eCommerce Placement specializes in Chief Digital Officer and senior digital leadership searches at enterprise retailers, consumer brands, and omnichannel businesses across the US, Canada, and UK. Contingency-based. No placement, no fee.
The Role
The Chief Digital Officer is the most senior digital commerce executive in many organizations, responsible for digital transformation, eCommerce P&L, technology strategy, and cross-functional alignment at the highest level. CDO searches require a recruiter with genuine access to senior talent and the discretion to conduct an executive search properly.
Our Approach
We work on contingency, meaning you pay our fee only when we successfully place a candidate. No retainer. No upfront cost. Our fee is 20% of the placed candidate's first-year base salary, invoiced on their start date.
Every placement includes a replacement guarantee. If a hire does not work out within the guarantee period, we conduct a new search at no additional cost.
Start a Search →Why Specialize
CDO and senior digital leadership searches are among the most complex and sensitive in consumer commerce. Here is why experience and network depth matter at this level.
There are relatively few true CDO-caliber executives in consumer commerce. Most are not visible on job boards and need to be approached directly, carefully, and with context about why the opportunity is relevant to them specifically. Broadcast recruiting does not work at this level.
CDO scope varies enormously, from pure eCommerce P&L ownership to broad digital transformation including IT, data, and customer experience. We help you define the role clearly before sourcing so every candidate you meet is calibrated to the right scope and seniority.
Executive searches at this level often involve incumbent replacement, board-level sensitivity, or competitive intelligence concerns. We operate with the discretion and confidentiality these searches require.
What We Fill
Most senior digital commerce executive, owning digital transformation, eCommerce P&L, and technology strategy.
Senior executive with exclusive focus on eCommerce channel strategy, operations, and growth.
President-level digital leader at large consumer or retail businesses.
Senior VP level, typically at enterprise retailers or large CPG or consumer brands.
Senior VP with broad digital scope including eCommerce, digital marketing, and technology.
Senior individual contributor or emerging executive leading digital commerce at growing brands.
Our Process
CDO and senior digital leadership searches typically deliver an initial shortlist in 3 to 4 weeks and a placed candidate in 8 to 14 weeks.
FAQ
A Chief Digital Officer typically has broader scope than a VP of eCommerce, often encompassing digital transformation, technology strategy, data and analytics, and sometimes IT, in addition to eCommerce channel ownership. A VP of eCommerce typically has a narrower remit focused on channel performance and team leadership. The right title depends on what the business actually needs the person to own.
CDO and senior digital leadership searches typically take 8 to 14 weeks from engagement start to accepted offer. We target an initial shortlist within 3 to 4 weeks. Longer timelines at this level reflect the complexity of candidate assessment, internal decision-making, and offer negotiation, not sourcing delays.
CDO compensation varies significantly by company size and scope. Base salaries typically range from $200,000 to $400,000, with significant bonus and equity upside at many companies. We provide comp benchmarking upfront based on comparable placements and market data.
Yes. Unlike most executive search firms, eCommerce Placement works exclusively on contingency, meaning you pay our fee only when we successfully place a candidate. No retainer, no upfront cost. Our fee is 20% of the placed candidate's first-year base salary.
We place Chief Digital Officers and senior digital leaders at enterprise retailers, large CPG companies, omnichannel consumer brands, specialty retail, and digitally-native businesses scaling into omnichannel. We have placed senior digital executives across beauty, health, home, food and beverage, apparel, and pet.
Tell us about the role and we will be in touch within one business day.