Head of Supply Chain

A critical member of the Senior Leadership Team, accountable for the supply of goods throughout Coop Wholesale.  Leading a diverse team with a complex range of skills necessary to deliver excellent performance for our Wholesale Customers. The role must lead strategic relationships across the business, Suppliers, Trading, Logistics, Sales & Retail team, Central Operations as well as Wholesale customers and Key partner groups, to maximise the availability of products to customers whilst optimising inventory levels across our Coop Wholesale network. 

The role-holder is also responsible for embedding significant strategic transformational change aligned to TCG’s growth ambitions. 

• Developing and delivering the Coop Wholesale supply chain strategy aligned to Coop Group  
• Leading complex and critical relationships with multiple stakeholders, Coop Wholesale, Independent Retail, Key Account Partner Group’s and Suppliers
• Ensuring a strong relationship with trading teams and providing strategic, supply chain expertise that ensures commercial decisions relating to range, buying and product development are made with supply chain opportunities and constraints in mind.  Act as the formal range governance lead for Supply Chain and Logistics
• Transforming relationships with suppliers so that they are mutually beneficial – building on recommendations from Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP).  Expected to develop and drive robust KPIs and ways of working to effectively review and improve supplier and depot availability and performance 
• Accuracy of forecasting in order to improve workforce planning in depots, contribute to a reduction of inventory stock, stock holding capacity management with depots, and drive customer availability and satisfaction
• Route to Market decisions that ensure the most efficient flow of goods through our network of depots and stores
• Effective management and delivery of trade plans, including promotional planning, seasonal planning, event planning and portfolio in line with customer segmentation
• Continually reviewing and identifying supplier issues contributing to damage and waste, obsolete and aged stock management to include effective exit routes.
• Working with relevant teams to develop and establish an effective cross functional depot and store replenishment operating model that enables and drives sustainable improvements in customer availability 
• Design and develop robust processes for ensuring root cause issues that impact availability are fully addressed and act as the formal availability lead for change programmes.
• Leading a significant level of change across the team including readiness, implementation and sustainability of associated IT infrastructure, building analytical capability that improves data driven decision making. 
• Also accountable for leading the execution of supply chain development opportunities as identified through supply chain development programmes that fall within the accountabilities of this role; and any changes associated with new channels
• Transforming the culture of Supply to a team that is passionate about their roles and development and engaged to deliver their agreed objectives 
• Oversee compliance with all legal requirements to ensure Coop Wholesale supply chain operation remains in line with regulations and requirements. 
• Executive commentary and reporting

• Co-operation– My team and I excel at wise and effective collaboration by identifying internal expertise to create opportunities for all teams and departments to connect, in order to achieve and surpass strategic business goals.
• Future Focused– I actively encourage my team to share information, insights and trends. I inspire them to focus on revenue growth, member value, market impact and community benefit, ensuring that they align their strategies and activity to maximise profitability.
• Inspirational Communicator - I communicate in a clear, concise, appropriate, memorable and inspirational manner that engages others and encourages them to trust me. I listen to others first to understand
• Endless Inclusion– I make time to ensure that my team is known for influencing positive, inclusive change throughout Co-op. I help others to understand how bias can affect decision making and how different opinions can help to come to better decisions. I share relevant and meaningful insights from the external market to unlock creativity, capture opinions on inclusion and shape training within the organisation.
• Developing Others - I take full responsibility for the performance management, coaching and mentoring of my team, unlocking their full potential and developing individuals to be their best. I personalise the development journey for each, creating development plans based on an understanding of their personal intent, personality and the organisations requirements to encourage development, and to ensure the right development takes place.

• Shape and lead the Coop Wholesale Supply Chain strategy, ensuring alignment with Coop Group ambitions and delivering exceptional service to Wholesale customers.
• Make strategic decisions on supply chain operations, supplier relationships, inventory management, and route-to-market models to optimise availability and efficiency.
• Influence and govern commercial decisions by acting as the formal Supply Chain lead for range governance, ensuring supply chain considerations are embedded in trading and product development.
• Drive transformational change across the supply function, including the implementation of new systems, processes, and cultural shifts that support TCG’s growth ambitions.
• Establish and lead strategic partnerships with suppliers, trading teams, logistics, retail, and key account partners to deliver mutually beneficial outcomes and improved performance.
• Lead the development of cross-functional replenishment models and availability improvement programmes, ensuring root cause issues are addressed and sustainable solutions are embedded.
• Represent Supply Chain at senior leadership level, providing expert insight, executive reporting, and commentary to inform business-wide decisions.
• Champion a high-performance culture, empowering the team to take ownership of their development, performance, and contribution to business outcomes.
• Ensure legal and regulatory compliance across all aspects of the supply chain operation, maintaining Coop Wholesale’s reputation and operational integrity.

• Technical knowledge and expertise relating to end to end supply chain management including areas within and beyond this role i.e. trading, supplier/contract management, logistics and store operations 
• Able to develop and re-design business operating models so that they are customer focused, industry leading, and comprise the right processes, metrics and people requirements that ensure success
• Able to develop strong, strategic, cross functional relationships and influence senior stakeholders where required
• Confident facilitator with the ability to manage politics and stakeholders and the ability to bring people together and enable cross functional ways of working
• Understanding and experience of handling global and national issues/trends that could impact the supply chain
• Evidence of handling complexity and creating simplicity for teams so that complex issues, ideas and plans are effectively translated and delivered
• Ability to synthesize mass data and insight and use in effective decision making
• Evidence of problem solving and spotting new opportunities that create value for colleagues and customers 
• Advanced level of commercial and financial acumen
• Engaging leader that inspires a team and creates a compelling and enjoyable place to work and works collaboratively across functions

Accountability

• Contributes significantly to medium-term strategic planning for the function, ensuring alignment of activity within their own team.
• Plans and co-ordinates work within a team, ensuring the right capabilities are in place to deliver effectively now and in the future, and responding to change that impacts on their area of responsibility.
• Manages team delivery in accordance with agreed budgets.

Impact

• Acts as a voice for their wider team, advising senior leaders to ensure challenges, learnings and opportunities experienced across the business inform strategic decision-making.
• Empowers and enables their immediate team to deliver the short-term plan within clear decision-making parameters, providing resources and guidance to support them.
• As an individual contributor, provides thought leadership to help shape the function's response to challenges, and approach to delivery of the medium-term plan.
• Creates a Co-op culture of inclusivity which allows colleagues to be themselves always, where everyone can reach their potential.

Co-operation

• Collaborates with peers to deliver great work that enables the function to succeed. Co-operates with other teams and SMEs to get to the best outcome for the Co-op in their work.