SVP, eCommerce Operations and Strategy

THE COMPANY
The company is an early stage, direct to consumer (DTC) aggregator of high-end consumer products. With its focus on educating customers via content, our client is dominating the industry when it comes to SEO, offering a depth and expertise that competitors cannot match.
The company is adding product categories, expanding marketing channels, growing its team and scaling operations in 2022.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP
The SVP Operational Strategy will report directly to the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Presently, the company has ~12 employees, including in-house functions for Marketing, Warehousing, Fulfilment, and Customer Service.

POSITION SUMMARY
This role will provide leadership and drive the development of the
company’s overall infrastructure, executing on strategies to enable the achievement of the company’s vision, mission, and goals. This position will have functional profit and loss responsibility for operations and merchandising and provide the guidance and direction necessary to execute on an ambitious growth strategy while preserving the entrepreneurial culture of the company.

You will serve as a key partner to the company’s Board of Directors in
providing broader guidance on developing and implementing operating and merchandising strategies that enhance and support business growth through procedures and processes that deliver a “best in class” customer experience.
You will play a hands-on role in the company achieving its goal of exponential growth in the next 3-5 years and will be motivated by owning a stake in that success.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Develop a multi-year business plan to fulfill the company’s mission, scale its operating infrastructure and achieve the company’s ambitious growth plans.
• Create the annual operating plan and budget that will enable improved execution in all key functions.
• Lead the profitable growth of the company’s DTC business by collaborating with key members of the organization including Marketing to ensure that all relevant activities are aligned with merchandising strategies for impeccable, on-time execution.
• Support Marketing in the development of ideas and opportunities in terms of product, channel, license opportunities, co-branded ventures, and special events.
• Implement best practices related to supply chain and operational excellence, product innovation, merchandising, and the customer experience.
• Leading and overseeing the operations and merchandising functions, establishing a highly motivated work environment and creating innovative approaches for continuous improvement.
• Recruit, develop, and inspire a team capable of supporting substantial growth.
• Provide guidance and feedback to help others strengthen specific knowledge/skill areas.
• Emphasize more rigor against KPIs and other relevant organization metrics to drive annual performance, and proactively taking corrective action to prevent issues from becoming inhibitors of growth.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
• Minimum of 8-10 years of experience in managing operations within a direct to consumer or retail concern known for operational and customer service excellence, with an emphasis on e-commerce execution. Some experience in merchandising or selling premium/luxury items a plus.
• Proven management success in a rapid growth environment characterized by preserving an entrepreneurial and passion-branded culture, while establishing more process controls/systems to maintain a uniformly excellent customer experience.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain financial plans.
• Strong operational focus; a track record of driving operational improvements leading to positive financial results.
• Ability to motivate and lead people, while holding employees accountable.
• Well-developed oral and written communication skills applicable to a large group as well as one-on-one situations.
• Success working closely/leading a cross functional team in support of the strategic vision of a brand.

INTERPERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS
• A “hands-on” leader capable of working with the Board of Directors on strategic growth plans.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to analyze and solve complex business problems.
• Collaborative, high energy, passionate and driven to excel.
• A flexible and open personal style that will fit within the culture and effect change
without revolution.
• Strong ability to align and optimize the contributions of key stakeholders.
• A player coach who leads by example.
• Strong listening skills with a sensitivity to the fact that diversity of opinion leads to
better solutions.
• A strong communicator and effective storyteller.
• An evangelist, capable of communicating the passion and commitment to excellence that is innate to the culture.
• Entrepreneurial with a strong bias towards action and comfortable with taking the risks associated with innovation.
• Comfortable in an operating environment where the playbook is a work in process. High tolerance for ambiguity.
• Impeccable work ethic, unwavering integrity, and a desire to achieve greatness