Head of Supply Chain

Keynsham, Bristol, EnglandPet Drugs Online – Operations /Pet Drugs Online (1035) /HybridPet Drugs Online Role  IVC Evidensia is the UK and Europe’s leading veterinary care group, made up of over 900 practices and referral hospitals, united by a shared purpose of happier animals, happier owners. At IVC Evidensia, we believe careers should be built without limits. Our people are supported to make more impact, access more career opportunities, and play an active role in their local and professional communities.

Through investment in learning, innovation, and wellbeing, we create environments where our teams can grow in confidence, capability, and fulfilment—at every stage of their career. Pet Drugs Online is one of the UK’s leading online pet pharmacies and retailers, helping pet owners access trusted medication, healthcare products, and everyday essentials quickly, safely, and conveniently. As part of the IVC Evidensia Group, Pet Drugs Online combines the agility of a growing ecommerce business with the strength and expertise of a leading veterinary care organisation.

Our teams play a vital role in making pet healthcare more accessible through innovation, operational excellence, and outstanding customer experience. How You'll Make a DifferenceYou'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 cyclesBuild one agreed demand forecast by product, category and time horizon, then track its accuracy and bias and challenge any assumption without evidence behind itTurn 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 approvedSet 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 linesHold overall accountability for stock accuracy and availability, working through the Stock Manager on counts, batch and expiry control, adjustments and fixing root causesManage supplier performance and own the commercial relationships with our carriers and 3PL partners, from contracts and service levels to capacity and contingency plansWork 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 manageableBuild the team's capability, succession and reporting so the function spots problems early and doesn't have to rush orders through after the factYou 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 rangeDeep practical knowledge of forecast accuracy and bias, inventory segmentation, safety stock, reorder logic, supplier lead times, service levels and working capitalStrong commercial and financial judgement, with the ability to put numbers on the choices between revenue, margin, availability, cost, cash and riskConfidence chairing decision meetings with Commercial, Operations and Finance, challenging constructively and getting everyone behind one planA highly numerate approach, with the pragmatism to tighten control before perfect technology is in placeA calm, credible style and the willingness to raise uncomfortable facts earlyA commitment to supporting our purpose and valuesWhat We Offer Our Team Healthcare Cash Plan Cycle to Work scheme Green Cars salary sacrifice scheme Voluntary benefits: choose from a range of benefits to suit you Discounted staff pet care Access to discounts/cashback with hundreds of participating retailers Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Belonging At IVC Evidensia we are committed to Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Belonging, we are keen to hear from candidates from all minority and diverse groups. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are keen to hear from candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions and would be happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments needed during the recruitment process. We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information.

These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.