Global E-commerce Category Manager

JACOBS DOUWE EGBERTS (JDE) wants to be where the consumer is: online. That’s why JDE works with omnichannel retailers and e-commerce pure-players as well as running their own webshops for L’OR and Tassimo. For these webshops, category management is crucial: an extraordinary customer experience, a unique range of products, and sharp pricing – important reasons for the consumer to buy directly from JDE. The Global E-commerce Category Manager develops the strategy for the different categories and four channels (Click & Mortar, PurePlay/Amazon, Marketplaces and DTC), and connects with the right professionals to realize an inspiring customer journey – all the way to the cup of coffee kick-starting our day.

JDE: Online focus

The future of FMCG is online. Still, there are just a handful of success stories about manufacturers selling their products directly to the consumer (Direct to Consumer, DTC). Possible channel conflicts and investments in logistics hold back manufacturers and give the edge to established e-tailers and/or pure-players. A missed opportunity, also according to the experts on digital transitions, since the margins for DTC are higher and it provides valuable insights into the mind of the end-user.

JDE is a frontrunner when it comes to DTC. Tassimo and L’OR’s cups are sold through their own web shops, and these web shops are managed by JDE Global, specifically the DTC department. This department is also responsible for the online sales through pure-players, established retailers’ web shops, and through Amazon marketplace.

Vacancy: Global E-commerce Category Manager

The DTC department has its own P&L and works closely together with the board of directors. A conscious decision was made in organizing this centrally to guarantee efficiency and take full advantage of subsequent economies of scale. The DTC department is managed by Wesley Kloppenburg, Commercial Manager DTC (P&L responsible). His team (16 FTE in total) consists of four online marketing disciplines: CRM/Email, Content, Category Management and Performance Marketing.

Within DTC, the Global E-commerce Category Manager oversees the Category Management discipline for the four online channels: Click & Mortar, PurePlay / Amazon, Marketplaces and DTC. During this process, he/she works closely together with two Category Managers, both of whom report to the Global E-commerce Category Manager.

Development online strategy

This means the Global E-commerce Category Manager develops and implements an effective strategy of differentiation. He/she works on further expanding L’OR and Tassimo’s online propositions and compares these with the offline positioning of these brands and products. Furthermore, he/she improves upon the online pricing and promotion strategy. Optimizing the omnichannel customer experience is an essential part of this function. Since the Global E-commerce Category Manager has great insight into the webshop visitors’ tendencies, he/she also plays an important role in the development of new products and optimized packaging for online sales.

DTC through JDE owned webshops

Since its launch, direct online sales to consumers through the JDE web shops have truly paid dividends, establishing it as the foundation for optimization and scaling-up. Expanding into more brands and countries, adding new sales models like a coffee-subscription, deeper integration of different sales channels, and optimizing the online proposition are prime examples. The Global E-commerce Category Manager plays a crucial role in further improving DTC within JDE and provides an answer to the question: why would consumers want to buy directly from us?

An answer to this question could, for example, be found in L’OR’s variation box. Online, consumers can order twelve different flavors for the price of ten. It connects seamlessly with L’OR’s proposition, it combines special packaging with sharp pricing, and it’s only available in L’OR’s webshop.

Third party online sales

Besides online sales through JDE web shops, the Global E-commerce Category Manager is also focused on online sales through third parties. Here, the Global E-commerce Category Manager works together with the global teams P&L responsible for the individual brands.

When it comes to third parties, it mainly concerns the pure-players like Amazon and Bol.com. Both the sales done by Amazon and Bol.com themselves as well as Amazon marketplace. The latter is especially interesting for JDE since it provides the company with more control over the customer experience and it allows them to pay a smaller margin. Therefore, it’s an important task for the Global E-commerce Category Manager to accelerate sales through Amazon marketplace.

The Global E-commerce Category Manager also works with the web shops of large retailers such as Carrefour, Tesco, and Albert Heijn. He/she identifies best practices and implements them in other European countries. The Global E-commerce Category Manager works together here with the country organizations responsible for the relationship with the large retailers.

Stakeholder management

To ensure success, the Global E-commerce Category Manager connects all the different disciplines and stakeholders to one another. Both within the DTC department as well as between the international head offices and the country organizations. Strong stakeholder management is crucial. An online campaign can only be successful when everything is just right: channel mix, content, and target group. It’s also important there’s no conflict with local partners’ interests, important partners like Koffievoordeel.nl in the Netherlands or Franprix.fr in France. The Global Category Manager visits his colleagues abroad regularly to maintain the ideal partnership.

The Global Category Manager aims to find synergy with the local Marketing and Sales Managers at JDE. An example: ideally the tags and call-to-actions (CTA) in all commercials refer to JDE’s web shops. This ensures budgets are being used as effectively as possible, margins become higher when the consumer decides to purchase something, and communication remains unambiguous. That’s in a perfect world. In reality, the local JDE organizations have deep-rooted, longstanding relationships with their customers, which means DTC sales could lead to channeling conflicts. The Global E-commerce Category Manager navigates through these types of situations and uses his/her expertise and awareness of the dynamics within a multinational to turn them into win-win situations.

Who are we looking for?

Experienced professionals who can hold their own in complex situations and have the desire to develop their skillset in the area of E-commerce.

PERSONALITY                                           

• Strong conceptual thinking capabilities
• Connects people
• Convincing
• Innovative and creative
• Excellent communication skills

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of 7 years of experience
• Category management
• Online brand building
• FMCG, Retail or e-commerce
• Stakeholder management
• International organization

Jacobs Douwe Egberts works with Top of Minds to fill this vacancy. Contact Suzanne Goedhart-Limmen at suzanne@topofminds.com for more information.