The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
E-commerce Sales Manager (L4)
2-4 yearsSkills to master
- Deepening P&L ownership for a specific category or smaller team, honing cross-functional influence, developing strategic planning skills, and demonstrating consistent team leadership.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently exceeding revenue and profitability targets for your managed category/team.
- Successfully leading complex projects that required collaboration across multiple departments.
- Positive feedback on your ability to mentor and develop junior team members.
- Demonstrable strategic thinking in quarterly business reviews and planning sessions.
- 2
Senior E-commerce Specialist (L3)
4-6 yearsSkills to master
- Mastering a multi-channel programme (e.g., customer acquisition), gaining broader exposure to the full e-commerce P&L, and taking on informal leadership roles (mentoring, project lead).
You're ready to move on when
- Proven track record of driving significant growth and efficiency within your programme area.
- Ability to independently identify and solve complex e-commerce challenges.
- Successfully mentoring junior team members and contributing to team knowledge sharing.
- Proactive in proposing new strategies and initiatives beyond your immediate scope.
- 3
Head of Digital Marketing
3-5 yearsSkills to master
- Broadening your understanding of the entire digital marketing ecosystem, optimising spend across all channels, and demonstrating strong commercial acumen beyond just marketing metrics to P&L ownership.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully managing large digital marketing budgets and driving strong ROI.
- Deep understanding of customer acquisition and retention strategies across multiple channels.
- Experience in leading and developing a digital marketing team.
- Ability to translate marketing performance into clear business outcomes and P&L impact.