Senior Director, Digital Marketing (15 month contract)

Job Description:

Here at Rakuten Kobo Inc. we offer a casual working start-up environment and a group of friendly and talented individuals. Our employees rank us highly in terms of commitment to work/life balance. We realize that for our people to be innovative, creative and passionate they need to feel valued and supported. We believe in rewarding all our employees with competitive salaries, performance based annual bonuses, stock options and training opportunities.

If you’re looking for a company that inspires passion, personal, and professional growth – join Kobo and come help us on our mission of making reading lives better.

The Role:

The Digital Marketing team is seeking a Senior Director, Digital Marketing to join our team for a 15 month parental leave contract. Reporting to the Vice President, Digital Marketing, the Senior Director will be the driving force behind the digital marketing strategy, bringing a visionary approach to maximize brand representation, elevate the customer experience, and integrate seamlessly with the broader marketing goals. You will be responsible for identifying global market opportunities in approximately 20 different countries, optimizing all digital marketing channels to drive global growth, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver impactful online solutions. Your expertise will guide a talented team of performance digital marketers - SEM, Affiliates, Social and agency partners for full funnel digital strategy and execution that deliver efficiently on customer acquisition and sales growth.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and execution of a full funnel digital marketing and advertising strategy that drives brand awareness, engagement, and conversion across all digital touchpoints.
• Build and model strategic marketing forecasts and investment scenarios across geographies, outlining potential performance outcomes based on varying levels of spend, channel mix, and market conditions.
• Oversee brand digital and performance marketing to ensure alignment with brand and business objectives.
• Partner with Analytics, Product, Creative, and Brand teams to deliver integrated, data-driven campaigns that support customer acquisition, retention, and lifetime value.
• Leverage cross-functional input and insights along with business analytics on CPAs and LTVs to inform decision-making, optimize spend, and measure the ROI of digital initiatives.
• Champion digital innovation by identifying emerging trends, technologies, and channels to enhance brand visibility and competitive advantage.
• Build, mentor, and inspire a high-performing team of performance marketing professionals, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee digital agency and vendor relationships to ensure best-in-class execution and performance.
• Drive global marketing scalability by creating frameworks, tools, and best practices that enable regional teams to adapt and execute effectively.
• Partner with leadership and cross-functional stakeholders to align digital marketing efforts with broader brand, communications, and business strategies.
• Ensure digital marketing efforts adhere to brand standards, accessibility, privacy regulations, and compliance best practices.

Skillset & Qualifications:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in digital marketing leadership roles, preferably within a global, consumer-focused organization.
• Proven track record of leading multi-channel digital marketing strategies that drive measurable business growth.
• Deep understanding of performance marketing, brand digital awareness and advertising.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic forecasting and investment modeling — assessing potential growth outcomes under varying budget and market conditions.
• Strong analytical mindset, with the ability to interpret data, extract insights, and translate them into actionable strategies.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing high-performing teams across multiple disciplines.
• Exceptional cross-functional collaboration and communication skills, with experience influencing at the executive level.
• Strategic thinker with a hands-on approach, able to set vision and direction while managing executional excellence.
• Experience managing large budgets and optimizing digital spend for efficiency and impact.
• Up-to-date knowledge of digital trends, emerging technologies, and best practices.

The Perks:

• Flexible hours and hybrid remote working environment
• Subsidized in-office lunches
• Four extended long weekends in the summer
• Full benefits starting from your first day
• Unlimited sick days
• Free Kobo device + free weekly e-book or audiobook
• Weekly Kobo Tech University sessions
• Dog friendly office

About Rakuten Kobo Inc.
Owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten and headquartered in Toronto, Rakuten Kobo Inc. is one of the most advanced global ecommerce companies, with the world’s most innovative e-reading services offering more than 6 million eBooks and audiobooks to 30 million + customers in 190 countries. Kobo delivers the best digital reading experience through creative innovation, award-winning e-readers, and top-ranking mobile apps. Kobo is a part of the Rakuten group of companies.

Rakuten Kobo Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Accessibility accommodations for candidates with disabilities participating in the selection process are available on request. Any information received related to accommodation needs of applicants will be addressed confidentially.

Rakuten Kobo would like to thank all applicants for their interest in this role however only qualified candidates will be shortlisted.

Beware of fraudulent job offers claiming to be from Rakuten. Rakuten does not send unsolicited job offers or request money during the recruitment process. Learn more: https://rakutenemploymentalert.com/

#RKIND

Five Principles for Success
Our worldwide practices describe specific behaviors that make Rakuten unique and united across the world. We expect Rakuten employees to model these 5 Shugi Principles of Success.
Always improve, Always Advance - Only be satisfied with complete success - Kaizen
Passionately Professional - Take an uncompromising approach to your work and be determined to be the best
Hypothesize - Practice - Validate – Shikumika - Use the Rakuten Cycle to succeed in unknown territory
Maximize Customer Satisfaction - The greatest satisfaction for our teams is seeing their customers smile
Speed!! Speed!! Speed!! - Always be conscious of time - take charge, set clear goals, and engage your team

Rakuten is an equal opportunity employer. Accessibility accommodations for candidates with disabilities participating in the selection process are available on request. Any information received related to accommodation needs of applicants will be addressed confidentially. 

Rakuten would like to thank all applicants for their interest in this role however only qualified candidates will be shortlisted.

Beware of fraudulent job offers claiming to be from Rakuten. Rakuten does not send unsolicited job offers or request money during the recruitment process. Learn more: https://rakutenemploymentalert.com/

At the time of posting, Rakuten expects the compensation for this role to be within the range shown below. Individual compensation may vary based on job-related factors, including the skills, qualifications, and experience of the successful candidate as well as business need and geographic location. The successful applicant for this role may be eligible for employee benefits as the company implements.