Head of Online Trade

  • Zero Surplus
  • Jan 28, 2026
Full time Sales & Marketing

Job Description

Head of Online Trade

We are seeking an experienced Head of Online Trade to lead and accelerate revenue growth across all online channels.

This senior role owns the online trading strategy, budget, and performance, ensuring that marketing, website optimisation, and channel development work together to deliver sustainable, profitable growth.

You will lead the online trading function, manage internal teams and external partners, and provide clear, data-led reporting to senior leadership and board-level stakeholders.



The Role

You will be responsible for defining and delivering the online revenue strategy, driving sustainable growth across all digital channels. This includes maximising sales, conversion rates, and profitability through continuous optimisation of the online trading calendar, as well as identifying and launching new online channels and marketplaces to expand reach and revenue.

You will lead annual and quarterly budgeting and forecasting for online trading and digital marketing, ensuring budgets are allocated effectively across channels to maximise return on investment. You will closely monitor performance against spend and re-forecast as required.

You will define and execute the online marketing strategy in line with wider business objectives, planning and overseeing integrated campaigns across paid media, SEO, affiliates, PR, and owned channels. Close collaboration with marketing, trading, and cross-functional teams will be critical to success.

You will own website performance, ensuring a high-quality user experience and strong conversion rates. This includes leading A/B and multivariate testing to improve conversion, average order value, and the customer journey, as well as managing and briefing CRO partners with clear testing roadmaps and measurable outcomes.

You will manage and optimise relationships with external agencies across paid media, SEO, CRO, PR, and affiliates. This includes setting clear KPIs, monitoring performance, holding partners accountable for results, and ensuring agencies work collaboratively and in line with the overall trading strategy.

You will own online performance analytics and reporting across all channels, delivering clear and insightful reporting to senior leadership and board stakeholders. Data and insights will be used to inform decision-making, testing priorities, and future strategy.

As a people leader, you will line manage and develop the marketing and online trading team, setting clear objectives, providing coaching, and fostering a high-performance culture. You will also build strong cross-functional relationships with commercial, product, technology, and operations teams.



Skills & Experience

Essential

  • Significant experience in a senior online trading, e-commerce, or digital marketing role

  • Proven track record of driving online revenue growth

  • Strong understanding of merchandising, CRO, A/B testing, and website optimisation

  • Experience managing multiple digital agencies and sizeable marketing budgets

  • Highly analytical, with the ability to translate data into commercial insight

  • Experience presenting strategy and performance to senior or board-level stakeholders

  • People management and leadership experience

Desirable

  • Experience launching and scaling new online channels or marketplaces

  • Background in retail, e-commerce, or direct-to-consumer businesses

  • Brand management experience

  • Advanced knowledge of analytics and testing platforms

This is an exciting opportunity with a fast growth online retail business, offering incredible perks and work well-being.

Zero Surplus is one of the UK's premier recruitment agencies, based just outside Cambridge our recruiters source staff for small and international businesses across the South of England.

For registration purposes, please let us know where you are currently based or which locations you are considering as well as your required salary and notice period.

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