Head of Marketplaces in London

Head of Marketplaces in London

London Full-Time 80000 - 100000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
Olsam Group

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead and grow our global marketplace business, focusing on strategy and performance.
  • Company: Join Olsam, a dynamic team shaping the future of global consumer goods.
  • Benefits: Enjoy 30 days holiday, private medical insurance, and flexible working options.
  • Other info: Opportunity for international travel and vibrant office culture.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact in e-commerce while working with a diverse, international team.
  • Qualifications: Extensive experience in marketplace eCommerce and strong leadership skills required.

The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.

About Us

At Olsam, we are on a mission to grow brands and develop products that customers love, trust, and value. We specialize in acquiring and scaling category-leading brands, unlocking their full potential by expanding them across international marketplaces and channels, streamlining operations, and driving product innovation. With a fantastic team across four continents and 15 nationalities, we bring together over 50 years of e-commerce expertise. We’re not just building brands, we’re shaping the future of global consumer goods. We are looking for ambitious, driven individuals to be part of it. Ready to make an impact? Let’s talk.

Your Role at a Glance

We are looking for an exceptional Head of Marketplaces to own and grow our global marketplace business. This role carries full accountability for the performance, strategy, and long-term value creation of all marketplace channels, primarily Amazon, but including Walmart, and other regional or category-specific platforms. As a senior leader reporting into the Executive team, you will own P&L performance while building the capabilities, systems, and team required to scale the business globally.

Success in this role means:

  • Delivering market-leading, profitable growth across all marketplace channels, demonstrating full P&L ownership
  • Defining and executing a clear, scalable global marketplace strategy, aligned with broader company and omnichannel objectives
  • Building a best-in-class marketplace operating model and team across Trading and Performance Marketing who can partner closely with colleagues in the Brand, Product, Planning, and Logistics teams to deliver exceptional results
  • Establishing sustainable competitive advantage across key marketplaces

Job requirements

Key Responsibilities

Trading & Commercial Ownership
  • Own the global marketplace P&L, with full accountability for revenue, contribution margin, and cash flow
  • Continuously evaluate performance across markets, categories, and brands, directing team focus to maximise profitability
  • Deliver Executive-level reporting and insights to senior stakeholders on current performance, and future risks and opportunities
Channel Strategy & Growth
  • Define and deliver the long-term marketplace strategy, aligned with broader company and omnichannel objectives
  • Identify, prioritise, and unlock new growth opportunities across marketplaces, geographies, and categories, from business case through to scaled execution
  • Play a key role in M&A, supporting diligence and integration planning from a marketplace perspective
  • Own channel-level forecasting, budgeting, and performance tracking for marketplace channels
Platform Execution & Optimisation
  • Design and embed a scalable, best-in-class marketplace operating model to drive profitable, sustainable growth across:
  • a) pricing, promotions, and trading
  • b) content, SEO, and discoverability
  • c) retail media and performance marketing
  • d) catalogue quality, compliance, and account health
  • e) platform execution and operations
  • Lead development of best practices and playbooks to drive repeatable success
  • Build a culture of performance improvement through rigorous testing, experimentation, and continuous optimisation
  • Identify, escalate, and resolve key emerging issues, e.g. listing or account-level suspensions, product compliance, platform changes
  • Stay up to date with Amazon (and other marketplace) platform developments, tools, and category trends
  • Performance Marketing & Demand Generation
    • Set the strategic direction for retail media and PPC across all marketplaces, ensuring alignment with commercial objectives and efficient, scalable growth
    • Oversee performance marketing execution, ensuring paid and organic strategies are integrated to maximise total search visibility and efficiency
    • Blend in-house and third-party teams to deliver results in line with budgets
    Team Leadership & Organisational Build
    • Lead the Marketplace function, including Trading and Performance Marketing teams
    • Define team structure, roles, and ways of working to support current and future scale
    • Hire, develop, and retain high-performing talent
    • Maintain a culture of ownership, accountability, commerciality, foresight and high performance
    Cross-Functional Leadership
    • As part of the commercial leadership team, support company-wide strategy development and execution across channels, pricing, product, and market expansion
    • Act as the senior POC for marketplaces across the business, aligning stakeholders around priorities and trade-offs
    • Partner closely with internal teams to deliver best-in-class execution. This includes:
    • a) Brand & Creative
    • b) Product Development
    • c) DTC and other channels
    • d) Supply Chain & Operations
    • e) Finance
    Data, Technology & Scale Enablement
    • Ensure best-in-class data infrastructure, reporting and insight generation to support decision-making
    • Drive adoption of automation, tooling and AI-driven solutions to scale performance and efficiency
    • Build scalable, repeatable systems across trading, marketing, and optimisation

    About You

    • Extensive experience leading marketplace eCommerce, with deep expertise in Amazon and exposure to multiple platforms (e.g. Walmart, regional marketplaces)
    • Proven track record of owning and scaling multi-marketplace P&L performance at scale
    • Exceptional strategic and commercial mindset, with the ability to balance growth, efficiency, and foresight for long-term value creation
    • Experience building and leading high-performing, cross-functional teams
    • Highly analytical, with the ability to translate complex data into clear strategic decisions
    • Strong executive presence, with experience influencing senior stakeholders and driving alignment
    • Experience launching and scaling new marketplaces, categories, or geographies
    • Structured, pragmatic, and execution-oriented, with a bias for action
    • Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high-growth environment with evolving priorities

    Perks & Benefits

    • 30 days holiday: + 8 UK bank holidays
    • Pension contribution Scheme: 5% from you, 3% from us.
    • Private Medical Insurance: Includes travel, vision & dental (through Vitality)
    • Work from Abroad: One month per year, anywhere in the world*
    • Bonus Scheme: Discretionary bonus, based on individual and company performance
    • Mental Health Support: Free, confidential therapy via Spill
    • Opportunity for International Travel: Our team members have been to New York, Vegas, Amsterdam… and Birmingham!
    • Flexi-Fridays: Finish early one Friday per month
    • Olstar Events: Quarterly meetups, celebrations & socials
    • Vibrant Office: Runway East, Bloomsbury

    Olsam is proud to be a disability-committed employer registered in the UK. If you identify as having a disability and meet all of the criteria set out in the job description, we would like to support you through the interview stage. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment where all employees and applicants can flourish.

    Head of Marketplaces in London employer: Olsam Group

    At Olsam, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration among a diverse team of professionals. With generous benefits such as 30 days of holiday, private medical insurance, and opportunities for international travel, we are committed to supporting our employees' growth and well-being. Join us in our Bloomsbury office, where you can make a meaningful impact in the e-commerce landscape while enjoying a flexible and inclusive environment.
    Olsam Group

    Contact Detail:

    Olsam Group Recruiting Team

    StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

    We think this is how you could land Head of Marketplaces in London

    ✨Tip Number 1

    Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect with potential colleagues on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.

    ✨Tip Number 2

    Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its marketplace strategies. Understand their products and competitors so you can speak confidently about how you can contribute to their growth.

    ✨Tip Number 3

    Showcase your achievements! When you get the chance to chat with hiring managers, highlight your past successes in marketplace management and how you've driven growth. Numbers speak volumes!

    ✨Tip Number 4

    Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of our mission at Olsam.

    We think you need these skills to ace Head of Marketplaces in London

    Marketplace eCommerce Expertise
    P&L Management
    Strategic Planning
    Cross-Functional Team Leadership
    Data Analysis
    Performance Marketing
    Amazon Platform Knowledge
    Growth Strategy Development
    Operational Optimisation
    Stakeholder Management
    Analytical Skills
    Problem-Solving Skills
    Adaptability
    Execution Orientation

    Some tips for your application 🫡

    Show Your Passion: When writing your application, let your enthusiasm for the role shine through! We want to see how excited you are about the opportunity to lead our marketplace business and make a real impact.

    Tailor Your Experience: Make sure to highlight your relevant experience in eCommerce and marketplace management. We’re looking for someone who can own P&L performance, so share specific examples of how you've done this in the past.

    Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and focus on what makes you the perfect fit for the Head of Marketplaces role.

    Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and get the ball rolling on your journey with Olsam.

    How to prepare for a job interview at Olsam Group

    ✨Know Your Marketplaces

    Before the interview, dive deep into the specifics of marketplace platforms like Amazon and Walmart. Understand their unique features, challenges, and opportunities. This knowledge will help you demonstrate your expertise and show that you're ready to take on the Head of Marketplaces role.

    ✨Showcase Your P&L Experience

    Be prepared to discuss your previous experience with P&L ownership. Bring examples of how you've driven revenue growth and managed costs effectively. Highlight specific strategies you've implemented that led to profitable outcomes, as this is crucial for the role.

    ✨Demonstrate Strategic Thinking

    Think about how you would define and execute a global marketplace strategy. Be ready to share your vision for scaling operations and driving product innovation. Discuss how you would align this strategy with broader company objectives, showcasing your ability to think big picture.

    ✨Prepare for Cross-Functional Collaboration

    Since this role involves working closely with various teams, prepare examples of how you've successfully collaborated across functions in the past. Emphasise your leadership style and how you foster a culture of accountability and high performance within your teams.

    Head of Marketplaces in London
    Olsam Group
    Location: London

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