Head of Marketplace

Job Description

Booker is the UK’s largest food wholesaler for hospitality and retail, and online growth is a core part of our future strategy. To continue winning with independent customers, we’re building a credible, extended online range, and Booker Marketplace will play a big part in that.

As Head of Marketplace, you’ll define, build, and lead a new and exciting part of our business. You’ll work closely with senior stakeholders and cross functional teams to shape our marketplace strategy, develop the seller model, and deliver an outstanding customer experience on Booker.co.uk. This is a high profile, hands on role for someone who’s ready to lead a complex, evolving digital proposition from creation through to growth.

• Setting the 3–5 year strategy and direction for the Booker Marketplace
• Building high performance within your team, managing talent, supporting early career development, and creating an environment where colleagues can thrive
• Partnering with Technology to design and deliver the full end‑to‑end customer experience
• Defining the commercial and legal frameworks for third party wholesale sellers
• Leading and growing a seller recruitment team, overseeing outreach, negotiation, onboarding and product integration
• Working with our Quality team to establish seller standards, SLAs and KPIs, and ensuring ongoing monitoring and performance
• Ensuring product data and seller content are complete, accurate and high quality so items can be easily ingested and displayed online
• Working with third party tech partners to shape requirements for the seller‑facing platform
• Transitioning the Marketplace from build phase into run mode, leading future expansion and continuous improvement
• Partnering with the Product team to move existing third‑party sellers onto the new platform
• Using digital tools to collaborate effectively and champion new ways of working

Skills

• Strong understanding of online business models and marketplace economics
• Experience in developing and delivering strategy
• Strong analytical capability and commercial acumen
• Excellent project and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to influence at all levels
• Strong business development and negotiation skills

Experience

• Managing and developing teams
• Leading cross functional initiatives
• Experience in ecommerce, marketplace, or digital business leadership
• Ideally, experience in at least two of the following: digital development, seller/vendor commercial relationships, ecommerce trading or operations

Booker is the UK's leading food & drink wholesaler. We are privileged to serve independent retailers, caterers and small businesses, from locations across the country. We operate over 190 cash and carry branches, eight distribution centres, five Best Food Logistics sites, as well as six support centre locations across the UK.

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) at Booker means that whoever you are and whatever your background, we always want you to feel represented and that you can be yourself at work. In short, we’re a place where Everyone’s Welcome.

We know life looks a little different for each of us. That’s why at Booker and Best, we always welcome conversations about flexible working. Some people are at the start of their careers, some want the freedom to do the things they love. Others are going through life-changing moments like becoming a carer, nearing retirement, adapting to parenthood, or something else. So, talk to us throughout your application about how we may be able to support you.

We’re proud that Booker is a Disability Confident Committed employer and we’re committed to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process. For further information on the accessibility support you can expect, please contact recruitment@bookergroup.com

Please note

We can only accept candidates over the age of 18 if the role requires working before 6:15 am or after 9:45 pm or involves working in areas such as the warehouse, beers, wines & spirits, and driving roles.

On the occasions where we have high volumes of applicants, some roles may close earlier than the advertised end date in order for us to manage all of the applicants appropriately. We will only be able to offer individual feedback to those candidates who attend an interview.

*Booker Group is part of Tesco plc, however, is operated separately from the core Tesco business and as such the benefits offered will be different from those offered at Tesco*

For more information about us please visit www.bookergroupjobs.co.uk