Head of Supply Chain

How You'll Make a Difference

You'll report to the Managing Director and lead the supply chain for Pet Drugs Online (PDOL), giving the business one clear view of demand, supply, stock and risk. You'll own the sales and operations planning (S&OP) process and lead three managers, covering planning, stock, and our carrier and third party logistics (3PL) partners. The goal is easy to state and hard to achieve: the right stock in the right place at the right time, without losing sales or tying up cash in excess or obsolete inventory.

• Run the monthly S&OP cycle from demand review through to the executive decision meeting, and chair the weekly reviews that keep the plan on track between cycles
• Build one agreed demand forecast by product, category and time horizon, then track its accuracy and bias and challenge any assumption without evidence behind it
• Turn the demand plan into a workable supply, purchasing, stock and warehouse capacity plan, making constraints, costs and the effect on customers clear before anything is approved
• Set stock policy for each product segment, covering service levels, safety stock, reorder points and order quantities, with separate controls for fast and slow movers and for prescription, seasonal, short dated and critical lines
• Hold overall accountability for stock accuracy and availability, working through the Stock Manager on counts, batch and expiry control, adjustments and fixing root causes
• Manage supplier performance and own the commercial relationships with our carriers and 3PL partners, from contracts and service levels to capacity and contingency plans
• Work with Commercial on ranges and promotions, with Finance to reconcile the plan to budget and working capital, and with Goods In and Warehouse Operations to keep inbound deliveries manageable
• Build the team's capability, succession and reporting so the function spots problems early and doesn't have to rush orders through after the fact

You Might Be a Great Fit If...

We're looking for a driven, capable professional who brings:

• Senior supply chain leadership experience, including direct ownership of S&OP, demand and supply planning, purchasing and inventory in a business with a large, varied product range
• Deep practical knowledge of forecast accuracy and bias, inventory segmentation, safety stock, reorder logic, supplier lead times, service levels and working capital
• Strong commercial and financial judgement, with the ability to put numbers on the choices between revenue, margin, availability, cost, cash and risk
• Confidence chairing decision meetings with Commercial, Operations and Finance, challenging constructively and getting everyone behind one plan
• A highly numerate approach, with the pragmatism to tighten control before perfect technology is in place
• A calm, credible style and the willingness to raise uncomfortable facts early
• A commitment to supporting our purpose and values