We are Kao, listed as one of the world’s most ethical companies for the last 20 years.
Our EMEA brand portfolio spans across three sectors; Consumer Care (John Frieda, Guhl, Bondi Sands, Bioré, Jergens, Curél), Professional Hair (Goldwell, Oribe, KMS Hair, Kerasilk), and Molton Brown.
Our corporate philosophy, The Kao Way, guides us in everything we do – acting with integrity, courageously driving innovation, and treating each other with trust and respect.
About our role:
Reporting to the Head of Strategic Partnerships & Investment Optimization, AEMEA, this role leads the AEMEA performance and investment effectiveness mini squad. It sets the regional standard for “plan, do, check, act” execution, agency and partner performance management, and investment governance. The role ensures capability building and measurable business impact at scale, in close partnership with Accenture and senior AEMEA stakeholders, with a clear focus on return on investment.
What you will do:
- Lead partnership with Accenture: joint delivery plan, capability programs, tools, and measurable impact reporting.
- Lead the performance and return on investment mini squad strategy, roadmap, and operating model across AEMEA.
- Establish regional standards for measurement, learning agendas, experimentation, and benefits realization; ensure adoption and quality.
- Own regional agency performance governance: evaluation framework, scorecards, improvement plans, and escalation paths.
- Drive investment governance: decision forums, prioritization principles, and business case quality; ensure transparency and accountability.
- Senior stakeholder engagement: communicate progress, risks, and impact; influence funding and decisions with clear rationale.
What you will need:
- University level education
- Advanced training in measurement, media effectiveness, experimentation, or finance for marketers preferred
- Minimum 10 years of experience in digital transformation, digital marketing, electronic commerce, analytics, or consulting
- 5+ years leading regional programmes, capability building, or performance governance
- Strong experience influencing senior stakeholders and aligning markets to shared standards
- Demonstrates strong business, financial, and analytical thinking, applying data, measurement, and optimisation expertise to support effective digital investment decisions and drive business outcomes.
- Strong leadership capability with the ability to raise standards, coach and develop others, foster accountability, and build trust-based, high-performing teams and partnerships.
- Excellent stakeholder management, influencing, and executive communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex topics clearly and persuasively across markets, functions, agencies, external partners, and regional/global headquarters, including close collaboration with teams in Japan.
- Proven experience managing agency and partner relationships with a strong focus on governance, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Comfortable navigating ambiguity and complexity, with strong prioritisation, programme management, and structured execution capabilities in dynamic regional environments.
- Curious, open-minded, and proactive in challenging existing ways of working through evidence-based thinking and new approaches.
At Kao, we believe the diversity of our teams strengthens our global mission. Here we trust and respect each other, collaborating in a friendly and inclusive work environment to achieve great results.
What you can expect from us:
- An entrepreneurial environment where passionate and innovative teams come together.
- Respect, teamwork and collaboration are at the heart of how we work.
- A workplace culture that prioritises employee wellbeing, with opportunities to get involved in initiatives such as Mental Health First Aiders, our Charity Committee, and DE&I communities
- A broad range of benefits, including flexible working, competitive salaries, health and wellbeing offers, pension schemes, insurance options, and more…
- Learning and development opportunities
Your voice matters here, we value entrepreneurial thinking and innovation from our teams.
To find out why 33,000 people across the Globe work at Kao please visit:
https://candidate-brochure.kao.com/kao-emea/full-view.html
https://www.kao.com/emea/en/careers/
Discover careers at Kao and how we live our purpose, Kirei – Making Life Beautiful.
https://kao.voyse.io/
Our Privacy Policy: https://www.kao.com/emea/en/privacy/
Skills Required
- University level education
- Advanced training in measurement, media effectiveness, experimentation, or finance for marketers
- Minimum 10 years of experience in digital transformation, digital marketing, electronic commerce, analytics, or consulting
- 5+ years leading regional programmes, capability building, or performance governance
- Strong experience influencing senior stakeholders and aligning markets to shared standards
- Demonstrates strong business, financial, and analytical thinking, applying data, measurement, and optimisation expertise
- Strong leadership capability with ability to raise standards, coach and develop others, and build high-performing teams and partnerships
- Excellent stakeholder management, influencing, and executive communication skills, including collaboration with teams in Japan
- Proven experience managing agency and partner relationships with focus on governance, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement
- Comfortable navigating ambiguity and complexity with strong prioritisation, programme management, and structured execution capabilities
- Curious, open-minded, and proactive in challenging existing ways of working through evidence-based thinking and new approaches
What We Do
Ever since the company's founding in 1887, Kao has strived to deliver value to the life of people everywhere in the world. Today, we are a leading manufacturer in the fields of hygiene, beauty and health, while our chemical business contributes to the development of diverse industries. With more than 33,000 employees, our mission is to enrich the lives of people globally and contribute to the sustainability of the world. In the regions of Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), we focus on our Beauty Care business with premium brands in three business sectors: Consumer, Salon and Cosmetics. Our Business Sector represents skin and hair care brands that are recognized worldwide for their innovation and quality, such as Jergens, Curél, Bioré, Guhl, and John Frieda. Our Salon Business Sector is committed to unleashing the creativity of stylists around the globe. With our industry leading brands Goldwell, KMS and Oribe, stylists have everything in their hands to create beautiful show-stopping hair representative of the individuality of their clients. Our London-based boutique brand, Molton Brown, offers luxury beauty products found only in our exclusive Molton Brown stores, high-end department stores and travel retail, as well as five-star hotels around the world. All three business sectors are driven by the same values and beliefs: Creating high-quality products and constantly striving for the best is what is at the heart of everything we do. This is why we understand that our people are one of our core assets, and we strive for a working environment that allows team members to flourish and grow. Join us, and you will have opportunity to help us make life beautiful
