Country Director New Zealand
SkillOnNet is seeking an entrepreneurial, commercially driven, and hands-on Country Director for New Zealand to lead and grow its presence in this key strategic market. This role combines ownership of marketing, commercial performance, and local market operations, with responsibility for building and leading a high-performing local team capable of operating effectively across time zones.
As Country Director, the successful candidate will be the ultimate owner of the New Zealand market, responsible for driving sustainable growth through customer acquisition, brand development, retention initiatives, and commercial optimisation. Working closely with central teams across marketing, CRM, affiliates, product, compliance, and operations, the individual will ensure global strategies are effectively adapted and executed for the local market.
In addition to marketing leadership, the Country Director will establish and manage a self-sufficient local market function that supports relationships with key suppliers and stakeholders, local operational requirements, product testing and market enhancements, regulatory compliance, and customer experience initiatives. Acting as the voice of the New Zealand customer, the role involves identifying opportunities for growth, championing local market needs, and influencing business decisions that drive long-term success.
- Own and deliver the overall New Zealand market strategy, performance targets, and P&L objectives.
- Develop and execute strategic plans to drive customer acquisition, retention, revenue growth, and market share.
- Identify market opportunities, customer trends, and competitive developments to inform commercial decision-making.
- Act as the primary advocate for New Zealand customer needs and market requirements across the business.
- Develop strategic plans for brand-building and acquisition marketing activities across the market.
- Lead and manage customer acquisition channels including TV, radio, sponsorships, print, out-of-home advertising, PR, digital marketing, affiliates, and performance-based media.
- Work closely with internal teams and external agencies to optimise campaign effectiveness and marketing performance.
- Own and manage substantial annual marketing budgets, forecasts, and performance targets.
- Serve as brand champion for the local market, adapting global brand positioning, creative assets, and tone of voice while developing bespoke local campaigns where required.
- Conduct pre- and post-campaign analysis to measure ROI, CPA, effectiveness, and optimisation opportunities.
- Build, lead, and develop a high-performing local team capable of supporting market needs across multiple business functions.
- Provide leadership, coaching, recruitment, succession planning, and professional development for local team members.
- Coordinate local operational initiatives and ensure effective collaboration between New Zealand and central business functions.
- Support local market requirements relating to customer experience, operational processes, and business performance.
- Partner with product teams to support local product testing, customer feedback collection, market validation, and enhancement opportunities.
- Ensure products, promotions, and customer communications are relevant and optimised for the New Zealand market.
- Manage relationships with local suppliers, agencies, media partners, industry stakeholders, and other third-party providers.
- Lead agency selection processes, contract negotiations, and ongoing commercial management.
- Work closely with legal, compliance, and regulatory teams to ensure all activities meet New Zealand regulatory requirements and responsible gambling standards.
- Maintain strong awareness of regulatory developments and industry changes that may impact market performance.
- 7+ years' experience in a senior commercial, marketing, or country management leadership role within a high-volume B2C industry (required).
- 3+ years' experience within the New Zealand online gaming industry (required).
- Proven track record of successfully launching, scaling, or growing a consumer brand in New Zealand (required).
- Strong commercial acumen with experience owning market performance, budgets, business plans, and growth targets (required).
- Deep understanding of the New Zealand advertising, media, and digital marketing landscape (required).
- Demonstrated experience managing significant above-the-line and performance marketing budgets from strategy through execution, reporting, and optimisation (required).
- Experience building, leading, and developing high-performing teams (required).
- Strong stakeholder management skills with experience managing agencies, suppliers, and external partners (required).
- Experience working cross-functionally with product, operations, compliance, and customer-facing teams (required).
- Knowledge of New Zealand gaming regulations and responsible gambling requirements (required).
- Highly entrepreneurial, self-sufficient, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high-growth environment (required).
- Excellent work environment.
- Attractive salary package.
- Monetary vouchers on Birthdays and other special occasions.
- A chance to advance professionally inside one of the world's largest iGaming organisations.
SkillOnNet is a leading online casino software and platform provider, offering customisable casino platforms with an extensive range of games. With significant industry experience, it delivers quality and technical expertise to operators looking to launch and run online casinos. Its customisable packages are designed for stability, scalability and fast deployment to meet varying operator needs. SkillOnNet is headquartered in Sliema, Malta, and also operates its own portfolio of casino brands.