DIRECTOR, CONTENT APPLICATIONS

COTY, Netherlands, Amsterdam

As the Director of Content Applications, you will play a crucial role in overseeing and enhancing the performance of the content applications across our global brands.    This position requires a strategic mindset with strong leadership skills leveraging your deep understanding of content management systems.   You will be responsible for the day-to-day operations, optimization and continuous improvement of the content applications to ensure and enhance content workflows and utilization.

THE ROLE

The Director of Content Platforms:

• Responsible for the day-to-day operation, definition, prioritization, and delivery of a diverse portfolio of Content applications including, but not limited to Product Information Management (PIM) and Digital Asset Management (DAM).
• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the Content applications, ensuring reliability, performance, security and corporate governance. 
• Monitor system health and implement measures to optimize performance and reliability.  
• Collaborate with cross functional partners in IT, Supply Chain, Marketing and vendor partners to communicate issues, troubleshoot and resolve promptly.
• Responsible for Content application integration architecture and monitoring within the content eco-system, and with other business systems in Coty.
• Identify the key performance indicators and regularly report their performance, utilizing analytics to measure the effectiveness of our content strategies and make data-drive change decisions. 
• Establish, define and enforce content governance policies with cross functional partners to maintain data accuracy, consistency and compliance across the content platform and the integrated eco-system.  
• Collaborate with cross functional partners to define and maintain data standards and taxonomies.  
• Collaborate with Global and Local teams of Content, Marketing, Global and Local SVPs/VPs/Heads of eCommerce, Influencer Marketing, Consumer Affairs, Customer Service, and other key business stakeholders to translate Content Platform priorities into a clear set of initiative tracks.
• Develop the conceptual architecture and underlying use cases across key initiative tracks for content integration. (e.g. CRM marketing journeys)
• Stay abreast of the latest development breakthroughs and emerging technologies, and pass this vital knowledge onto the Content, Marketing & Digital Technology teams.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement within the Content application eco-system.   Implement enhancements and control change management to Content applications. 
• Provide leadership in user support, addressing user queries and issues related to Content applications through Coty toolset.    Including the development of training programs to ensure users proficiency in utilizing the content tools effectively.  
• Manage the relationships with the Content application vendors ensuring service levels and expectations are met to the agreed contractual requirements. 

Reports to: 

• VP, Digital Technology based in New York

Job Location: 

• Amsterdam

Expected Travel:

• Primarily EU-based travel
• 1-2 times Globally per fiscal year

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own the Content & Syndication Platforms Portfolio Prioritization Process to deliver business impact. You will coordinate and drive the yearly digital initiative definition, prioritization and budget estimation process, balancing competing interests and needs across the organization to arrive at a clear vision and alignment on priorities and trade-offs in partnership with Content Product, Marketing and Commercial teams. You will effectively oversee the cost/benefit trade-off decisions at every level throughout the year to ensure the roadmap maximizes overall business impact in partnership with the VP, Digital Technology, broader Marketing & Digital Technology Content teams, SVP/VPs of Marketing, and SVPs/VPs/Heads of Ecommerce
• Be an expert on the Content & Syndication Platforms domain, the market, and the trends. Evangelize the vision as a trusted advisor constantly so all stakeholders are aligned, have context, and understand where we are going.
• Work with Scale in Mind. COTY is a large organization and caters to millions of consumers on a global scale. POCs and Prototypes may start small in scale, but they must be thought of with scale in mind.
• Represent the customer. Be the champion and voice of customers. Customers may be consumers, internal COTY employees, external COTY partners, and anything in between depending on the context of use cases. Bring the customer’s voice into the creation process. Own requirements, specifications, and release plans while ensuring they are tied back to customer insights.
• Measure success. A feature release does not indicate a success. Define what success means for each feature, platform, and/or function before it goes into development. Develop ways to constantly define and monitor success.
• Collaborate with Stakeholders to ensure alignment. We win or lose as a team. Proactive collaboration plays a critical role in creating alignment between Content & Syndication Platforms and stakeholders. A collaborative attitude is essential to the job.   
• Communicate clearly and efficiently. Coordinate across marketing & digital technology platform teams, IS&DT, Content, Marketing, Ecommerce, and other teams. Close alignment, setting clear expectations, and frequent communication are key for success.
• Design and refine Coty’s Content & Syndication Platforms landscape. Understand key business priorities globally and within divisions and key markets to balance present-day needs with future evolution needed to advance Coty’s business ambitions pertaining specifically to Content & Syndication.

WHAT YOU WILL BRING 

Competency and Skills

The position requires a comprehensive skill set across various core competencies:

• Deep technical understanding of content management systems (CMS), digital asset management (DAM) and product information management (PIM) applications.
• The candidate should possess a technical background and demonstrate a comprehensive technology perspective, including expertise in project management, IT standards, policies, and procedures, as well as the systems development lifecycle.
• The responsibilities also encompass business and functional assessment, workflow analysis, and modeling (data, process, events, objects).
• The candidate should be well-versed in application, infrastructure, user interface design and architecture.
• Proficiency in testing, implementation and using data and analytics to inform decisions and optimize performance.
• The candidate must possess in-depth knowledge of internal business partner dynamics.
• Proven track record of delivering measurable results, and a commitment to continuous improvement to execute on content initiatives effectively.
• A nuanced understanding of business perspective is essential.
• The role involves effective sourcing and supplier relationship management, adept relationship management, flexibility, cross-cultural competence, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent communication skills are crucial, along with proficiency in coaching and feedback.

Experience

• 10+ years of experience with content technology platforms
• Engineering degree and background with an integrated global application management responsibility preferred.
• Exhibit high degree of pro-activeness in identifying usage behaviour of marketing & digital technology platforms within the ecosystem and recommending adoption improvement processes.
• Demonstrate bias for action with a highly analytical thought process and aptitude for metrics/numbers, decision making, and problem solving applied towards prioritization from a competing list of needs.
• Specific platform expertise with Content applications including PIM and DAM
• Broader platform application expertise in a multi-brand and multi-market environment
• Has been first line of defense with internal clients.
• External software vendor and system integrator relationship management
• Demonstrated operational and capital expense department budget management

Soft Skills

• Positive “can do” approach on projects
• Possess a positive attitude toward teamwork and be an advocate for collaboration
• Ability to motivate and influence others by displaying strong leadership skills
• Ability to guide and influence work and teams without directly responsibility
• A well-developed sense of humor and grace under pressure.