We are looking for a hardworking and ambitious new Head of Warehousing to join our rapidly growing family-owned footwear business, Pavers. We move over 10m pairs of shoes a year and need a tenacious, inspirational, and infectious leader of people to create and develop operational plans, actively forecast and manage current and future capacity utilisation, drive a mindset of continuous improvement, and sustain a culture of learning and development within our York-based head office and warehouse operation. Having invested over £3m in warehouse automation over the past 2 years we are rapidly modernising working practices and are looking for a detail-orientated, people-focussed leader to join our business.
With a turnover of over £200m, having grown almost 50% since 2019, and with significant further growth planned, we are looking for a leader with experience of high growth environments who will drive standards and motivate their direct and indirect reports to achieve excellent standards and perform to their full potential. We are a people-focussed organisation so the ability to lead people and nurture development whilst ensuring operational success, cost control and green KPI`s is key.
You will report to our most senior Operations leader (board member) and will be part of the operational leadership team. You will be expected to work collaboratively across all departments to ensure reliable, accurate, and consistent service delivery to both our e-commerce and retail operations. You must be accustomed to working in a fast-paced environment and willing to lead from the front, demonstrating confidence, authority and gravitas at all times and with all colleagues
Pavers has been trading for over 50 years and is a highly profitable family owned-and-run retail business with a strong balance sheet, over 185 retail locations, and a rapidly expanding digital presence. We also own the Jones Bootmaker, Padders, and Herring Shoes footwear businesses, remain acquisitive, and employ over 1700 people. We are one of the UK’s Top 10 Retail Employers according to Best Companies, are Carbon Neutral, have donated more than £1.5m to charity in the past 4 years, and are currently in the final stages of B Corp accreditation.
Key Responsibilities and Duties of the Head of Warehousing:
- Oversee all operational results, costs and KPI`s. including budgetary responsibility.
- Interpret Resource, I/O &supply chain plans to produce short-, medium- and long-term capacity/resource plans.
- Manage supply/demand imbalance & plan variations to make commercially viable recommendations/strategic decision making for future planning.
- Agree and lock short term “on day” plans with FTE requirements at process level.
- Oversee stock integrity, order fulfilment, returns and warehouse administration, in a cost effective and efficient manner, to meet the standards of the operation.
- Ensure the consistent deliver of service excellence – OTIF – identify reasons for success/failure and remedial plans.
- Maximise productivity targets within the plan and define FTE availability/shrinkage assumptions.
- Ensure health, safety, environmental and quality standards are developed and maintained.
- Take ownership of the culture, morale, communication, behaviour and health and safety of all individuals within the warehouse operations to ensure a harmonious, positive, and safe working environment for all.
- Conduct recurring reviews and appraisals with your direct reports to offer guidance and support. Identify areas where improvements can be made and hold people accountable.
- Ensure security is integral and always maintained.
- Oversee change management.
Qualifications & Skill Requirements to be our Head of Warehousing:
- Experience within a B2C/B2B customer focused warehouse and distribution environment within a fast-paced environment
- Technical/Systems experience within a similar environment ideally within a multi-user site with a proven understanding of warehouse order fulfilment processes.
- 3+ years in a warehousing environment at management level. Health and Safety trained to IOSH standard.
- Proven experience in HR /ER relations including conflict resolution skills.
- Ability to effectively plan and strategise in line with business goals and to build upon and expand on sector knowledge.
- Financially and commercially astute.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (both verbal and written).
- Experience working in a family business plus a sense of humour and a drive to get things done would be ideal!
Pay & Benefits for our Head of Warehousing:
Competitive salary depending on experience, plus:
- Flexible/Hybrid Working potential up to 2 days per week working from home once fully inducted
- Annual discretionary bonus scheme
- Generous Staff Discount
- Death in Service Benefit x 3 Salary
- Private Medical Insurance
- Holiday Entitlement (Increases with service)
- Company Contribution Pension 7.5% matched.
- Access to Retail TRUST (Wellbeing & Financial Support)
- Access to the Pavers Foundation: an employee-led grant application and charitable giving scheme
- Access to Pavers Academy for learning and development opportunities
About Us
At Pavers we look for confident, upbeat people and we provide great jobs in a supportive family environment for them. We know that without our colleagues there is no business, and so we always try and do the right thing by our people.
We strive for diversity of thinking across the business and believe strongly in supporting our local communities. In 2018 we donated over £2.2m to establish the Pavers Foundation, with the specific purpose of providing grants for causes important to our colleagues in the areas of health, education, and community. In terms of the environment, we are constantly seeking to reduce our impact. Since 2021 we have been fully carbon neutral, and we also have one of the largest solar arrays in the North-East of England on our warehouse, generating clean energy. Due to our yearly donation of 2.5% of our net profit to our Foundation, our overarching aim is to be financially successful, but to achieve this in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.
If this sounds like the kind of business you’d like to work for, we’d love to hear from you - please apply today for the role of Head of Warehousing.