Changing the world of pet food for good

We’re Tails.com, a dog food subscription company with a big difference. We create truly tailored food for each and every dog we serve. We start by asking people a few simple questions about their dog. Then we use that information to create their dog’s unique Tails.com recipe – so their dog gets exactly the nutrition they need, in the taste they love, delivered to their door every month. It’s clever stuff.

We’ve got bold plans. Having created an entirely new category in pet food, we’re now scaling fast in the UK and Europe – backed by Purina, one of the world’s largest pet food companies. You’ll join a bunch of smart people working towards the same goals – and a bunch of smart-ish dogs, all working on their own thing.

Together, we’ll change the world of pet food for good.

People. Process. Planning.
That’s what sourcing and procurement at Tails.com is all about. People first – because it takes good people to build the kind of long-term, trusted partnerships with suppliers that we do, and it takes great people to create and deliver an exceptional product.

Process, because we can only do what we do by being able to see how the whole system – physical product, digital product, and personal service – fits together. Then we make these complex processes as simple and streamlined as possible. So our team are pattern-spotters, insight-hunters, and change-makers; people ready to be flexible, adaptable, and help us improve in everything we do.

And planning, because we’re here to see as much of the future as we can - to make sure we have enough food for the dogs we serve. We’ve been data-driven from day one, finding new and better ways to draw the insights that help us plan for next week, next year, or five years from now.

Build our brand
We’re building an international brand, fast. We set ambitious goals. We challenge and support each other in equal measure. At the pace we’re moving, we prefer to test ideas and learn quickly rather than spend months building a business case. That means we celebrate when things go right, and we learn when things go wrong.

Sound like a team you want to join? Here’s how you’ll make a difference:

The role
You will be responsible for:

• Contract Negotiation - Leading negotiations and sourcing of new services alongside drafting and reviewing supply agreements to secure favourable terms
• Contract and Supplier Management - Leading supplier relationship management process end to end and monitoring contract
• Providing strategic support to the wider business to ensure effective commercial outcomes
• Risk Assessment and Mitigation - Identify potential risks in suppliers/contracts and develop strategies to minimise exposure and protect company interests
• Identifying cost management and value add opportunities for the business in line with strategic initiatives
• Supporting in delivering growth at Tails.com through category sourcing strategies
• Monitoring market trends and providing insights to the business

The skills you’ll bring:

• Demonstrated commercial smarts and outstanding numerical analysis
• Minimum 5 years experience in services procurement
• Ideally experience managing marketing and media related categories
• Advanced negotiation skills
• Excellent communication and presentation skills in English - written and verbal
• A supportive and collaborative leadership style to promote and support a best procurement practice

What's in it for you? 

• Competitive salary, reviewed annually
• Annual bonus, based on company performance
• Flexible core hours, giving you true work life balance
• Hybrid role to ensure this role works for you
• 25 days of holiday (excluding bank holidays) which increases over time to a max of 27 days
• 9/10 day working week to enhance your wellbeing without a reduction in pay and leave allowance
• Optional 5 days unpaid leave and 1 paid volunteer day each year
• When you need a change of scenery, you can work from abroad 2 weeks every 6 months
• Health insurance for you, paid by Tails.com
• Extended maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption pay. 6 months at 70% pay
• Flexible paid care leave to support immediate dependants, people close to you and pets
  An external financial coach to support a range of topics - debt management, savings and investments
• In house L&D team, with access to year round courses to help drive your development
• 50% discount on all Tails.com and 40% on Republic of Cats products
• Discounted gym membership

What’s next?
If this sounds like it matches your experience and what you’d love to do, we can’t wait to hear from you! If you’re unsure whether you fit our criteria exactly, please get in touch anyway. And because we believe that diverse teams perform better, we’d especially love to hear from you if you’re from an under-represented demographic.

Here’s a taster of how our recruitment process works:

1. Once you have applied your CV will be reviewed by the Talent team
2. If selected, you will then have a call with the Talent team to understand more about your skills and experience (30 mins)
3. Should you be successful, the next stage will be a video call with the hiring manager and finance director (45 mins)
4. If successful, you will be invited to present a task back to hiring manager and key stakeholders (60 mins)

Our Commitment
We’re proud to be an active equal opportunity employer. We want to give everyone a fair chance to join us in changing the world of pet food for good. We do this by conducting a structured recruitment process for all candidates, as well as actively promoting our roles to communities that are under-represented at Tails.com.

During your interview process you’ll meet some of our team with varying levels of responsibility and experience. We want to give every candidate a fair interview process and if you need any reasonable adjustments made, please let us know.