E-commerce Manager (FTC)

Key Responsiblities

Applications close: Friday 20 November (12pm)
Interviews: week commencing 23 and 30 November
Start date: week commencing 14 December (flexible)
End date: 29 February 2028

The E-commerce Manager is a fixed-term role, joining Japan House London during the move of our online shop and in-store retail from WooCommerce and Square to Shopify. The role is responsible for the smooth running of the e-commerce site through this transition. They will work with our appointed agency and with colleagues across the organisation to deliver a unified online and in-store retail system, and to set up the processes the team will use once it is in place. The role joins a project already under way. The E-commerce Manager will help prepare product data and content for migration, coordinate testing and launch readiness, and act as the main point of contact between the agency and internal teams. Alongside this, they will manage the day‑to‑day running of the Shop website. This includes planning and delivering product launches in line with the retail marketing calendar, preparing and curating content with colleagues across departments, coordinating photography and videography, and analysing page and content performance to recommend improvements.

The role requires e-commerce experience in retail, including hands‑on use of Shopify, ideally gained through a platform migration. It also requires an interest in Japanese cultures, and proven skills in written and visual content across multiple channels. Clear communication with colleagues and external partners, a proactive approach, data‑informed thinking and the ability to work to deadlines are essential.

Success in this role will be shown by:

• a well‑managed transition to Shopify.
• online sales revenue and conversion rate before and after launch, along with other KPIs set for the E-commerce site.
• documentation and handover that allow the team to keep building on the new platform when the contract ends.

Key Relationships

Internal

• Senior Retail Marketing & Digital Strategy Manager
• E-commerce & Digital Content Support
• Retail Marketing Executive
• Merchandising and Buying Team
• Website Manager
• Retail Services Operations Executive
• Stock Controller
• Retail Duty Management
• Marketing & Communications Team

External

• Retail Consultant
• E-commerce Provider
• Digital Agencies
• Photographers and Videographers
• Brands, Makers and Producers

Key Duties

Overall

• Manage and optimise the day‑to‑day running of the Shop website to maximise conversion rates and sales performance.
• Ensure that the online product range is merchandised effectively, keeping up to date with price adjustments and promotional strategies.
• Co‑ordinate the end‑to‑end workflow of e‑commerce content creation, including research, copy‑writing, proofreading, approval, publishing, and reviewing its performance.
• Utilise web analytics tools (GA4 and Shopify analytics) to monitor KPI’s, such as website traffic, conversion rates and average transaction value (ATV), to identify trends and make data‑informed decisions.
• Coordinate and plan photography and videography for the Shop website to accommodate delivery schedules, product releases and the marketing calendar.

Shopify migration project

• Liaise between Japan House London and the appointed agency for the migration, tracking delivery against the agreed scope and timeline and raising risks or change requests as they come up.
• Prepare product, content and customer data for migration, including cleansing, mapping and applying the Shop’s product naming standard so that information is consistent across online and in‑store channels.
• Coordinate user acceptance testing with colleagues across the Retail, Finance and Marketing teams, logging and following up issues through to resolution.
• Support launch readiness, including URL redirects, SEO continuity and checks on payments, tax, shipping and stock across online and in‑store sales.
• Support colleagues in adopting new processes and systems, contributing to training materials for Retail Team where needed.
• Lead post‑launch monitoring and stabilisation, reporting on performance against a pre‑launch baseline.
• Document processes, settings and decisions throughout, and complete a handover to the team before the end of the contract.

E‑commerce

• Maintain and coordinate the product upload schedule to Shopify.
• Align the site to any promotional activity going on inside the Shop at Japan House London.
• Review the online product range with the Merchandising Team, ensuring that Core Lines are up to date and discontinued products are removed from the website.
• Prepare and upload discount codes as required.
• Monitor the accuracy of stock, pricing and product information across online and in‑store channels.
• Maintain a regular line of communication with any external e‑commerce partners, identifying areas of UX development based on internal and external feedback.

Digital Content

• Research product, maker, producer, and exhibition information and coordinate the creation of relevant content for publishing on the e‑commerce site, liaising with Merchandising & Buying team, makers, and producers to ensure that products are represented correctly.
• Curate, plan and optimise seasonal product collections for the site in line with the yearly retail calendar.
• Review product and content performance on the site in line with SEO and GEO strategies; recommend or make changes as required.
• Monitor the accuracy of content across the e‑commerce site, ensuring it aligns with in‑house Style Guides and Tone of Voice documents, editing as required.
• Work with the Website Manager to align the Shop and main JHL websites, identify areas for internal linking between the two.
• Manage and coordinate the workload of the E‑commerce Content Support role, helping build familiarity with Shopify.

Photography and Visual Promotion

• Plan and execute photoshoots with external photographers and videographers, upholding the visual standards set in the style guide.
• Review and feedback on photography and videography.
• Maintain and update the media library.
• Ensure that visual assets are optimised appropriately for the intended channels.

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Demonstrate Japan House London Values: Omotenashi, Integrity, Shared Passion, Cultivation and Openness § At least 2 years of experience working in an e‑commerce management role.
• Hands‑on experience of managing a Shopify store.
• Understanding of unified commerce, including how product, stock and sales data work across online and in‑store channels.
• Experience of product data and catalogue management, including bulk updates and data accuracy.
• Experience of working with agencies and third‑party partners to agreed scopes and timelines.
• Copywriting skills, with the ability to adapt tone to different channels.
• Experience of creating and managing content for an e‑commerce site, including SEO and GEO.
• Experience of coordinating photography and videography.
• Working knowledge of GA4 and Shopify analytics, and using data to inform decisions.
• Experience of working across teams and communication clearly with colleagues at all levels.
• Experience of delivering projects to tight deadlines while managing day‑to‑day tasks.
• Proven ability to manage daily tasks in an organized and time‑effective manner.
• An interest in Japanese cultures.

Desirable

• Knowledge and experience of working with Wordpress, WooCommerce or Square.
• Experience in platform migration, testing and launch.
• Managing or supervising other team members.
• Experience of writing process documentation or handover materials.
• Interest in cultural, luxury or design‑led retail.
• An understanding of Japanese language would be an advantage

Work Environment

• Our aim is for a flexible approach to work locations, balancing regular on‑site presence and working remotely. The mix of office‑based working and remote working will be determined by business need and role requirements.
• Some duties will be carried out in Japan House London public spaces.
• Office is based at Japan House London, Kensington High Street, however, off‑site work is occasionally required.
• Normal working hours are seven hours per day, five days per week, with core hours from 10am to 3pm.

Benefits

• Generous holiday allowance – up to 36 days per year inclusive of public and bank holidays
• Group life insurance scheme
• Remote GP service
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee discount for the Japan House Shop and Stand
• Discount platform for high street shops
• Access to perks and discounts local to Kensington High Street, London
• Personal learning budgetafter 6 months’ service