Job Description
We are Kao, listed as one of the world’s most ethical companies for the last 20 years.
Our EMEA brand portfolio spans across three sectors; Consumer Care ( John Frieda, Guhl, Bondi Sands, Bioré, Jergens, Curél), Professional Hair ( Goldwell, Oribe, KMS Hair, Kerasilk), and Molton Brown.
Our corporate philosophy, The Kao Way, guides us in everything we do – acting with integrity, courageously driving innovation, and treating each other with trust and respect.
At Kao, we offer amazing benefits that are available to you on your first day of employment (healthcare, 401(k) plus company match), 36 total days off (vacation + holidays + sick) and a reasonable salary range of $150,000- $190,000. We also offer a hybrid work environment.
About our role:
Reporting to the Director, DX Marketing Centre of Excellence, AEMEA, the Head of DX Marketing Acceleration leads high-impact acceleration programmes that deliver measurable commercial growth and clear return on investment across AEMEA.
In line with direction from the Global Brand Team, the Head of DX Marketing Acceleration defines and delivers the digital transformation marketing scope within a highly matrixed team. This role sets clear objectives, strategy, measurable key performance indicators, and return on investment metrics. It pioneers new and different digital transformation marketing approaches to supercharge growth, ensuring disciplined execution, learning, and scaling.
What you will do:
- Lead the DX Supercharge Project digital transformation marketing work: define scope, objectives, strategy, owners, plan, and ways of working in a matrix team; ensure delivery quality and pace.
- Establish measurable success: define key performance indicators and return on investment metrics, measurement approach, dashboards, and decision rules; ensure disciplined tracking and learning cycles.
- Drive innovation and new approaches: identify high-impact use cases, run structured tests, scale what works, and stop what does not.
- Own the strategic partnership with Accenture for a defined portfolio of projects: joint delivery plan, governance cadence, scope and deliverables, issue escalation, and impact reporting.
- Lead a small hub team and manage scrum-style delivery across internal teams, markets, agencies, and partners; ensure prioritisation, clarity of roles, and on-time delivery.
- Senior stakeholder management across AEMEA markets, Global Brand Teams, Japan headquarters, and functions (finance, procurement, legal, data): align priorities, secure decisions, and communicate progress and risks.
What you will need:
- University-level education or equivalent (business, marketing, analytics, technology, or similar)
- Training in agile delivery and scrum ways of working (preferred)
- Training in measurement, experimentation, media effectiveness, or marketing finance (preferred)
- 12 + years’ experience in digital marketing, digital transformation, e-commerce, analytics, consulting, or related roles
- 5+ years’ experience leading complex programmes with measurable commercial outcomes
- Proven experience running acceleration programmes (rapid delivery, testing, measurement, optimisation, and scaling)
- Demonstrated experience managing a major global strategic consultancy partner (for example, Accenture), including governance and outcome accountability
- Experience operating effectively in a highly matrixed, multi-market environment (AEMEA experience essential)
- Demonstrates strong strategic leadership of transformation and acceleration programmes, delivering measurable commercial outcomes through effective prioritisation, business value focus, and disciplined execution.
- Proven programme and project management expertise, including structured planning, governance, risk and dependency management, agile delivery practices, and benefits realisation within complex, matrixed organisations.
- Strong business, financial, analytical, and performance management capabilities, with the ability to define measurement frameworks, evaluate investment decisions, track return on investment, and translate insights into actionable business outcomes.
- Excellent stakeholder management, influencing, and partner leadership skills, with the ability to build alignment and accountability across global consultancies, functions, markets, and senior leadership teams without direct authority.
- Strong cross-cultural collaboration and operating model leadership, with the ability to work effectively across AEMEA and closely partner with Japan headquarters teams to foster a One Kao mindset, aligned ways of working, and successful execution of strategic priorities.
- Strong understanding of AEMEA markets and business dynamics, with the ability to translate regional context and market realities into practical execution decisions and delivery approaches.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level communication and storytelling, with the ability to explain complex topics and data-driven recommendations in clear, concise business language.
At Kao, we believe the diversity of our teams strengthens our global mission. Here we trust and respect each other, collaborating in a friendly and inclusive work environment to achieve great results.
What you can expect from us:
- An entrepreneurial environment where passionate and innovative teams come together.
- Respect, teamwork and collaboration are at the heart of how we work.
- A workplace culture that prioritises employee wellbeing, with opportunities to get involved in initiatives such as Mental Health First Aiders, our Charity Committee, and DE&I communities
- A broad range of benefits, including flexible working, competitive salaries, health and wellbeing offers, pension schemes, insurance options, and more…
- Learning and development opportunities
Your voice matters here, we value entrepreneurial thinking and innovation from our teams.
To find out why 33,000 people across the Globe work at Kao please visit:
https://candidate-brochure.kao.com/kao-emea/full-view.html
https://www.kao.com/emea/en/careers/
Discover careers at Kao and how we live our purpose, Kirei – Making Life Beautiful.
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