Head of Global Trading in London

Head of Global Trading in London

London Full-Time 80000 - 100000 £ / year (est.) No working from home possible
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead a dynamic team to drive global trading performance and revenue growth.
  • Company: Join ASOS, a leading global fashion retailer with a vibrant culture.
  • Benefits: Enjoy employee discounts, 25 days leave, private medical care, and performance bonuses.
  • Other info: Be part of a culture that values innovation, curiosity, and continuous improvement.
  • Why this job: Shape the future of global trading and make a real impact in a fast-paced environment.
  • Qualifications: Proven leadership in ecommerce, strong commercial instincts, and experience in transformation.

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

The Head of Global Trading (excluding US) is one of the most important commercial leadership roles at ASOS. This role leads a team of c.25 across Market Trading, Digital Trading, and Onsite Content & Marketing, with accountability for driving a step change in trading performance and supporting the acceleration of topline revenue. It is a transformation role, requiring a leader who can combine strong commercial instinct with operational grip, move at pace, and simplify how the organisation works.

You will be responsible for setting the global trading direction, creating a high‑performance operating rhythm, and ensuring ASOS shows up in a way that is commercially sharp, locally relevant and relentlessly focused on the customer. You will work across Commercial, Buying, Merchandising, Marketing, Finance, Product, Data and Operations to unlock growth, improve execution and raise standards. This is not a role for someone who simply reports performance. It is for someone who can diagnose issues quickly, make clear calls, align teams behind the right actions, and build a more scalable trading model for the future.

A key part of the remit will be reducing duplication, embedding smarter ways of working, and leaning into automation and AI to free up capacity for higher‑value commercial work. This is an opportunity to lead one of the most critical commercial agendas in the business at a defining moment. You will have the chance to shape the future of Global Trading at ASOS, lead a broad and high‑impact team, and play a central role in improving performance, modernising how we work and creating a stronger platform for growth. You will join a business with global reach, distinctive brand relevance and meaningful headroom for improvement, where strong leadership, pace and fresh thinking can make a visible difference.

Responsibilities

  • Define and lead the global trading strategy, translating company goals into a clear commercial plan that improves revenue performance, customer relevance and trading effectiveness.
  • Own the trading agenda across markets, digital execution, and onsite content & marketing, ensuring these areas operate as one joined‑up function rather than in silos.
  • Set clear priorities and make high‑quality trade‑off decisions at pace, balancing customer, topline, margin, and brand considerations.
  • Act as a senior commercial voice within the organisation, bringing clarity, challenge and momentum to business‑critical decisions.
  • Lead the trading response to improve revenue trajectory, identifying the biggest value pools and mobilising teams quickly behind the actions that matter most.
  • Build and execute a clear plan to improve trade performance through stronger commercial planning, sharper in‑season management, better onsite execution and tighter performance governance.
  • Create a culture of accountability around performance, ensuring opportunities are acted on decisively and underperformance is addressed quickly.
  • Use customer, market and competitor insight to shape actions that improve both short‑term trading output and longer‑term customer value.
  • Establish a best‑in‑class trading rhythm across weekly, monthly and seasonal cadences, with clear KPIs, strong decision forums and faster follow‑through.
  • Improve the quality and consistency of trading decisions through stronger performance visibility, sharper prioritisation and disciplined execution.
  • Ensure plans are grounded in commercial logic, supported by data and linked clearly to financial outcomes.
  • Raise the bar on forecasting, target setting, trade reviews and action tracking so the function operates with greater control and fewer surprises.
  • Partner closely with Buying, Merchandising, Marketing, Finance, Product, Data and Operations to ensure trading priorities are reflected across the end‑to‑end customer journey.
  • Influence senior stakeholders effectively, using insight, judgement and conviction to align teams and move decisions forward.
  • Challenge constructively where needed, bringing backbone and commercial perspective to conversations on priorities, investment, ways of working and execution quality.
  • Define Geo‑Strategies and ensure local market insight is brought into global decision making in a way that is practical, timely and commercially useful.
  • Simplify processes, remove low‑value activity and redesign ways of working to improve speed, focus and scalability.
  • Apply an AI‑first and innovation‑led mindset to transform how trading decisions are made, using agentic tools and automation to augment commercial judgement, redesign workflows and unlock step‑change improvements in speed, precision and scalability.
  • The role will be expected to drive and influence the build of agentic solutions that embed AI into the core commercial operating model.
  • Build a culture of curiosity and continuous improvement, encouraging the team to test, learn and evolve how trading is done.
  • Partner with Product, Data and Technology teams to embed scalable solutions rather than short‑term workarounds.
  • Lead, coach and develop a large, multi‑layered team through a period of change, creating clarity, pace and high standards.
  • Build an organisation with strong talent density, clear accountability and roles designed for future‑fit trading.
  • Foster a culture that is customer‑first, commercially curious, resilient and action‑oriented.
  • Support the team through transformation with clear communication, visible leadership and a strong focus on growth and development.

Qualifications

  • Significant senior ecommerce or digital retail leadership experience, ideally within a scaled, fast‑paced consumer business.
  • A strong track record of leading trading, commercial or digital performance teams with accountability for meaningful revenue outcomes.
  • Experience leading through transformation, including simplifying structures, redesigning processes and raising execution standards.
  • Deep commercial instinct combined with strong analytical judgement; able to move comfortably between strategic direction and operational detail.
  • Proven ability to operate with commercial rigour at scale, bringing pace, control and clarity to complex trading environments.
  • Strong backbone and judgement; willing to make difficult calls, challenge constructively and hold a high bar on execution.
  • Exceptional cross‑functional influencing skills, with experience aligning multiple senior stakeholders behind shared outcomes.
  • A customer‑first mindset, with the ability to translate customer insight into practical commercial action.
  • A strong interest in innovation, automation and AI, with a clear point of view on how technology can reduce duplication and improve performance.
  • Experience building, leading and developing high‑performing teams through periods of change.
  • Excellent communication skills, including the ability to distil complex performance stories into clear recommendations for senior and executive audiences.

Benefits

  • Employee discount (hello ASOS discount!)
  • Employee sample sales
  • 25 days paid annual leave + an extra celebration day for a special moment
  • Performance related bonus
  • Private medical care scheme
  • Opportunity for personalised learning and in‑the‑moment experiences that enable you to thrive and excel in your role.

Head of Global Trading in London employer: We're Asos

ASOS is an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and innovative work culture, particularly for the Head of Global Trading role. With a strong emphasis on employee growth, ASOS offers personalised learning opportunities, a generous benefits package including performance-related bonuses and private medical care, and a vibrant team environment that encourages curiosity and collaboration. Located in a fast-paced, global retail landscape, this position allows you to make a significant impact while being part of a brand that values customer relevance and operational excellence.

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Contact Details:

We're Asos Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

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

Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect 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 culture. Understand their trading strategies and be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals. Show them you’re not just another candidate!

Tip Number 3

Practice your pitch! Be clear about what you bring to the table and how you can help drive performance at ASOS. Confidence is key, so rehearse until it feels natural.

Tip Number 4

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

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

Ecommerce Leadership
Digital Retail Experience
Commercial Strategy Development
Performance Management
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Analytical Judgement
Transformation Leadership

Some tips for your application 🫡

Show Your Commercial Instinct:When writing your application, make sure to highlight your strong commercial instinct. We want to see how you can combine strategic thinking with operational detail, so share examples of how you've driven revenue performance in the past.

Keep It Clear and Concise:We love clarity! Make your application easy to read by using straightforward language and clear structure. Avoid jargon where possible and focus on what really matters – your achievements and how they relate to the role.

Demonstrate Your Leadership Skills:As a potential leader at ASOS, it's crucial to showcase your experience in leading teams through transformation. Share specific instances where you've simplified processes or improved execution standards to drive results.

Apply Through Our Website:Don't forget to apply through our website! It's the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you're considered for this exciting opportunity. We can't wait to see what you bring to the table!

How to prepare for a job interview at We're Asos

Know Your Numbers

As the Head of Global Trading, you'll need to demonstrate a strong grasp of trading performance metrics. Brush up on key figures like revenue growth, margin improvements, and customer engagement stats. Be ready to discuss how you've used data to drive decisions in previous roles.

Showcase Your Leadership Style

This role requires leading a diverse team, so be prepared to share your leadership philosophy. Think about examples where you've successfully led teams through transformation or change. Highlight how you foster accountability and high performance within your teams.

Be Ready to Discuss Innovation

With a focus on automation and AI, it's crucial to show your understanding of how technology can enhance trading strategies. Prepare examples of how you've implemented innovative solutions in past roles, and be ready to discuss your vision for integrating AI into trading processes.

Align with ASOS's Customer-First Mindset

ASOS is all about the customer, so make sure you can articulate how you've put customers at the heart of your trading strategies. Share specific instances where customer insights have shaped your decisions and led to improved outcomes.