Founding Head of Ecommerce

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Shape the Website Strategy

Develop and manage the long-term ecommerce vision, strategy, and operating roadmap.

Establish governance, priorities, and success metrics that align ecommerce initiatives with broader business objectives.

Identify opportunities to accelerate growth through customer experience improvements, technology, merchandising, and innovation.

Evaluate emerging trends, tools, and technologies that strengthen our digital capabilities and competitive advantage.

Drive Commercial Performance

Own the overall performance of the website channel including revenue, conversion, average order value, customer retention, and profitability. 

Continuously optimize the customer journey from acquisition through checkout and post-purchase.

Develop data-driven strategies that improve customer engagement and commercial outcomes.

Champion experimentation through A/B testing, personalization, and continuous optimization.

Build the Ecommerce Function

Establish scalable ecommerce processes, governance, and best practices that support future growth. 

Lead platform enhancements, technology initiatives, and website evolution.

Evaluate, negotiate, and manage relationships with external agencies, software vendors, and strategic partners.

Develop reporting frameworks and dashboards that provide actionable business insights.

Lead Cross-Functional Execution

Partner closely with Product, Marketing, Creative, Technology, and Customer Experience teams to deliver exceptional digital experiences. 

Align product launches, campaigns, and business initiatives across departments.

Remove organizational barriers and drive timely execution of strategic priorities.

Represent ecommerce as a key business function within leadership discussions.

Build & Develop the Team

Recruit, coach, and develop a high-performing ecommerce team as the business scales. 

Provide strategic leadership and direction to the Ecommerce Lead and future team members.

Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Experience, Education, & Designations

7+ years of progressive ecommerce experience within a direct-to-consumer (DTC), retail, or consumer brand environment. 
Demonstrated success developing and executing ecommerce strategies that drive measurable business growth on Shopify.
Experience launching, scaling, or transforming ecommerce businesses, digital channels, or emerging brands.
Proven experience leading cross-functional initiatives involving marketing, creative, product, technology, and operations.
Experience managing Shopify storefronts and the broader ecommerce technology ecosystem.
Experience evaluating and implementing ecommerce technologies, digital platforms, and third-party solutions.
Experience managing external agencies, technology partners, and vendor relationships.
Previous leadership experience building, mentoring, and developing high-performing teams is strongly preferred.
Experience working within a high-growth, entrepreneurial, or startup environment is considered a strong asset.

Knowledge, Skills, & Attributes

Strategic thinker with the ability to translate long-term vision into practical execution. 
Strong commercial and financial acumen, with the ability to balance customer experience and business performance.
Deep understanding of ecommerce operations, merchandising, digital customer journeys, and conversion optimization.
Advanced analytical capabilities with experience leveraging data to identify trends, measure performance, and inform business decisions.
Strong knowledge of Shopify, Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Google Tag Manager, Looker (or similar BI platforms), and the broader Shopify technology landscape.
Experience with A/B testing platforms, personalization tools, customer behavior analytics, and conversion rate optimization (CRO) methodologies.
Exceptional project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Outstanding communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and align cross-functional teams.
A builder's mindset – comfortable navigating ambiguity, creating structure, and establishing scalable processes from the ground up.