eCommerce Manager

Koala is a high growth ecommerce startup originating in Sydney, Australia. We provide furniture for the digital age, and have become well known in Australia and Japan because of our approach to marketing & retail which is more akin to a tech-company. In just over 6+ years in Japan we have achieved significant growth and we're only just getting started! 

Koala’s mission is: Better furniture experiences, designed with the World in mind. Combining customer-centric products, a world-class technology and fulfillment platform, incredible customer service and social good; we are changing the way  in Japan people buy and enjoy furniture to create happier, healthier habitats.

We are looking for an experienced eCommerce leader to develop and execute eCommerce strategy in line with Global eCommerce strategy to maximize growth and profitability of Koala.com.

Why we have this role @ Koala

As the eCommerce Manager, you will lead the team with your tested experience in the industry and be the thought leader in the business on eCommerce trends and technologies. You will balance between being a strategic thinker for the leadership team and an on-ground executor for your team. You’re equipped to handle details, but you never lose sight of the bigger picture. 

You will take full ownership of the eCommerce platform and manage product managers, designers, and developers, ensuring Koala is utilizing the best technology in the market for our ambitious goals. Leveraging your comprehensive knowledge, you will push the envelope in delivering value, increasing conversion rates, and setting new standards of excellence for Koala’s online experience.

What key responsibilities does this role have @ Koala?

• Develop, lead, and execute eCommerce strategy.
• Manage end-to-end website development and day-to-day operational execution.
• Create and execute a comprehensive experimentation pipeline to test and refine various aspects of the online experience, ensuring we always have the highest converting experience for our customers.
• Lead retention and loyalty strategy development/implementation to drive LTV through engagement, increased customer return rate and repeat purchases.
• Monitor industry trends and competitor activities to ensure our eCommerce platform remains competitive and customer-centric.
• Oversee the management of the eCommerce platform, ensuring uptime, security, and scalability.
• Oversee user experience and website performance testing and auditing, including user testing, A/B testing, and analytics monitoring to optimize conversion rate and AOV.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams such as Marketing, Supply Chain, and Customer Service to ensure seamless eCommerce operations.
• Hire, mentor, and lead a world-class team of designers, engineers, and product managers.
• Articulate eCommerce strategy and vision across cross-functional and brand teams to streamline communication and prioritize opportunities to drive maximum success. 
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and customer-centricity within the team.
• Active tracking and analysis of performance metrics, providing data driven insights to CRM and to greater marketing team
• Lead reviews program: using Yotpo and other tools to strategize review acquisition & management
• Reporting of success of review & CRM program during key weekly/monthly meetings

Required skills and experience

• Native fluency in Japanese and proficiency in Business English.
• Regularly use Japanese e-commerce sites and online content as a consumer, with a deep understanding of eCommerce trends and user shopping behavior in Japan.
• Minimum 5+ years of relevant work experience as a hands-on eCommerce leader in a fast-growth consumer brand.
• Experience in managing all aspects necessary for operating an online store as an eCommerce manager, including production, design, CMS operations, inventory management, sales promotion planning and execution, copywriting, and sales management.
• Able to write well-defined specifications, user stories, delivery tickets, and documentation that clearly communicate expected product outcomes.
• Proven success working with design and development teams using agile/scrum methodology.
• Previous experience in building and migrating Shopify stores.
• Analytical thinker with expertise in using qualitative and quantitative data to validate hypotheses, drive decisions, and increase revenue. Skilled in monitoring and analyzing sales and site traffic to identify opportunities and prevent losses. Able to thrive in uncertain, rapidly changing environments.
• Experience in adjusting website content and UI, significantly improving the eCommerce site's conversion rate (CVR) through collaboration with the Paid Media and Data teams.

Treehouse Perks and Privileges…

Koala is only as good as its employees are happy - and we’re one happy international bilingual bunch! We offer our teams flexible hybrid working options and the freedom and autonomy to do their best work in a way that works for them from anywhere in the globe! Whether that’s working your own version of 9-6, working from home in your pajamas from time to time or hanging out at our Treehouse (this is what we call our office digs) in Omotesando, or enjoying the 20+ days annual leave (+generous time off for volunteer, parental, Koala life leave and more) you decide whatever helps you find your flow! The Treehouse has plenty of social activities to get involved with, including Thursday lunches, and help you get to know your fellow Koalas better as well as free Koala products for all employees - who better to shout from the tree tops how awesome our products are, right?! We also recognise that we can’t grow as a brand unless we support the growth of our teams so this is a strong focus for us via our Learning Management platform Juno, as well as individual and team growth budgets and dedicated days. Lastly and importantly our employee experience respects and embraces all families, formed, found and evolving. You’ll have access to our Employee Assistance Program, which includes unlimited sessions for financial, work, relationship, family or wellbeing support. We believe that simply doing ‘no harm’ isn’t good enough  So, how are we doing our part? BCorp Certified, WWF Partnership, volunteer days, a member of SoftLanding,  1% and so much more. All in all, the Koala Kommunity is a great place to hang out in and belong to!

Koalities we look for…

At Koala, we do things a little differently and we don’t shy away from the fact that we expect a lot from our employees! We want you to challenge expectations, always look to make a difference and give us something different from the norm. We want people that bring great energy, that have a long-game focus and are always curious to find new angles and approaches to the way we work. We're a team full of entrepreneurial spirit and have a relentless focus on 'what's next' but while always reviewing 'what's been done' and learning, growing and adapting. We're confident, but NEVER arrogant and we adapt to change uber quickly. Honesty and selflessness drive everything we do, as well as a total focus on exceeding our customers’ expectations. So if you feel like this could be you... well what are you waiting for? Drop us a line, and let's see what you've got! ;)

There’s no such thing as a ‘perfect’ candidate, Koala is a place where everyone has opportunity. So however you identify and whatever background you bring with you, please apply if this is a role that would make you excited to come into work every day. We’re an equal opportunity employer, and recognize that a diverse workforce is crucial to our success as a business.

To read more, check out our careers, LinkedIn, or the great work we do with Work180.