Head of Category - 39 hours per week

Ready to lead, inspire and make a real impact in the world of pet care? At Pets at Home, we’re on the hunt for a Head of Category to lead the way in creating an accessories portfolio that defines best quality, best value and best lifestyle for our furry friends and their owners.

About the Role

As Head of Category for Dog & Cat Accessories, you’ll drive strategic growth, profitability and innovation for a high-profile category. Owning the P&L, you’ll deliver sales and margin targets, lead a dynamic team and ensure our ranges delight pet owners while meeting business goals.

This is your chance to take the reins on transforming our range – not just tweaking but reimagining. From ensuring our in-store selection hits the mark to expanding an unbeatable online range, you’ll be at the forefront of delivering what our customers truly want.

This is a truly omni-channel role, embracing the synergy between physical stores and digital platforms. By digging deep into customer insights, you’ll design a range that delights, surprises and exceeds expectations, ensuring Pets at Home remains the ultimate destination for pet lovers.

We can offer hybrid working (three days in the office) from our Support Office in Handforth, Cheshire.

Key responsibilities will include;

• Developing and executing a competitive category strategy, optimising sales and margin performance
• Managing supplier relationships and negotiating contracts to achieve profit targets
• Collaborating across teams to deliver market-leading ranges, driving own-brand growth
• Using insights to inform range development, trading plans and promotional strategies
• Leading and inspiring a high-performing team to achieve ambitious results

About You

• Proven leadership in senior retail buying, preferably in ‘non-food’ (ideally from homeware, toys, nursery and/or fashion) and with ‘own-brand’ experience
• Experience of operating successfully in a digital and omni-channel environment
• Commercial acumen and experience in supplier negotiations, P&L ownership and Global/Far East sourcing
• Strong relationship-building skills across internal teams and supplier networks
• A visionary, strategic thinker with a passion for driving innovation, change and performance
• Exceptional team leadership, coaching and mentoring abilities

Benefits

• Annual bonus potential of 25% of salary
• Private healthcare
• Car Allowance
• Company pension contribution of 6.5%
• 36 days annual leave (inc. bank hols), rising to 38 days after two years + additional day for birthday
• Free company shares (potential of 10% of salary annually)
• Life assurance (4 x salary)
• 20% discount across our businesses (Pets Retail, Pets Grooming, Vet Practices)
• Annual sharesave schemes

Pets just see people. They aren’t biased and they don’t discriminate. We take our inspiration from pets, and we value and respect difference in all its forms. Our aim is to reflect the diversity of the communities we operate in, and every colleague can help us achieve this. We encourage our people to be themselves so even if your skills and experience don’t perfectly align, if you think you can make a unique contribution through your values and behaviours, we want to hear from you.

Join us and take ownership of a market-leading category that makes a real difference for pets and their owners. If you’re passionate about making a difference, leading change and creating something extraordinary, this is the role for you. Join us and bring your vision to life! Apply now!