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One of the coolest ecommerce jobs around!
We are working with a confidential client based in the Mountain Timezone. The client is a leader in the specialty automotive aftermarket.
As the firm’s new President, you’ll run a consumer facing business oriented towards the hard-core enthusiasts of a popular motor sport. The company has an outstanding reputation for product expertise and customer service, and its revenues are roughly $40 million — with 25% of that volume going through the firm’s wholesale channel and the balance through its direct-to-consumer website.
The company markets parts and accessories for 200 brands on its site targeting “sport compact” cars that are small, fast, and FUN. As background, compact and subcompact cars often perform double duty as both family car and daily driver, while also being a hoot to drive on back roads and in town.
These babies corner like they’re on rails.
Within the market of owners of compact- and sub-compact cars is a special breed of diehard enthusiast who’ll modify his car for maximum performance and appearance, regardless of the driving conditions. Now, I’m not a car guy — but I know a rabid subculture when I see one.
“Rabidity” is a direct marketing term that applies to a clearly defined niche of enthusiasts who are passionate to the point of insane about their hobby. Like golfers. Or fly fishermen. Or Harley owners. Or quilters. You get the idea. My client’s site is a one-stop shop for a specific type of car enthusiast, and if you’ve ever zipped around in one of these highly customized sport compact cars — you understand the appeal.
These cars handle VERY tightly, almost like go carts.
According to the WSJ, the maker of these cars has the highest margins in the auto industry and can barely make enough of them to meet demand. There are countless online forums for both the sport and the car, and this subculture is “self referencing.” Meaning, these people talk to each other. Typically, members of such niche markets share similar values and often speak a similar language.
They enjoy similar experiences and are held together by a love of their hobby.
Having said that, these guys do NOT want their cars to look the same — and they will go to great lengths to customize an upgrade their vehicles to personalize them and obtain an advantage over their friends. This customization can get down to the “sub-model of a sub-model” of a particular car.
If you’re a member of this tribe, this isn’t about having a stock car in your garage that you show on weekends. Hell no. This is about fueling your competitive fire and competing CONSTANTLY — whether it’s challenging the dude stopped next to you at a red light on your way to work, or at the track this Saturday.
And pack a bag: Races and events can last all weekend.
These cars aren’t cheap. In fact, a used model can cost upwards of forty grand. But that’ll get you 305 hp with a 2.5 L turbo which can bust-a-move from zero-to-sixty in 4.7 seconds with a top speed of top speed 159 miles an hour. Woot!
And even if you won the lottery and bought a brand-new top-of-the-line model, you’d probably still spring for a new suspension, new brakes, upgrades to the exhaust, a bigger turbo, and a new spoiler just to get some extra speed out of it. Because life’s too short.
Although these guys want their cars to look good — they’d sooner drive around with primer paint on their front fender and have the engine purring than be caught dead in a good-looking car that has a knock in the engine. Bottom line: You’ll have a blast selling to these people.
About the Role
To land this job, you’ll need an established track record of success in growing DTC ecommerce businesses. Reporting to the corporate CEO, you’ll be tasked with driving profitable sales while working with the firm’s sister companies to ensure that ecommerce best practices are implemented across the entire enterprise.
And because the is a senior executive role, your success will be measured on margins, profits, and product portfolio management (“Do we have the right inventory with the right selling story for the right audience at the right price?”).
Obviously, you’ll need to know how enthusiasts think: You don’t have to have experience with car culture, per se — but we’d like you to have a hobby you’re passionate about in order to better understand what makes enthusiasts tick.
You MUST have strong leadership skills to win in this role.
You’ll have very clear visibility to the Board, plus you’ll lead a multifunctional team encompassing Marketing, Sales, Purchasing, Customer Service, and Merchandising. Plus you will have a strong influence on corporate functions like IT, Accounting, HR, and Fulfillment operations. These are very good people in need of a strong leader whom they can look up to (and learn from).
The current team is competent, focused, and trustworthy. They need to be led, not managed.
As you can imagine, I spent SEVERAL HOURS on the phone with this client teasing out exactly what you’ll need to KNOW and DO to hit the ground running in this role. Some of the things I can share with highly qualified candidates include …
- The “real” background requirements for this position, along with the top five things all resumes MUST have to be considered for the role.
- The top five problems that exist due to this position being open. These are the little fires you will be expected to put out during your first month on the job. Every job has these — and this one’s no exception.
- What your average day / week will look like in this role. There’s what you read in the standard job posting … then there’s reality. I’ve got the reality.
- The major corporate strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that need to be addressed during your tenure.
- The key projects you’ll need to complete by Day 100 to be considered a home-run in this position. We’ve got the lowdown on how you can plug-and-play and drive REAL value in this job.
I have a massive amount of proprietary intel to share with HIGHLY qualified candidates. My industry research for this assignment exceeds 100 pages! Be sure to TEXT me, Harry Joiner, for this info at (404) 281-2025.
Or simply use the email link when you apply for the role below.
View Harry Joiner’s profileResponsibilities:
- Provide leadership and oversight to the company to achieve both short and long-term P&L objectives
- Develop strategies, plans, forecasts, and KPI’s to accelerate growth in both sales and profit while increasing wallet share among current, new, and lapsed / inactive customers
- Leverage knowledge and experience of ecommerce technologies and best practices in UX, paid media, owned media, and earned media
- Develop and drive overall growth strategy by partnering with people throughout the company in an effort to improve customer experience, site features and functionality, company performance and ROI.
- Use KPI’s, analytics, and scorecards to drive progress toward world class performance across all areas of the organization.
- Identify and develop opportunities to grow the firm’s addressable market.
Position Requirements
- 10 / 15 years of progressive experience in the general management of DTC ecommerce businesses.
- Deep knowledge of (and solid experience) selling to enthusiast markets.
- Demonstrated track record of success leading companies to world-class levels of performance.
- An energetic, highly motivating, hands-on leadership style.
- Highly analytical, process driven decision-making style.
- Bachelors degree required. MBA a big plus.
- Hands-on experience with business process improvement methodologies.
- Phenomenal oral / written communication skills.
- Automotive aftermarket experience strongly preferred
Applications for this position are being coordinated by Harry Joiner. To apply, CLICK HERE. Candidates, please be sure to email Harry for a packet of market research and company / competitive intel that will differentiate you in your candidacy. Due to the intensely competitive nature of this search, thorough preparation for these interviews with this proprietary material is strongly recommended.
