Head of Digital

THE COMPANY:

Since 1945, EBONY has celebrated and chronicled Black excellence and leadership worldwide. In January 2021, the iconic brand was relaunched under new ownership as EBONY Media Group, a diversified multi-platform media company. This is an exciting chapter for the beloved brand, and we are looking for talented, enthusiastic candidates to join our close-knit, highly collaborative team. We are calling all innovators and creators who want to be part of the legacy by helping shape EBONY’s future!?

THE ROLE: EBONY is seeking an experienced Head of Digital Operations. This position will play a pivotal role in shaping and executing the company’s digital strategy. This leader will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of digital operations, including product development, advertising operations, audience development, and digital infrastructure management. The ideal candidate will possess a strong blend of strategic vision, leadership skills, and hands-on experience in driving digital initiatives that enhance audience engagement, optimize revenue streams, and contribute to overall business growth.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and Implement Digital Strategy: Craft a comprehensive digital strategy that aligns with the company’s overall business objectives, focusing on product innovation, audience growth, and monetization opportunities.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with executive leadership and cross-functional teams, including IT, to ensure seamless execution of digital initiatives that drive business success.

Digital Infrastructure Management

• Performance, Stability, and Security Oversight: Oversee the performance, stability, and security of all digital platforms, including websites and applications (e.g., WordPress, Cloudflare) and internal systems.

• Tool Implementation: Implement new tools and technologies to enhance content delivery and improve operational efficiency, including Adtech (AdGrid, JunGrp, DailyMotion, Yourbow), OMS (Boostr, Camelus), ERP (Microsoft Dynamics), and HR systems.

• CMS Optimization: Optimize the Content Management System (CMS) to facilitate seamless integration and collaboration with internal teams.

• Technical Support: Provide technical guidance and support to the development team, ensuring alignment with best practices and business objectives.

Crisis Management

• Proactive Risk Assessment: Develop and implement risk management protocols to identify vulnerabilities in digital platforms and prevent potential crises.

• Incident Response Planning: Create and maintain a robust incident response plan to address critical issues such as security breaches, system downtime, or data loss.

• Cross-Functional Coordination: Lead crisis management efforts by coordinating with IT, marketing, and other departments to ensure swift resolution and minimal disruption to operations.

• Stakeholder Communication: Serve as the primary point of contact during digital crises, providing timely updates and maintaining transparency with internal and external stakeholders.

• Post-Crisis Analysis: Conduct thorough post-incident reviews to identify root causes, document lessons learned and implement measures to prevent future occurrences.

Operational Efficiency

• Process Management: Implement and manage processes to streamline digital workflows, improve user experience, and reduce operational costs.

Product Development

• Product Vision and Roadmap: Lead the development of a forward-thinking product vision and roadmap, ensuring alignment with market trends and customer needs,

• User Experience Optimization: Oversee the design and enhancement of digital products to ensure a seamless and engaging user experience across all platforms.

Advertising Operations

• Ad Operations Management: Oversee the ad operations team to optimize ad inventory, increase fill rates, and maximize revenue across digital channels.

• Performance Analytics: Utilize data-driven insights to track and analyze advertising performance, making recommendations for continuous improvement.

Audience Development

• Audience Growth Strategy: Develop and execute strategies to grow and engage target audiences, leveraging data analytics and market research to inform decisions.

• Retention and Engagement: Implement initiatives to enhance audience retention and engagement, ensuring that digital content meets the needs and preferences of users.

Team Leadership and Development

• Build and Mentor a High-Performing Team: Lead, mentor, and inspire a diverse digital team, creating a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability.

• Professional Development: Provide ongoing training and development opportunities to ensure the team remains current with industry trends and best practices.

Change Management

• Facilitating Adoption: Facilitate the adoption of new digital technologies and processes across the organization, including ongoing A/B testing of technologies and the implementation of AI video technologies.

Financial Oversight

• Budget Management: Oversee the digital budget, ensuring effective allocation of resources to achieve maximum ROI on digital initiatives.

• Performance Reporting: Regularly report to the CEO and executive team on the performance of digital initiatives, including detailed ROI assessments and future recommendations.

IT plays a critical role in the Digital Operations department by providing the necessary technological infrastructure and support that underpins all digital initiatives. This includes:

• Enabling Digital Platforms: IT ensures that digital platforms are secure, scalable, and capable of supporting the organization's operational needs.

• Supporting Implementation: Collaborating with the EVP to implement new tools and technologies that enhance efficiency and effectiveness in delivering digital content.

• Facilitating Integration: Working closely with internal teams to ensure that digital solutions integrate seamlessly with existing systems and workflows.

• Providing Technical Expertise: Offering technical guidance to optimize processes and ensure that digital strategies align with best practices and business goals.

Qualifications & Skills

• 10-12 years' relevant professional experience required.

• 7 years of experience in a leadership role in marketing or digital, in an e-commerce digital/online environment.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to read, write, and interpret business and technical documents.

• Strong analytical, prioritization and negotiation skills.

• Experience developing and managing innovation pipelines a plus.

• Enthusiastic about building great products and solving customer and business problems.

• Strong leadership profile and excellent negotiation skills.

• Well-developed ability to train, coach and motivate direct reports.

• Ability to work a flexible schedule based on department and Company needs.