Chief Executive Officer
Reporting to: Board
Location: Catalyst (formerly Northern Ireland Science Park), Titanic Quarter, Belfast
This is an opportunity to lead potentially one of the fastest-growing and important technology companies in Ireland. You will be running a company that is into the scaling phase of its business lifecycle.
Note: This position is now closed.
The Company
Established in 2005, IRP Commerce is one of the leading technology companies in Northern Ireland and one of the UK’s foremost ecommerce platform providers. The company has won the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 award multiple times.
The company’s platform and approach has allowed mid-market businesses based in the UK and Ireland to transact more than £1 billion GBP and has powered the largest sites in a number of markets. Clients include retail, manufacturing and distribution businesses in both the B2C and B2B sectors.
The company has had a heavy R&D focus producing some of the most exciting software in the ecommerce industry. It has also had good commercial traction and is committed to expanding its commercial reach across the UK, Ireland and beyond.
The company’s commercial model involves supporting multiple specialist ecommerce agencies whilst also building strong relationships with direct customers and technical partners.
To help the company achieve their goals, the company is now seeking an experienced and highly-motivated Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
This role represents a huge opportunity for a talented commercial individual to play a key part in the development of one of Northern Ireland’s leading technology companies.
The Role
The primary responsibilities of the CEO role will be as follows:
- Creating widespread profitable distribution of the IRP product across multiple geographies. This is the key role.
- Delivering the company's objectives, particularly in relation to revenue and profitability, through the strategic planning process.
- Participating in the final stages of the sales process for larger customers and key contracts.
- Developing and strengthening customer relationships at a senior level.
- Ensuring partner relationships are well managed and opportunities maximised.
- Instilling a culture of continuous improvement through policies, processes, target-setting and KPIs.
- Ensuring good communication throughout the company including regular briefing of all staff.
- Developing a culture of high performance, motivation and recognition including a performance review process.
- Managing and developing the senior team.
- Ensuring a process of good corporate governance and the meeting of all statutory obligations.
Key Responsibilities
The successful candidate will be expected to fulfil the following functions:
(a) Strategy
- To deliver the company's objectives.
- To lead the strategic planning process whereby a workable plan is created.
- To ensure achievable but challenging goals are set for the organisation and performance is measured in relation to those goals.
- To ensure staff have clearly-defined roles, responsibilities and objectives.
- To ensure that the company works within approved financial budgets and constraints to achieve agreed profit targets.
- To maximise the financial support available from third parties, such as Invest NI, to fund the strategy.
(b) People
- To create a culture which embodies the company's values and promotes accountability, continuous improvement and recognition for all staff.
- To establish a system of regular and ongoing performance review for all staff.
- To ensure KPIs and objectives are set for all for staff which are aligned with the achievement of the company's objectives.
- To enable training and provide ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) thereby allowing staff to maximise their potential and improve performance.
(c) Stakeholders
- To develop a stakeholder management plan to ensure that communication takes place regularly with all stakeholders.
- To ensure strong relationships are nurtured and developed with the clients' senior team and ensure maximum client satisfaction and retention.
- To ensure strong relationships are nurtured and developed with partner organisations and business opportunities are maximised.
- To ensure the board members and shareholders are kept informed and up to date with key business information, results and measures.
- To ensure staff are informed through a system of two-way communication and staff briefs
(d) Governance
- To ensure a sound process of corporate governance is in place.
- To ensure all necessary policies, procedures and authorisations are in place in line with good practice and compliance.
- To ensure compliance with all statutory requirements.
- To ensure that a risk register is in place and reviewed and maintained on a quarterly basis.
Person Specification
Essential Experience and Skills:
The candidate must have:
- A significant track record of leading companies through a period of growth.
- Board-level experience, ideally within a technology sector.
- Leadership experience at a senior level.
- Demonstrable experience of managing financial budgets and profit responsibility.
- Proven ability to build and manage good relationships externally with clients and partners and internally with staff.
- A strong track record of team building, management and development.
- Proven ability to develop and implement organisational strategies and operational objectives.
- Strong experience of creating and developing business opportunities, including internationally.
- Demonstrable and exceptional skills in the following areas:
- Interpersonal relations
- Planning and strategy implementation
- Sales and negotiation
- Business development
- Financial analysis and accounting
- Problem solving and decision making, including ability to make ‘tough’ decisions
- Presentation and communication, both written and verbal
- Project and time management
Desirable Skills:
It may be beneficial that the candidate has a strong knowledge and experience of:
- Ecommerce, including international selling, particularly at the mid-market level and beyond
- Commercial software and technology
- Digital marketing and consulting
In addition, the ideal candidate will be:
- Educated to degree level with subsequent relevant professional qualification(s)
- Highly motivated, energetic and enthusiastic
- Results driven
- A great team player
Compensation and Benefits
- Highly competitive salary - negotiable, based on experience
- Matched pension contribution
- 35 days holidays per year
- Performance-related bonus
- Performance-based share options
- Free parking at the office
How to Apply
If you feel that you have the potential to join our team and help create the future of commerce, we want to hear from you. Send your CV to