Content Sales Manager, French Language (9 month contract)

Job Description:

Here at Rakuten Kobo Inc., we offer a casual work 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 supported and valued.

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

The Role:

Rakuten Kobo Inc. is looking for a Content Sales Manager, for French-speaking countries, to join our team of international booksellers for 7 months, with the possibility of a 2 month extension, starting in July 2026. The Content Sales team is comprised of bookselling experts spread across the globe who ensure that the right books are being surfaced to the right customer at the right time. The team is responsible for, amongst other tasks, tracking local performance of all content types, merchandising content across all platforms and for all products (eBook A La Carte, audiobook A La Carte, Kobo Plus – our content subscription plans...), working closely with publishers and partners in creating marketing campaigns, measuring results to inform the sales strategy in order to maximize net sales, identifying and advocating for improvements to our eCommerce experience and subscriptions program, playing a key role in growing the eBook and audiobook markets in the French-speaking countries where Kobo operates, i. e. France, Belgium, Switzerland and Quebec.

Reporting to the Director, Content Sales & Merchandising, French Geos & Emerging Markets, the Content Sales Manager, Global French, plays a vital role in helping the growth of the eBook and audiobook markets and in advocating for customer experience and product improvements to capture more content opportunities.

The Person: Passionate about books and reading, you are an obsessive reader and bookseller or online retail professional with a desire to grow in the fast-moving field of eBooks, audiobooks, and content subscriptions. You have a strong gut-feel for what your customers are going to love, and you keep your gut healthy with a steady diet of data, with an ability to take that data and turn it into recommendations and decisions. Resourceful, innovative, forward thinking and process-oriented, you find ways to get things done even when it means adjusting your vision along the way, all the while developing healthy and productive cross-functional relationships in an international context.

You must have prior success in the book industry in France.

As Content Sales Lead, you will be responsible for:

• Managing the Quebec Content Sales specialist to reach the budget objective on this territory.
• Connecting French, Belgian, Swiss and Quebec customers with their next favorite eBook and audiobook.
• Keeping abreast of the latest releases and upcoming titles in the markets you’re in charge of, ensuring they find the right space within the store, keeping into considerations the differences amongst our platforms, the cultural discourse going on in these countries, and opportunities to leverage the entire catalogue of available eBooks and audiobooks.
• Employing the full array of reporting tools to inform title placement and selection on site, apps, and marketing materials but also to identify opportunities to develop ad-hoc initiatives.
• Supporting the launch of new lines of business.
• Working with Publishers and Retail Partners to execute promotions and marketing campaigns.
• Together with other Content Sales Managers, collaborating with Kobo’s Marketing, Brand & PR and Publishers Relations team to capture and promote content-selling opportunities.
• Working with Customer Care, Product and Business Development teams to keep them appropriately informed on the content story in your territories.
• Working with Product, Analytics, Business Development, Retail Partners, Publisher Operations, and Vendor Management teams to maximize sales and analyze developments needed for Kobo’s market share growth.
• Creating analyses on sales performance periodically and using these analyses to inform your strategy.

The Skillset:

Required:

• A passion for bookselling and ecommerce, supported by time spent in a combination of book retail, publishing, or ecommerce roles.
• A deep knowledge of the French book and digital publishing market, and an understanding of global cultures.
• Native French (written/spoken/reading) is a must.
• Fluency in English (written/spoken/reading) is required.
• Strong data analytics skills – proficiency with Excel and Power Point .
• A customer-first focus.
• An enjoyment of working remotely, coordinating with a variety of teams sitting in several different countries – and the ability to build strong, cross-functional relationships working this way.
• An interest for, or previous experience of, working across cultures.

Nice to Haves:

• An interest in project management.
• Experience in managing people, including interns and work-study students.
• Experience with project management softwares like Click Up.
• Stellar communications skills, including a keen instinct for when to send an email, have a quick chat on Slack, have a call, or schedule a meeting.
• Excellent organizational skills, autonomy, and the ability to stay calm under pressure to meet tight deadlines.

The Perks

• Remote working environment

• 4 extra long weekends around bank holiday weekends

• Free Kobo device + free weekly eBook or audiobook

• Weekly Kobo Tech University sessions

About Rakuten Kobo Inc.
Rakuten Kobo Inc. is the world’s digital bookseller created by and for booklovers. Owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten Group, Inc. and headquartered in Toronto, Rakuten Kobo’s millions of worldwide users can read anytime, anywhere, and on any device. With a mission to make reading lives better for all, Rakuten Kobo connects readers to stories using thoughtful and personalized curation of eBooks and audiobooks, and the best dedicated eReaders and apps for reading. With the singular focus of making reading lives the best they can be, Kobo’s open platform allows people to fit reading into more moments in their busy lives. To learn more about Rakuten Kobo, visit www.kobo.com.

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.  

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