Head of Digital Strategic Partnerships & Investment Optimization

Responsibilities

• Global Platform Partnership Ownership (Meta, Google, ByteDance)
• Establish and manage senior, direct relationships with global platform owners, ensuring consistent engagement cadence and clear mutual value creation.
• Negotiate and secure strategic support (e.g., beta access, learning agendas, joint business plans, measurement upgrades, creative and commerce innovations).
• Build a structured platform governance model (QBRs, shared roadmaps, escalation paths, stakeholder mapping, decision rights).
• Translate platform capabilities into actionable guidance for brand, eCommerce, and market teams (toolkits, playbooks, training, "what good looks like" standards).
• Partner with procurement / legal / compliance as required to support engagement models and partnership agreements.
• TikTok Excellence & Acceleration Playbooks (Lighthouse Project)
• Lead the development of TikTok excellence standards across strategy, creative, influencer/creator, media, commerce, and measurement.
• Run a live flagship project on a major global brand and major market to prove impact and generate scalable learning.
• Define the TikTok operating model: briefing standards, creative iteration loops, testing roadmap, KPI framework, and measurement approach.
• Codify outputs into scalable playbooks and implementation support for other brands/markets.
• Matrix Leadership & Stakeholder Management (Japan HQ, Brand, eCommerce)
• Drive alignment across Japan HQ, global brand teams, and eCommerce stakeholders-clarifying priorities, timelines, and outcomes.
• Influence without authority: align teams on shared goals, resolve conflicts constructively, and maintain momentum across competing agendas.
• Ensure CoE work integrates with brand strategy, commercial priorities, and eCommerce growth plans.
• Strategic Agency Partner Leadership
• Build strong working relationships with senior agency leadership, ensuring agency roadmaps support CoE priorities.
• Set clear expectations for performance, innovation delivery, and operational excellence across media, creative, measurement, and commerce.
• Drive agency collaboration models that enable speed, quality, and learning transfer across markets.
• Team Leadership & Delivery Excellence
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of up to 9 across multiple DX initiatives.
• Establish clear workstreams, milestones, decision forums, and reporting rhythms.
• Maintain high standards in stakeholder communication, executive-ready storytelling, and outcome-based delivery.
• Success Measures (First 6-12 Months)
• Platform partnerships: Documented joint plans with Meta/Google/ByteDance; improved access to priority capabilities (betas, insights, support); measurable value delivered to brands/markets.
• TikTok acceleration: Lighthouse project delivers clear performance uplift and learning; playbooks produced and adopted by multiple stakeholders.
• Operational effectiveness: Strong governance, clear ways of working across time zones, predictable delivery cadence.
• Stakeholder satisfaction: Demonstrated trust and alignment with Japan HQ, global brand teams, and eCommerce leaders.
• Team performance: Clear role clarity, development progress, and consistent delivery across DX initiatives.

Requirements

• Critical Capabili

Additional Information

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. About our role: Reporting to the VP, AEMEA DX Marketing Centre of Excellence, as Head of Global Platform Partnerships & TikTok Acceleration you will lead two high-impact, enterprise-critical initiatives within the AEMEA Global DX Marketing Center of Excellence: Own and elevate direct senior relationships with global platform owners (Meta, Google, ByteDance) to unlock priority access, commercial opportunities, innovation roadmaps, measurement/insights, and scaled enablement. Working closely with the Japan HQ team. Deliver TikTok excellence and acceleration playbooks through a live "lighthouse" project on a major global brand in a major market-translating learning into repeatable frameworks, operating standards, and performance outcomes. This role will operate in a highly matrixed environment , partnering closely with Japan HQ teams , global brand teams , and eCommerce teams , while building strong strategic relationships with senior leaders at key agency partners . This is a rare opportunity to shape a newly created global DX Marketing CoE, build high-leverage partnerships with the world's most influential platforms, and accelerate commercial outcomes through TikTok excellence-while leading a talented team across three major global hubs.

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