SCOPE
The primary focus of the Senior Director of eCommerce will be to create an online go-to-market strategy that enables Heartland to prioritize actions & investments to build internal capability and effectively compete in this channel. Experience working in the food industry is required.
Key deliverables include:
Landscape assessment, based on competitive bench-marking, to distill most effective strategies for building internal eCommerce capability and winning online in food & beverage –including gapping for Heartland organization Channel segmentation, surfacing key decision nodes for where to play within online environment for Splenda & Java House eCommerce channel playbook for Splenda & Java House, including recommended objectives, goals, strategies & metrics (OGSM) 100-day plan for future Heartland eCommerce team lead, outlining key priorities / must-wins
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Organizational Structure and Planning:
Create Digital & eCommerce COE
Authority to make enterprise wide decisions (e.g., P&L ownership)
Create a strategic vision, plan and goals
Create incentives to meet goals
Ensure eCommerce team is integrated into annual planning for all key customers
Establish top-down planning process for overall eCommerce strategy
Build customer-by-customer plans to ladder up to overall goals
Add planning step to build eCommerce plans by brand People, Data and Measurement
eCommerce lead experience: worked with Amazon, managed cross-functional team, designed/launched website, integration of legacy systems online
eCommerce lead to train sales force on must-haves online
Consider reverse mentoring program to create learning organization
Identify right set of partners
Temper expectations of immediate ROI realization
Define new KPIs for online activity
Operations and Supply Chain:
Test & learn new products online
Ensure eCommerce lead designs innovation to succeed in all online environments (e.g., through the mail)
Consider dedicated fulfillment location for online orders
Re-visit 3rd party network to support evolving fulfillment needs
Ensure 3rd party supply chain expert is able to own end to end online mode
Customer Leadership:
Organize efforts around Amazon ecosystem, other pure plays, and omni-channel accounts
Now: Prioritize Amazon & Omni-channel
Define shopper target of eCommerce (e.g., B2B vs. B2C)
Define role of eCommerce in relation to B&M customers
Prioritize Amazon & dot com business before building DTC
Invest in insights for how categories are shopped online
Test & learn across online platforms to share category-specific learning with B&M customers
Bring perspective on all online activity to JBP meetings
Demand Generation
Prioritize search
Build content for key platforms, linked to overall online strategy
Develop social strategy that links to defined consumer/shopper goals
Invest in optimizing direct response
Create online ecosystem with “no dead ends”
Make every touch point a conversion opportunity
Strategic Revenue Management:
Build unique items for B2B and B2C businesses online to control channel conflict and manage pricing issues
Relax margin requirements in early stages of building business to allow for more competitive offer
Establish responsibility of eCommerce team member to monitor pricing
Actively flag MAP violations
QUALIFICATIONS
B.S./B.A /Marketing, Business or Information Technology, MBA preferred
Must have experience working within the food industry
Experience leading development of eCommerce best practices within an organization
10+ years of experience working in or with digital/e-commerce, preferably with a CPG or retail company
Must have business plan development proficiency and experience managing a P&L
Ideally experience working with Amazon and eCommerce e-tail experience.(External)
Prior experience in pioneering role
Comfortable instilling eCommerce best practices within an organization
Experience optimizing demand generation tactics
Ability to make recommendations on product positioning/pricing/packaging (e.g., touch cross-functional needs through eCommerce lens)
Skills Required
- B.S./B.A in Marketing, Business or Information Technology
- MBA preferred
- 10+ years of experience in digital/e-commerce, preferably with a CPG or retail company
- Experience within the food industry
- Experience leading development of eCommerce best practices within an organization
What We Do
Heartland Food Products Group is a global leader in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, producing low-calorie sweeteners, coffee, coffee creamers and liquid water enhancers. Simply put, we make coffee, tea and water taste better. Our portfolio includes a variety of branded, licensed and private label products within multiple categories. We also provide strategic co-manufactured partnerships with many category leaders. On the branded side of the business, we manufacture and market SPLENDA®, the #1 brand in the low-calorie sweetener (LCS) category and the most recognizable in the world. And we’re leading the charge in the quickly emerging cold brew coffee category with JAVA HOUSE® Authentic Cold Brew Coffee, our 100% authentic cold brew handcrafted in small batches. In addition, we are the leading provider of private label sweeteners and liquid water enhancers in the U.S. Our products are distributed throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. We employ over 1,200 people worldwide.
