At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead innovation strategy and operational improvements in a fast-paced digital marketplace.
- Company: Join one of the UK's fastest-growing online retail platforms, revolutionising e-commerce.
- Benefits: Enjoy remote work, flexible hours, health insurance, performance bonuses, and share options.
- Why this job: Shape the future of operations while fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration.
- Qualifications: Experience in high-growth environments, particularly in e-commerce or digital marketplaces, is essential.
- Other info: This is a brand-new leadership role with significant autonomy and impact.
The predicted salary is between 54000 - 84000 Β£ per year.
Your new company
We\’re working exclusively with one of the UK\’s fastest-growing online retail platforms, a tech-led business that has already made a significant mark in the e-commerce space. With a proven business model and a growing customer base, they\’re scaling at pace and have ambitious plans for further expansion, both nationally and internationally.At the heart of their success is a commitment to doing things differently: giving consumers more choice and sellers more freedom, supported by a proprietary platform that challenges the status quo of traditional marketplaces.
They are now looking for a Head of Innovation to join their leadership team. This is a brand-new role within their leadership team, offering the opportunity to shape and deliver a long-term innovation strategy that aligns with their growth ambitions. It\’s about identifying emerging trends, harnessing technology, and creating new value for customers and sellers alike. This is a high-impact opportunity for someone who wants to take real ownership of innovation in a digital-first environment, while working fully remotely within a forward-thinking, entrepreneurial culture.
Your new role
We\’ve partnered with a rapidly scaling digital marketplace to appoint a Head of Innovation, someone who can bring clarity, structure, and smart thinking to a high-growth, fast-paced business. This is a remote opportunity, offering real autonomy for someone who thrives in a data-led environment and is ready to shape the future direction of operations across a modern tech platform.
The role sits at the centre of the company\’s next phase of growth. You\’ll be leading the operational shift from reactive problem-solving to a proactive, predictive model designed around intelligent systems, automation, and continuous improvement. It\’s about making processes smarter, cleaner, and built to scale, removing manual inefficiencies and surfacing real-time insight that drives better decisions across the business.
Success will come from your ability to design and embed robust systems that not only resolve recurring issues but prevent them from happening altogether. You\’ll also have a strong handle on cost-to-serve, working strategically to drive operational efficiency while maintaining a high-quality experience for customers and sellers alike.You\’ll be leading a lean, high-performing team and will play a crucial role in fostering a culture where digital tools, data, and innovation are at the core of how work gets done. Collaboration is key working across commercial, product, and tech to drive company-wide alignment and maximise platform value.
They\’re looking for someone who\’s worked in a high-growth environment before, ideally in e-commerce, SaaS, or digital marketplaces. You\’ll be confident in shaping operational strategy at pace, comfortable with metrics and automation tools, and eager to drive innovation without overcomplicating the process.
What you\’ll need to succeed
We\’re looking for a proven operator, someone who\’s taken operational functions through meaningful digital change and knows what it takes to shift from reactive to preventative ways of working. You\’ll be someone who\’s already built or led high-performing ops teams in fast-moving environments and has the scars (and successes) to show for it.
You\’ll have a deep understanding of how technology can transform operations from using AI and automation to cut complexity, to embedding digital tools that free up teams and drive smarter decisions. You\’re not just aware of these technologies, you\’ve used them as enablers to solve real-world challenges and elevate performance.
Your approach to data is second nature. You know how to interpret the story behind the numbers, turning insight into action with confidence. Whether it\’s spotting the root cause of a recurring issue or designing scalable solutions that pre-empt them, you\’ll be at home making decisions that are backed by evidence.
You\’ll bring experience in building out structured, repeatable processes, ideally within digital-first or product-driven businesses. You understand that great operations don\’t need to be over-engineered, just well thought through, documented, and repeatable.
Leadership and collaboration are key. You\’ll be someone who thrives in cross-functional teams, able to set a clear direction, influence decision-making across departments, and coach others to deliver their best work. If you\’ve worked in a marketplace, e-commerce, or platform-led setting before, even better, but it\’s your mindset, not just your CV, that\’ll stand out.
What you\’ll get in return
Health & Wellness: Includes private health insurance, dental and vision coverage, critical illness cover, income protection, and life insurance.
Financial Benefits: Employees have access to a pension plan, performance bonuses, and a share incentive plan, which has previously offered over Β£1 million in share options to its workforce, with each employee receiving options worth around 25% of their annual salary.
Work-Life Balance: Flexible working arrangements, paid annual leave, sick pay, bereavement leave, and even a day off on your birthday.
Family Support: Maternity and paternity leave, family medical leave, dependent care support, and unpaid extended leave options.
Professional Development: Job training and ongoing professional development opportunities are also part of the package.
What you need to do now
If you\’re interested in this role, click \’apply now\’ to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.
If this job isn\’t quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.
Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C\’s, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Head of Innovation employer: Hays.
Contact Detail:
Hays. Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice π€«
We think this is how you could land Head of Innovation
β¨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the latest trends in e-commerce and digital marketplaces. Understanding whatβs currently shaping the industry will help you speak confidently about innovation strategies during interviews.
β¨Tip Number 2
Network with professionals in the e-commerce and tech sectors. Attend relevant webinars or industry events to connect with potential colleagues and gain insights that could set you apart as a candidate.
β¨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss specific examples of how you've successfully implemented technology-driven changes in previous roles. Highlighting your hands-on experience with AI and automation will demonstrate your capability to lead innovation.
β¨Tip Number 4
Showcase your leadership style by preparing to discuss how you foster collaboration across teams. Being able to articulate your approach to building high-performing teams will resonate well with the companyβs culture.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Innovation
Some tips for your application π«‘
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in innovation, operational strategy, and digital transformation. Use specific examples that demonstrate your ability to lead high-performing teams and implement technology-driven solutions.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for innovation and how it aligns with the company's mission. Discuss your understanding of e-commerce and digital marketplaces, and how your previous experiences can contribute to their growth ambitions.
Showcase Your Data Skills: Emphasise your ability to interpret data and turn insights into actionable strategies. Provide examples of how you've used metrics and automation tools to drive operational efficiency and improve decision-making in past roles.
Highlight Leadership Experience: Detail your experience in leading cross-functional teams and fostering collaboration. Share specific instances where you set clear directions and influenced decision-making across departments to achieve business goals.
How to prepare for a job interview at Hays.
β¨Showcase Your Innovation Mindset
As the Head of Innovation, it's crucial to demonstrate your ability to think creatively and strategically. Prepare examples of how you've previously identified trends and implemented innovative solutions that have driven growth in a fast-paced environment.
β¨Understand the Tech Landscape
Familiarise yourself with the latest technologies relevant to e-commerce and digital marketplaces. Be ready to discuss how you've leveraged AI, automation, and data analytics to enhance operational efficiency and improve customer experiences.
β¨Emphasise Leadership and Collaboration
Highlight your experience in leading high-performing teams and fostering a collaborative culture. Be prepared to share specific instances where you've influenced cross-functional teams to align on strategic goals and drive innovation.
β¨Prepare for Data-Driven Discussions
Since the role requires a strong grasp of metrics and data interpretation, come equipped with insights from your past experiences. Be ready to discuss how you've used data to identify issues, inform decisions, and create scalable solutions.