Head of Marketplace

N Brown Group; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

N Brown is seeking an experienced Head of Market Place to scale our retailer-owned marketplace, define the operating model, and lead third-party seller growth across our online platforms. You will partner with Digital Technology, Procurement and Trading to shape the proposition, governance, and commercial framework.

This hybrid role is based at our Head Office in Manchester, with three days on-site per week, and a strong emphasis on data-driven decisions, AI-enabled optimization, risk management

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience launching retailer-owned marketplaces from concept to go-live.
• Experience scaling a retailer-owned marketplace with third-party seller onboarding.
• Proven track record delivering commercial growth via marketplace models.
• Established network across brands relevant to our customers.
• Experience integrating platforms with ecommerce, product data, orders and payments.
• Strong leadership across cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Define and own marketplace strategy, roadmap and governance.
• Design end-to-end operating model covering onboarding, catalogue, pricing, orders, fulfilment and returns.
• Lead seller acquisition and partner selection with Technology and Procurement.
• Create launch plans with milestones and resource alignment.
• Collaborate with Trading, Buying and Merchandising to expand partner base.
• Establish policies and controls with Legal, Risk and Finance.
• Own customer and seller experience, using data to improve conversion and retention.
• Develop data-led performance framework and KPIs.
• Build and lead the marketplace team with clear accountability.
• Influence senior stakeholders to shape the proposition.

Skills

Marketplace leadership

Retail marketplace

Strategic governance

Data-driven decisions

Stakeholder management

Tools

Mirakl

Marketplacer

ChannelEngine

ecommerce integration

Job description

N Brown - who we are and why work for us?

N Brown is a leading UK digital retail platform for clothing, footwear, home and technology, headquartered in Manchester and employing over 1,000 people nationwide. Through our strategic retail brands JD Williams, Jacamo and Simply Be and our unique payments offering, we exist to champion inclusivity and serve the underserved. Our customers are our passion, and we take great pride in delivering products that ensure they can look and feel amazing, without compromising on choice, value and accessibility.

We're committed to building a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment that values equality for all. Our vision is that by 'By championing inclusion, N Brown will become the UK's most loved and trusted consumer platform, shaping the future of financial empowerment and personal expression'. 'Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging are, therefore, at the heart of our culture.

In May 2024 we were delighted to be named one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2024. We work hard to create a happy and inclusive culture for everyone and we're so proud to have made this list - as voted for by our very own colleagues!

The role:

We are looking for an experienced leader to take our retailer-owned marketplace proposition from ambition to a scaled, commercially successful capability-defining the proposition, building the operating model, selecting the right technology and partners, and leading an effective launch. This is a platform-side marketplace role: the focus is on bringing third-party brands onto N Brown's own retail websites, rather than managing N Brown brands across external marketplaces. Working across Retail, Digital Technology, Legal & Risk, you will create and shape the marketplace model, establish the right operating framework and build a proposition that broadens customer choice, strengthens our online proposition and delivers sustainable growth. The role will span the initial development of our marketplace proposition through to seller growth, commercial performance, and the ongoing evolution of the proposition.

This is a hybrid role, with an expectation to work on-site at our Head Office in Manchester's Northern Quarter 3 days per week.

A day in the life of a Head of Market Place at N Brown

• Define and own the marketplace strategy, proposition and roadmap, translating our ambition into clear delivery phases, outcomes, and measures of success.
• Design the end-to-end marketplace operating model, covering seller acquisition and onboarding, catalogue and content, pricing and promotions, order management, fulfilment, returns, customer service, payments, reconciliation and seller performance.
• Lead platform and partner selection with Digital Technology and Procurement, defining requirements and ensuring the solution integrates effectively with our ecommerce, product, order, payment and data landscape.
• Create and lead the cross-functional launch plan, with clear governance, milestones, dependencies, resources and decision points from discovery and pilot through to scale.
• Work in collaboration with Trading, Buying, and Merchandising teams to shape the seller and category strategy, build a compelling pipeline of high-quality partners and negotiate commercially sustainable terms that expand customer choice and complement our existing retail offer.
• Shape how the marketplace proposition works with N Brown's wider customer proposition, including our credit offer, ensuring this differentiator is considered in the commercial model, customer journey and partner proposition.
• Establish marketplace policies, seller standards and controls with Legal, Risk and Finance, protecting customers, our brand and the business while meeting relevant consumer, product, data and payment obligations.
• Own the customer and seller experience, using insight, research and trading data to remove friction, improve conversion and retention, and maintain high service and product-quality standards.
• Establish a data-led marketplace performance framework, using insights to optimise seller quality, assortment, customer outcomes and commercial performance.
• Set and manage marketplace KPIs, including gross merchandise value, revenue, margin, active sellers, range growth, conversion, fulfilment, cancellations, returns, seller service levels and customer satisfaction.
• Build the marketplace capability and team, creating clear accountabilities, effective ways of working with strong communication on progress, performance, risks and opportunities.
• Influence senior stakeholders and help the business make informed decisions as the marketplace proposition develops.

What are we looking for

• Demonstrable experience launching a retailer-owned marketplace proposition from concept to go-live and scaling beyond initial phase.
• Demonstrable platform-side experience building or leading a retailer-owned marketplace, with direct responsibility for third-party seller acquisition, onboarding and performance.
• Proven track record of delivering commercial growth through marketplace business models.
• An established network across brands relevant to our customers, including midlife womenswear, inclusive and extended sizing, menswear (including big and tall), footwear, home and electricals, and family and kidswear.
• Experience implementing platforms such as Mirakl, Marketplacer, ChannelEngine or equivalent along with strong working knowledge of integration with ecommerce, product information management, order management, payments, seller management, customer service, analytics and data tools.
• You bring strong knowledge of marketplace operations, seller lifecycle management and the customer journeys that sit across search, product discovery, checkout, delivery, returns and service.
• Experience shaping marketplace operating models, processes and governance.
• You are an influential cross-functional leader who can align senior stakeholders and maintain momentum through ambiguity and change.
• You are commercially astute and analytically strong, able to use customer, seller and financial data to prioritise opportunities and hold performance to account.
• You balance pace and entrepreneurial thinking with disciplined governance, risk management and a focus on customer.
• You can build and lead a high-performing team and partner effectively with specialists across the business.
• You possess a curious, digitally confident mindset, with the ability to use data, technology and AI tools to improve decision-making and ways of working.
• Demonstrable experience using AI and automation tools to improve commercial decision-making, operational efficiency and customer outcomes.

Ways of Working

We offer hybrid working which varies across the business depending on the role you're in. Our Head Office is located in the Northern Quarter in Manchester City Centre. So if you are travelling by train, tram or bus we're perfectly located, plus we're surrounded by cool cafes, trendy bars and the best places to eat!

Our working hours are 36.17 per week over 5 days.

We believe AI will become a standard part of modern professional practice. We are therefore looking for individuals who are open to learning, testing, and responsibly adopting AI tools to improve efficiency, insight, and impact in their role.

Our promise to you

We're an equal opportunity employer and value diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Please know your application is being reviewed by a real human being. We value your interest in joining us and appreciate you taking the time to submit your application.

What happens when you apply to a role at N Brown?

As soon as we receive your application, we'll send you an email to let you know. We always aim to come back to you as soon as possible with an update and we really appreciate you taking the time to apply for a role with us. Good luck!