Head of Ecommerce Solutions & Partnerships

The Independent; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

The Independent is seeking a Head of Ecommerce to lead and scale our digital revenue across UK and US markets. You will own the commercial strategy for affiliates, partnerships, and retail media, guiding a talented team of sales, partnerships and project managers.

Reporting to the Ecommerce Director, you will collaborate with Editorial, Audience and external partners to convert high-quality content into strong commerce outcomes, while maintaining editorial integrity and user experience.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in a senior commercial, performance marketing, or retail media role within a major publisher, agency, or affiliate network.

Responsibilities

• Deputy to the Ecommerce Director; own P&L for the solutions and partnerships divisions, setting forecasts and annual budgets.
• Direct line management of sales, partnership and project managers - KPI setting, coaching performance and fostering an inclusive, high-performing team culture.
• Secure high-value, bespoke performance packages, tenancy deals, and long-term commercial partnerships with major affiliate networks, media agencies, and direct brand clients.
• Act as a senior ambassador for Ecommerce at Independent Media; network with clients and tech partners at industry events and panels.
• Collaborate with internal delivery, editorial and audience teams, external agencies and partners to execute campaigns and lead commercial readiness during peak moments (e.g., Black Friday).
• Drive growth across our full portfolio of ecommerce brands in the UK and US.

Skills

Senior leadership

Performance marketing

People management

Revenue targets

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Job description

About Independent Media

Independent Media comprises The Independent, Standard Digital, Bulletin, BuzzFeed UK, HuffPost UK, Tasty UK, Seasoned, IndyBest and indy100.

Harnessing market-leading innovation and excellence across its portfolio of pioneering brands, Independent Media has unrivalled scale, integrity and authority via its sites, apps, video, audio, experiential, newsletters and social media.

While each Independent Media brand speaks in an authentic, unique voice to a loyal and distinct audience, they stand together in their commitment to positivity, inclusivity, and quality journalism and content.

Independent Media’s network reaches 650 million users each month, with 1.1 billion content views across its brands and platforms, including web, apps, social media, podcasts, email, YouTube, syndication partners and print.

The role

Reporting into the Ecommerce Director, the Head of Ecommerce serves as the primary deputy for the Ecommerce business (one of the company’s key strategic pillars). You will hold core operational accountability for driving substantial digital revenue lines, leading our commercial strategy across affiliates, performance partnerships, and retail media frameworks.

As a key leader in the business, you will manage, coach, and scale an established team of sales, partnership, and project managers, driving revenue growth while positioning our portfolio of media brands as market-leading ecommerce partners for major merchants and affiliate agencies.

You will partner closely with internal Editorial and Audience teams, our external marketing agency, and our long-term commercial partners to drive the commercial results from the highest quality content which engages our users everywhere they are.

Scope

• Brands: The Independent (inc IndyBest) UK and US, The Standard UK, HuffPost UK, BuzzFeed UK.
• Territories: UK and US
• Channels: Social (organic and paid), Search (organic and paid), LLMs, Web, Newsletters and Off-Platform.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

• We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. As a growing and global brand, we must have a workforce that’s more representative of our readers, viewers, clients and partners, and a workplace that creates a sense of belonging for everyone
• We are committed to hiring and developing a diverse workforce regardless of background, and we support our people to thrive in their careers here.

The Independent is an equal opportunities employer, if you require any reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please do not hesitate to advise us accordingly.

About you

• Proven track record in a senior commercial, performance marketing, or retail media role within a major publisher, agency, or affiliate network.
• Demonstrated experience in direct line management, with a track record of developing talent and leading successful teams.
• Hands-on commercial expertise with direct experience owning significant revenue targets/budgets and closing complex deals.
• Strong negotiation, prioritisation, and executive stakeholder management skills.
• An adaptable mindset, comfortable steering teams through a shifting digital landscape.
• Ability to navigate balancing commercial priorities with editorial integrity and user experience.

Key responsibilities and accountabilities

• Strategic & Revenue Leadership: Serve as deputy to the Ecommerce Director; take full P&L ownership for the solutions and partnerships divisions, setting forecasts, managing yearly budgets, and delivering growth targets.
• Team Management: Direct line management of sales, partnership and project managers - setting KPIs, coaching performance, and fostering an inclusive, high-performing team culture.
• Commercial Growth: Secure high-value, bespoke performance packages, tenancy deals, and long-term commercial partnerships with major affiliate networks, media agencies, and direct brand clients. Drive the scale up of the revenues from our full portfolio of ecommerce brands in the UK and US.
• Market Presence: Act as a senior ambassador for Ecommerce at Independent Media. At industry conferences, network with prospective clients and tech partners, build connections with your competitor peers, and take opportunities to speak on panels or give presentations.
• Cross-Functional Strategy: Collaborate with internal delivery, editorial, and audience teams, as well as external agencies and partners, to execute seamless campaigns, while leading commercial readiness during peak trading moments (like Black Friday).

Our values - you will deliver across all our values

Inclusive: We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. Working as a team, we put transparency and effective communication at the heart of everything we do.

Innovative: From the very beginning, The Independent has been breaking the mould. We take risks and are always looking to try new ideas in pursuit of excellence.

Independent: Nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own minds and aren’t afraid to do things differently. Like our readers, we value honesty and integrity above outside influences.