Head of Category Management

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About Pet Drugs Online

Pet Drugs Online is proud to be one of the UK's leading suppliers of affordable veterinary medicines and pet products, committed to ensuring the best possible care for every pet.

As a major retailer and a member of IVC Evidensia, the largest veterinary group in the UK and Europe, we work to enhance the health and happiness of pets nationwide!

If you would like to learn more about Pet Drugs Online's journey over the past 20 years, checkout our About Us page Pet Drugs Online and see if you would be a good fit for us.

About the role

As the Head of Category Management, you'll own the end-to-end commercial strategy across all categories ensuring compelling ranges, best-in-class execution, and outstanding financial performance. You will guide a team of Category Managers who each own their category's trading, planning, and supplier relationships.

This is a high-impact role where strategic thinking meets hands-on commercial leadership.

What you'll do

Category Leadership & Strategy

*Deliver total category portfolio sales, margin, and income targets.

*Define and implement the overarching category strategy aligned to business goals and customer needs.

*Develop seasonal trade plans and promotional frameworks.

*Own taxonomy, site navigation principles, pricing architecture, and category guardrails.

Buying Excellence

*Oversee supplier negotiations, cost price management, and funding agreements.

*Manage supplier performance (OTIF, compliance) and escalate issues where needed.

*Govern product onboarding standards including data, imagery, and compliance.

*Ensure stock health and cash flow targets are met.

Team Leadership

*Lead, coach, and develop a team of Category Managers.

*Build capability in negotiation, analytics, and strategic planning.

*Foster a culture of data-driven decision-making and strong supplier collaboration.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

*Partner with Digital Trading on promotional execution and on-site merchandising.

*Work with Marketing to align category priorities to campaign plans.

*Collaborate with Supply Chain to drive availability and high service levels.

What you'll bring

*Extensive experience in category management and buying within retail or ecommerce.

*Strong leadership capability with a track record of developing high-performing teams.

*Expert negotiation and supplier relationship management skills.

*Strong commercial acumen with the ability to translate customer insight into strategy.

*Knowledge of pricing, promotional mechanics, and range planning.

*Comfortable working with analytics tools, forecasting systems, and data-led decision-making.

Ready to make an impact? Apply today and help us build the future of Pet Food retail.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. 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.