Our client, a Canadian-owned and operated wholesale food service company, is seeking a Director of E-Commerce to lead the national e-commerce function through a period of substantial growth. Reporting to the COO, the Director of E-Commerce will have end-to-end ownership of the e-commerce function and platform and will directly oversee Marketplace Management, E-Commerce Data Management, Online Customer Service, and Fulfillment teams.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Define and execute the national e-commerce strategy aligned with the company’s overall growth objectives and aggressive multi-year growth ambitions.
- Reporting to and working closely with Executive Leadership, providing functional leadership, subject matter expertise and strategic insights in the delivery of the E-commerce function.
- Champion innovation by identifying and executing on new growth initiatives, strategic integrations, revenue streams, as well as operational efficiencies and optimizations.
- Partner closely with Sales, Supply Chain, IT (including offshore teams), Finance, and Customer Service to align plans, resolve issues, and jointly deliver on strategic initiatives.
- Own strategy and execution across storefronts, and marketplaces.
Governance & Decision Framework
- Lead with a data-first approach, leveraging analytics, reporting, and experimentation (tests, pilots, and trials) in both strategy and operations.
- Create cross-functional governance frameworks that clarify roles, responsibilities, and decision rights between e-commerce and Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, IT, and Customer Service teams.
- Own KPI frameworks, scorecards, and performance standards across all e-commerce channels
Platform & Capability Development
- Own the e-commerce platform roadmap, including architecture, integrations, and automation in partnership with internal offshore IT team.
- Optimize and leverage the existing e-commerce technology stack while proactively identifying, evaluating, and implementing additional tools and software that enhance platform capabilities and support growth and retention objectives.
- Identify and resolve UX bottlenecks, streamline navigation, checkout processes, and product discovery while improving technical and product information clarity.
- Drive increased self-service adoption and automation across end-to-end order flows to reduce manual work and cost-to-serve while improving accuracy and speed.
- Optimize site conversion and customer retention through data-driven testing, personalization, lifecycle programs, and targeted interventions that maximize customer lifetime value.
- Lead marketplace expansion and new market entry initiatives, including platform launches, localized experiences, and go-to-market strategies aligned with growth objectives.
- Support strategic growth initiatives and programs (i.e. private label, in-store fulfillment etc).
Leadership & Team Development
- Optimize the e-commerce team structure; upskilling, restructuring and addressing performance gaps as needed.
- Foster high-performance culture through setting clear expectations, metrics, KPIs, and accountability standards across the e-commerce teams.
What the Client is Looking For
- 10+ years of progressive e-commerce experience, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role, ideally within wholesale, distribution, or retail environments.
- Proven track record of building and leading high-performing e-commerce teams of 10+ people across multiple functions (marketplace, data, customer service, fulfillment).
- Hands-on experience with e-commerce platforms and enterprise systems, with proficiency in tools such as Shopify, SAP, and Mailchimp (or similar CRM/marketing automation platforms) highly valued.
- Demonstrated success driving measurable growth in high-velocity, fast-paced environments with aggressive revenue and conversion targets.
- Strong people leadership capabilities, including team development, performance management, and cross-functional influence at the executive level.
