
Dramatically accelerate e-commerce sales, including programs with established and new etailers and strategic partners (affiliate partners and key external stakeholders across the app and digital publishing space, and industry experts).
Lead the thinking for mobile platform development: Website content, e-commerce, partnership and community development, consumer research, marketing, and website technology
Upgrade organizational capability in the digital area and seamlessly integrate digital marketing into each marketing program.
Manage dedicated digital staff as well as overseeing a cross-functional team of web developers
Actively partner and collaborate with cross-functional partners including key stakeholders, public relations, social media, creative, contact strategy, national advertising, go-to-market and campaign teams to ensure consistent message and focus across all consumer touch points.
Partner to develop advertising strategies for this space that provide key insights, meaningful engagements and build the brand with the key consumer targets.
Leverage the use of marketing analytics to provide insights and make recommendations to reach the consumer in new ways to improve marketing ROI recommendations and overall strategies.

Skills and Experience Requirements:

15+ years of marketing experience with at least 8-10 years digital experience with integrated media and marketing platforms that include experience in social, digital, and traditional marketing.
Demonstrated experience with implementing digital marketing initiatives that will scale to support the requirements of a growing organization with multiple brands.
Deep understanding of the digital environment and evolving tools and platforms used to improve online presence with excellent working knowledge of social media outreach strategies. Able to translate trends into brand right business opportunities.
Strong leadership and consensus building skills, with a willingness to continually embrace personal and professional development.
Prior experience leading and developing a team of internet/e-commerce professionals, as well as manage work across indirect reports and cross functional partners.
Able to interact with all levels of the organization; must be able to articulate a vision and develop and deliver supporting marketing plans.
Strong relationship builder both within the organization and with external partners.
Comfortable working with ambiguity and change. Must be able to work in a fast pace environment.
Bachelor Degree in Marketing / MBA preferred.
Must exhibit a passion for the company’s Mission, Principles, and Values.

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VP of Ecommerce & Digital Business

2012-04-08T01:03:22-04:00

COSTA MESA, CA - EcommerceRecruiter.com is the leading executive search firm serving the Shop.org, Ad:Tech, and IR-500 communities. To subscribe to our searches, click here. Alternatively, follow EcommerceJobs on Twitter. To add your resume to our confidential database, click here. To like us on FB, please click here.

We are working with Volcom in their search for a VP of Ecommerce & Digital Business based in Costa Mesa, CA.

The Vice President of ebusiness is a new strategic, senior level leadership position for the company. The VP of E-business will be responsible for the entire E-commerce and digital marketing strategy at a worldwide level- to include all merchandising, digital marketing, online store management, fulfillment logistics, customer service, IT, content and other day-to-day efforts and operations for the site.

This VP will work closely with all the other departments of the company (merchandising, marketing, retail & wholesale teams, finance, region’s General Managers etc...) to ensure an integrated approach.

The successful candidate will be a true eBusiness leader with a passion, talent, and proven track record of building teams, managing and motivating people, and helping companies develop and execute strategic plans to increase revenue and create value for the organization.

HARRY'S COMMENTS: Three pudgy, balding, old-establishment businessmen are standing around at a cocktail party, and one of them says to the others “I'll start thinking outside the box when the box is empty.”

That's one of my all-time favorite New Yorker cartoons, but it doesn’t apply to Volcom, a company that was born outside of the box.

Seriously. The company’s slogan is “youth against establishment,” and its Facebook page describes Volcom as “a modern lifestyle brand that was founded on liberation, innovation, and experimentation while remaining dedicated to the breakdown of established traditions.” See for yourself.

Serving 16-22 year olds since 1991.

Founded by CEO Richard Woolcott, Volcom’s primary line of business involves the design, manufacture, and marketing of action sports apparel for the skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, and motocross subcultures. To preserve its street credibility, Volcom maintains a very deep athlete management group which currently sponsors the following brand ambassadors:

Surfers – Bruce Irons and Ozzie Wright
Skateboarders – Geoff Rowley, Rune Glifberg, Mark Appleyard, Dustin Dollin, and Caswell Berry
Snowboarders – Gigi Ruf, Terje Haakonsen, Bryan Iguchi, and Kevin Pearce
Motocross riders – Ryan Villopoto, Josh Hansen, and Tyla Rattray

These guys are playing with real money.

The company has a music division, which was co-founded in 1995 by Woolcott and Volcom’s current VP of Marketing, Ryan Immegart (age 34), and it licenses and operates 46 retail stores under the Volcom brand in the US and abroad. Volcom raised $89 million in its 2005 IPO and was acquired amicably in 2011 for $608 million by the French luxury retailer, PPR. But Volcom hasn’t lost its edge. And it won’t, either.

Okay, so what’s the job?

Based on my kickoff call with Jason Steris (age 42), Volcom’s President and Chief Operating Officer, Volcom launched its ecommerce business in 2010 in generated $1 million in first-year ecommerce revenues. The company then lost its ecommerce manager, and this role will pick up where he left off.

And then some.

Many of you are familiar with Sergio Zyman’s definition of marketing: To sell more stuff, to more people, more often, for more money. Well, in Volcom’s case it’s a lot more complicated than that because you’ll have B2B vs B2C tradeoffs to manage, along with domestic and international issues across multiple functional disciplines: purchasing; marketing; merchandising, logistics; IT; finance; and more.

98% of Volcom’s business is channeled through wholesalers and third-party retailers. Just 2% is B2C. Given Volcom’s current business mix, the role may involve ebusiness more than ecommerce – at least initially. The new VP of Ebusiness will take both the retail and wholesale areas of responsibility and drive the integration of the right platform, processes, etc. that will take Volcom’s wholesale business to the next level.

And then there’s the B2C transformation ...

Mr. Steris views the company's website as a potentially huge marketing vehicle for the brand, “yet marketing and ecommerce need to balance a digital presence that supports the brand versus one that is oriented towards transacting. Also, Volcom has a MAP pricing policy, so it’s critical that the new VP work with Marketing to ensure a premium experience online.”

The new VP will be responsible for re-evaluating Volcom’s ebusiness strategy, which will consider the short- versus long-term interests of Volcom’s wholesalers, branded stores, outlet stores and ecommerce – both at home and abroad. Mr. Steris sees a ton of opportunity overseas, particularly in emerging markets.

More than anything, Volcom needs a marketing-oriented BUSINESS PERSON in this role. You’ll need to understand cost and revenue drivers, and you’ll have a thousand issues to manage, so you’ll need to quickly identify the source of your problems and develop the simplest solutions. You'll run lean and mean (which, in this case, doesn't mean under-resourced). You’ll need to be smart, but you must be clever as well.

There’s a difference.

Of course, you’ll need to be politically savvy – but not a political animal. This role will involve growing total revenues while ramping up the B2C share 5% by 2015, and that means helping Volcom’s internal and external stakeholders manage the change. Relative to B2B, B2C ecommerce is a whole ‘nother ball of wax: You’ll need to coach your team through this transition. Volcom’s brand and its culture must be protected, and an affinity with the action sports apparel space will be huge.

The good news is that the money for this role is GREAT – and the company’s best days are ahead of it. The other good news is that you will LEARN and DO and ACCOMPLISH a lot in this high visibility role. That’s going to make for some tasty resume meat later in your career.

The bad news is that these interviews are going to be murder. Are you up for that? If so, please apply below.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategy: Since it’s a new business channel for the company, the candidate will be responsible for defining the overall strategy, i.e.

Develop Volcom’s ebusiness strategy & execute plans to grow online sales and digital presence in the US, but also in key regions.
Responsible for the P&L (top & bottom line) and total budget control – online sales should reach 5% the total turnover by 2015
Define the right organization and the right team to put in place
Select & Manage the 3rd party vendors and service providers
Gain the buy-in of Senior Management as well as their appointed business leads

Online store management: collaborating with Marketing, Design, Merchandising, wholesale & retail, the candidate will be responsible for

Design- creative: reflecting the brand image and positioning
User Experience: identifying and implementing the best practices in form of functionality, user experience, design, cross-channeling, meeting brand customer experience expectations
Analytics : define and follow dashboards
Merchandising: define and buy the online assortment
Product information management: product description, photos, cross & up selling, videos, product reviews…
Daily site management : online marketing & commercial calendar

Digital Marketing: collaborating with Marketing & design, you will develop and manage online marketing strategy

Define and implement performance marketing strategies to drive qualified traffic and sales: SEM, SEO, affiliation, retargeting etc…
Develop CRM and cross channeling strategies o Analytics to measure the success of the campaigns
Define & implement Mobile & social Strategies o Content strategy: Including video, community management etc..

Operations:

Define & build the best organization to support ebusiness growth
Negotiate and manage the relationships of all 3rd party vendors and service providers such as Technology Platform, call Center and fulfillment center partners.
Build and improve professional KPI based 3rd party controlling
Define targeted and prioritized IT & supply chain projects

International & business development:

Define and implement an international strategy, working with regional teams and respecting local specificities.
Evaluate continuously market opportunities for ebusiness & maintain market knowledge of the latest ebusiness solutions & techniques

Education and Experience:

Bachelor's Degree / MBA
7 to 15 years of web, digital marketing and eCommerce (the entire process from merchandising to CRM) experience required
Proven track record of growing revenue and oversight of P/L
Experience in building, managing teams & leadership roles
Experience and proven success in managing partners/ 3rd party vendors.
High-level understanding of technology, supply chain logistics and customer-service activities

Experience in retail:

Understanding of Merchandising operations, or related merchandising planning and buying a plus
International experience a plus

Skills and Competencies required:

A strong strategic and business planning aptitude
Interpersonal skills including collaboration, communication, and customer focus
Strong work style skills such as accountability, adaptability, initiative, and planning and organization skills
Proven business skills including analytical thinking, business and financial acumen, influencing and negotiation, problem solving/decision making, and creativity/innovation
Strong leadership skills to build and develop talent
Strategic thinking skills to drive change and innovation
A leader and team player - Ability to work cross-functionally to achieve goals (a collaborative personality able to influence all areas of the company)
Results oriented

Volcom is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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Director of Online Operations (Philadelphia, PA)

2012-03-27T23:27:48-04:00

PHILADELPHIA, PA - EcommerceRecruiter.com is the leading executive search firm serving the Shop.org, Ad:Tech, and IR-500 communities. To subscribe to our searches, click here. Alternatively, follow EcommerceJobs on Twitter. To add your resume to our confidential database, click here. To like us on FB, please click here.

We are working with Pep Boys in its search for a Director of Online Operations based in Philadelphia, PA.

This role is an integral part of Pep Boys’ online efforts. Director, Online Operations is accountable for execution of PBY’s online strategies and tactics, including the coordination of PBY’s online efforts among cross-functional teams to deliver on-time and on-budget results, and the achievement of revenue and profitability goals.

HARRY'S COMMENTS: Last year I closed my 100th ecommerce search, and one of my philosophies is that there are six conditions that determine whether a job can provide a candidate with opportunities for professional growth. They are:

The job itself is future oriented, meaning the skills required to do the job will be more important and more marketable in the future than they are today. For example, a deep knowledge of robotics is future oriented. Knowing how to fix fax machines is not (because we are likely to see fewer fax machines in the future).
The job itself is critically important to the team.
The team’s work is central to the company's strategic thrust.
The candidate can do the job now, and is likely to scale with the job over time. Meaning, the candidate is not in over his head today, nor is he likely to be in over his head in the future provided he lives up to his potential.
The company is growing.
The industry is growing.

Candidates, if you are considering applying for any job, make sure that these six conditions are satisfied. This is just my opinion, based on my own experience. I didn't read this anywhere ...

For this write up, I'll start with No. 5: The US demand for auto parts is massive and growing. US retail sales for motor vehicle and parts dealers, a potential measure of demand for auto parts, increased 8 percent in the first month of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011. But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

The total market for auto parts in the US is estimated to be $200 billion. Online, the market for auto parts is $10 billion. That's billion with a “B.” eBay accounts for $5 billion of this volume. Amazon accounts for $200 million. US Auto Parts controls $500 million, and AutoAnything is said to control $75 million. And then there's ...

Pep Boys – Manny, Moe, & Jack.

To compete against firms such as AutoZone, Advance Auto Parts, and O'Reilly, recently Pep Boys agreed to be acquired by investment firm Gores Group for $1 billion, including debt. According to the LA Times, Gores aims to apply its operational expertise to bolster Pep Boys' margins and grow its retail business. The firm plans to retain Pep Boys’ current management and does not anticipate closing locations or reducing its workforce. In other words, Gores thought (No. 4) Pep Boys was simply a great investment.

Which leaves us with conditions Nos. 1–3.

Reporting to Malcolm Davidow this is a new role “without which the company would be under-resourced.” In other words, this job is critically important to the team.

Currently, there are five groups involved with Pep Boys’ online business: Marketing; Online operations; Store operations; IT; and Merchandising. Each of these teams has a vested interest in seeing ecommerce succeed yet each has its own agenda that needs to be integrated with all others. We need a realist! The ideal candidate will be VERY analytically-biased and able to speak factually about each of these functional areas. In particular, a deep knowledge of analytics, logistics, retail operations, and technology will be valued.

As will strategic literacy.

And that's what makes this job so future oriented. In most companies, the Director of Ecommerce Operations is responsible for making the trains run on time. That's an important job, but it's not exactly fodder for a sexy resume.

Things will be different at Pep Boys: The company's strategy is based on providing trust, value, and convenience to its customers. That’s easier than it sounds: How many auto mechanics do you trust? Few, I’d imagine.

Yet Pep Boys’ is working to change that. The company's entire value proposition hinges on providing these things in its store and service operations – and it seeks to ensure that its associates are accessible and trained, both in technical areas as well as in customer service. Indeed, the very concept of a porous, high-touch organization relies on accurate and accessible information, whether customers retrieve it themselves or Pep Boys’ reps provide it.

And that’s where you come in.

As Director of Online Ops for Pep Boys, your job will be to leverage digital tools bring that trust, value, and convenience to life across every customer touch point. Pep Boys is a service business: It sells auto parts and accessories to consumers and commercial businesses, and it also offers auto maintenance and repair services. Your job will be to increase Pep Boys’ level of intimacy with each of its stakeholders in ways that combine these products and services in unique and profitable ways.

If that’s not sexy, I don’t know what is. Apply below.

Responsibilities:

Manage online-related projects among cross-functional teams from Information Technology, Merchandising, Marketing, Store Operations and Finance
Execute online strategies and tactics, including scope of functionality for future releases of the PBY Web site
Assist in the development of online strategies and tactics
Assist in the formulation of budgets and capital expenditure requests
Evaluate third-party software applications and services
Identify and report online-related KPIs and metrics; monitor and analyze those data to identify and take action on opportunities improve operational results and site performance

Skills, Experience, Qualifications and Certifications

Bachelor’s degree required; graduate degree in a related field preferred
Over five years of previous online experience required; online retailing experience preferred
Demonstrated commitment to customer satisfaction, including appreciation for customer experience, required
Demonstrated ability to achieve goals and manage time to meet deadlines
Demonstrated ability to work unattended and as a member of a team
Demonstrated ability to manage, grow and cultivate teams under your direction
Demonstrated attention to detail, combined with ability not to get lost in details
Analytical, organizational, decision-making, problem-solving and written and verbal communication skills required
Thorough understanding of the Internet, and ability to use the Internet and Internet technologies to perform job functions required
SEO experience required
UI experience a plus
Online-related infrastructure and testing experience a plus
Internet technology open source and proprietary middleware experience a plus
Adobe Omniture product suite experience a plus
Open source content management system experience a plus
Business process re-engineering experience a plus
Online and/or offline marketing experience a plus
Automotive-related experience a plus
Well-developed Microsoft Office product suite skills required

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Current Searches as of May 20, 2012

2012-03-19T23:08:00-04:00

EcommerceRecruiter.com is the leading executive search firm serving the Shop.org, Ad:Tech, and IR-500 communities. To subscribe to our monthly newsletter featuring ecommerce news, analysis, and career advice, click here.

To get an email that will deliver our hottest ecommerce jobs to you the minute they're posted, click here. And while you're at it, please join our 7,623-member LinkedIn group, EcommerceJobs.com. To add your resume to our database, click here.

NEW - Sr. Director of Ecommerce (Nashville, TN) - SEE VIDEO
NEW - Ecommerce Manager (Stratham, NH) - SEE VIDEO
NEW - Head of Ecommerce (Houston, TX) - SEE VIDEO
NEW - VP of Marketing (YOU PICK: Austin -OR- Raleigh -OR- Seattle)
Affiliate Marketing Manager (Union, NJ) - SEE VIDEO
Brand Manager, Digital Marketing (St. Louis, MO) - SEE VIDEO
Sr. Creative Director (Medford, OR) - SEE VIDEO
Director of Ecommerce (Colorado Springs, CO) - SEE VIDEO
Director of Ecommerce (Carlsbad, CA) - SEE VIDEO
Director of Ecommerce (Stamford, CT)
Director of Marketing (Minneapolis, MN) - SEE VIDEO
Director of Ecommerce & Mobile Banking (Greenville, SC)
Director of Online Operations (Philadelphia, PA) - SEE VIDEO
Dir. Catalog, Brand, & Trade Marketing (Sacramento, CA) - SEE VIDEO
Ecommerce Technology Manager (Charleston, SC) - SEE VIDEO
Email Marketing Manager (Cincinnati, OH)
Online Merchandising Manager (Orange County, CA) - SEE VIDEO
Senior Account Executive (Clearwater, FL)
Sr. Manager, Digital Marketing (Columbus, GA) - SEE VIDEO
Sr. Manager, Ecommerce Marketing (Baltimore, MD) - SEE VIDEO
Omni-Channel Content Strategist (Cincinnati, OH)
VP of Digital Marketing (Dodgeville, WI) - SEE VIDEO
VP of Ecommerce (Costa Mesa, CA) - ON HOLD
VP of Marketing (Norwalk, CT)
Senior Web Designer (Madison, VA) - SEE VIDEO
Web Developer and Analytics Manager (New York City) - SEE VIDEO

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Director of Catalog, Brand, & Trade Marketing (Sacramento, CA)

2012-03-19T00:47:40-04:00

SACRAMENTO, CA - EcommerceRecruiter.com is the leading executive search firm serving the Shop.org, Ad:Tech, and IR-500 communities. To subscribe to our searches, click here. Alternatively, follow EcommerceJobs on Twitter. To add your resume to our confidential database, click here. To like us on FB, please click here.

We are working with Lumens Light + Living in their search for a Director of Marketing. Lumens Light + Living is a rapidly growing, multi-channel retailer of lighting products for home and business based in Sacramento, CA.

HARRY'S COMMENTS: Let's start this section by saying that Ken Plumlee, Lumens’ CEO, is a very nice guy. I do project kickoff calls all the time. Maybe three per week these days. Some of them are great. Some of them not so much. The difference is always related to the knowledge, vision, and enthusiasm of the hiring manager towards the role. Make no mistake: If you get this job, this company will be behind you 100%.

Who is Lumens?

Lumens is an Internet Retailer Top 500 sized company focused on the sale of lighting and home furnishings for design savvy customers, designers, and architects. 35% of the company’s business is to the wholesale trade – but ultimately, Lumens’ customers are homeowners who are either remodeling, or building, or redecorating. They value well-known brands, clean contemporary design, and they look to Lumens as a definitive source for those products. They tend to read Elle Décor or Dwell and take personal interest in design.

Lumens’ trade audience is composed mostly of interior desig ners who have a contemporary style. It's a fantastic market: The US interior design industry includes about 10,000 companies with combined annual revenue of about $8 billion. Major companies include units of architecture and design firms such as Gensler, HOK, and Perkins + Will. The industry is highly fragmented: the 50 largest firms account for about 10 percent of revenue.

The company has a fanatical focus on customer service, which complements the tools and capabilities that it offers on its website. Think of Lumens as the Crutchfield Electronics of the lighting business: Have you ever bought something from Crutchfield? If you have, then you may know that Crutchfield's customer service reps are audiophiles whose contagious love of both the customer and the product is obvious.

It's the same at Lumens: Clients can speak with a human being and get objective, expert advice from somebody who loves the client and the products. If customer satisfaction is any measure, then Lumens is a company that has its act together. See for yourself.

About the role ...

Previously Lumens had someone in the role, but the company has changed its focus slightly. The former Director managed event marketing, trade marketing, print marketing, and some ecommerce functions (primarily affiliate and email). Today, Lumens’ Director of Ecommerce is handling online marketing, user experience, and web analytics, while the new Director of Marketing will be a “pure marketer,” with a focus on brand building utilizing mostly off-line tools.

The new Director of Marketing will also be responsible for managing the company’s trade programs, which will include enrollment of new trade partners as well as communication and segmentation for existing trade customers. Beyond that, the company seeks a new voice in formulating its brand advertising programs. The company values its print channels (like Dwell) but would also like to better evaluate its advertising and steer its brand accordingly. The company also publishes a twice-yearly catalog, and Ken would love some assistance in figuring out how to get more mileage out of it. There is an enormous amount of information I can share with qualified candidates on this last point.

How will I know if I’m doing a good job after 100 days?

From a marketing standpoint, this role is really a mixed bag: In order to succeed, a candidate must have a deep working knowledge of branding and positioning, ad agency management, print advertising, media buying, CRM (NetSuite), database marketing, loyalty and retention strategies, catalog marketing, and email marketing. Trust me, if you don't have these things, then you really don't want this job.

After 100 days, you should have reviewed and implemented an update to Lumens’ brand advertising strategy, implemented a trade customer acquisition program, and reevaluated the company's catalog strategy. Your success will rely on your ability to …

Formulate and match the right message with the right target markets,
Research and test the impact of the company's previous brand marketing efforts,
Dig in to Lumens’ trade customer database and ask important questions about which vehicles the company can use to reach new and potential customers, and ...
Completely review Lumens’ catalog strategy to determine its role in the marketing mix going forward.

Ideally, you'll be strategic. You will be completely comfortable evaluating and managing outside resources, and you won't need hand-holding. You might know a thing or two about copywriting. (Trust me, that's a handy skill.) And beyond all that, you will have an analytical bias to the way you make decisions.

If this sounds like you, then I'd love to hear from you. Please check out the rest of this job posting, then apply.

Please Tweet this job, and you'll be automatically entered into our monthly drawing. Just do it and see what happens: 2010 prizes included $100 Amazon gift certs, Dean & Deluca steaks, and Keurig coffee machines ...

Position Overview:

The Director of Marketing is responsible for building brand awareness, preference and loyalty through the use of offline marketing channels including public relations, print advertising, direct mail, product placement, catalogs and event marketing. This position has overall company responsibility for managing marketing budgets.

All online marketing activities (SEM, SEO, Affiliate, PPC, and Social Media) report to the Director of Ecommerce. The Director’s of Marketing and Ecommerce work closely together. This position reports to the CEO.

Key Responsibilities:

Establishes overall Lumens brand messaging and oversees its application across all points of customer communication.
Coordinates with Ecommerce and Merchandising to assure that Web messaging and promotional programs provide a consistent image and brand position.
Establishes an overall advertising program to reach consumer and trade audiences.
Responsible for establishing campaign concepts, and executing photography, production and placement.
Negotiates media rates and programs with print media.
Coordinates with the Director of Merchandising to establish annual coop advertising contributions from vendors and manufacturers.
Manages required vendor approvals for eligible advertising.
Tracks spending and oversees billing and credits.
Establishes an overall program to grow enrollment and revenue from trade segment (architects, designers, builders, and electrical contractors.)
Establishes competitive requirements for program and develops program features and benefits to maintain “best of class” capabilities.
Establishes and manages a Trade Show marketing program.
Manages Lumens catalog program including overall concept and execution, mailing schedule, and budget.
Evaluates mailing list strategy and measures performance by segment
Works with Director of Merchandising to solicit vendor participation and establish co-op terms.
Establishes and maintains an overall Publicity and Public Relations programs to build Lumens brand awareness and product mentions across all editorial media.
Evaluates and manages requests for product samples and placement.
Establishes a list of product and style editorial contacts and solicits product mentions in appropriate media outlets.
Evaluates and coordinates opportunities for event participation including Designer Show Houses, Conferences, and other events.
Coordinates product participation requests for vendors and manufacturers.
Establishes an overall branding program for Lumens including customer communication, fulfillment materials such as packing slips and packaging and other materials.
Develops and oversees production of required collateral materials such as brochures, fulfillment materials, and other printed materials
Responsible for selection, evaluation and management of outside advertising, creative, direct marketing, and catalog agencies as required.
Identifies and manages mail house, printers, and other outside production resources.
Establishes, manages, and evaluation of all customer satisfaction programs including outside services such as Bizrate and internal customer satisfaction survey programs.
Completes periodic analysis of customer feedback and presents to management team.
Identifies customer satisfaction issues and proposes enhancements to improve satisfaction.
Provides overall management of marketing budget.
Completes an annual marketing budget within business model guidelines.
Measures overall marketing performance and return on marketing spend.
Hires and manages direct reports.

Position Requirements:

BS or BA Degree in Communication, Marketing or Business
10 years of progressive experience in retail marketing management
5 years experience in ecommerce
Relevant consumer advertising and brand-building experience

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HEY, GUNSLINGER: "Gorilla Group seeks a Managing Director." (New York, NY)

2012-03-17T01:42:38-04:00

NEW YORK, NY - EcommerceRecruiter.com is the leading executive search firm serving the Shop.org, Ad:Tech, and IR-500 communities. To subscribe to our searches, click here. Alternatively, follow EcommerceJobs on Twitter. To add your resume to our confidential database, click here. To like us on FB, please click here.

We are working with Gorilla Group in their search for a Managing Director to help lead and grow their new office in New York.

Gorilla Group is a vaunted web design and development agency specializing in ecommerce for multichannel companies. Armed with a uniquely client-driven culture, Gorilla seeks a Managing Director to help lead and grow its new office in New York City.

The Managing Director will be responsible for meeting established sales and profitability targets, building the New York team and managing client relationships. This is a full-time position with great benefits: Medical, dental and life insurance plans; Health Savings Account; Work-from-home options; 401(k) with 3% company contribution; Corporate bonus and sophisticated caffeine delivery systems.

HARRY’S COMMENTS: I'm in the process of re-reading (for the third time) David Ogilvy's classic book, “Ogilvy on Advertising.” Great book, btw. If you haven't read it, you can buy it here. As the proprietor of an ecommerce recruiting agency, I love this quote:

“When you are head of an agency, you know that your staff looks to you to bring in new business, more than anything else. If you fail to do so over an extended period, you sense that you are losing their confidence, and are tempted to grab any account you can get. Don't. Above all, don't join the melancholy procession of agencies which always accompanies a dying brand on its way to the cemetery.”

Mr. Ogilvy’s words apply here because one of America’s best ecommerce consultancies, Gorilla Group, is looking to open a New York office – and the firm wishes to appoint as its NY Managing Director a gun-slinging Business Development executive. By “gun-slinging,” I mean someone who has a track record of vendor-side success in identifying, qualifying, closing, and partnering with the RIGHT ecommerce clients.

“Who’s Gorilla?”

Headquartered in Chicago, Gorilla Group is a 15-year-old web design/development agency whose goal is to help middle-market companies improve their businesses with commerce. As Magento’s 2010 “Partner of the Year,” Gorilla makes its money by providing services around the design, development, management, and marketing of ecommerce sites. Although they come from many industries, Gorilla’s clients are primarily apparel manufacturers, multichannel retailers, luxury marketers, branded manufacturers, and B2B manufacturers.

Gorilla prides itself on its world-class team of experts, and it performs all of its work in-house. The company does not outsource anything, which gives it significant depth across multiple functional areas, including design, development, and services. The fact that all of its work is performed in-house gives Gorilla a tight grip on quality control in addition to a uniquely client-driven culture.

“Okay, who supplies the leads?”

Ah, yes. Of course. The leads. Every gun-slinger asks this. Leads are like ammo, and Gorilla will have you packing heat. Without going into specifics, Gorilla’s lead generation mechanisms are hitting on all cylinders, and the client has built up a very strong demand for its services. Moreover, this demand is likely to last for sometime – and not just because Gorilla does a phenomenal job with lead generation.

According to US Commerce Department, ecommerce accounted for 8.6% of total retail sales last year, up 7.6% from 2010. Total retail sales, including e-commerce, increased 7.9% in 2011 and totaled $4.2 trillion. These estimates are based on the Commerce Department’s quarterly survey of more than 11,000 US merchants.

11,000! Many of whom are reaching out to ecommerce consultancies and integrators to help them make sense of the opportunities and risks associated with the multichannel commercialization of their businesses.

“Yeah, but what’s so great about this role?”

In addition to a killer compensation package that will have you earning a fistful of dollars, this role will report directly to the CEO and will involve building and leading Gorilla’s New York team. Sometimes sales reps get a shot at becoming a Sales Manager – but rarely to they get a shot at general management. Yet that’s what this is: A chance to manage the P&L of an entire office. You get to make of it what you will, and everyone will report to YOU.

But there's a catch. (There's always a catch ...)

Obviously, we can't offer this role to just any green-horn sales rep. No! Here are just a few of the things I would need to see in candidate:

Management-level synapses that fire 24/7.
A track record of selling complex ecommerce solutions. If no such track record exists, I will probe deeply for an understanding of the FIVE (5) things any ecommerce executive needs to be successful in their career.
A sound, replicateable process for analyzing buyer needs. Some might call this “the ability to probe for pain,” and it's an essential skill for any trusted advisor.
The ability to present a professional image and create a positive first impression.
An understanding of how to manage his or her energy and attitude. Your direct reports will be up if you're up. They will walk the talk you walk.
A significant level of financial literacy and business savvy.
An ability to communicate very effectively over the phone.

Those are some of my requirements. The client’s requirements are listed below. This is a fantastic opportunity for a successful ecommerce sales rep to grow, both personally and professionally. Gorilla’s principals will be pulling for you – but don’t expect to be micromanaged.

The firm has a long tradition of hiring the right people and giving them enough room to learn from experience. However, given the importance of the NYC market, you shouldn’t expect to go it alone, either. Gorilla’s principles will be only a $200 shuttle away.

Position Overview:

The Managing Director is responsible for establishing, building and maintaining key relationships, directing and managing the client’s business, building the New York team and managing practice profitability.

Responsibilities:

Interacts with the highest level in client organizations
Participates in the overall leadership and growth of our firm
Develop and maintain positive client relationships at all levels of the organization in support of established revenue and profitability goals
Understand the client’s core business strategy and uncover new ways to support and deliver that strategy through superior customer experience and enabling technologies.
Works well with the project delivery teams to support their success
Be an active contributor to a positive, innovative, collaborative, and cooperative work environment

Position Requirements:

Background in management or technology consulting or a leading interactive agency
7-10 years of experience working as a leader in a similar environment
Experience working with ecommerce platforms including Magento, Demandware, Hybris, ATG and others
Experience with both business development and client services
Deep understanding of the design and development processes for interactive projects
Successful history of meeting assigned targets for sales and account profitability (>$4MM per year)
Ability to manage several concurrent projects in a deadline critical environment
Ability to prioritize issues based on business need

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