Business Area: Nestlé Purina

Regional Head of Market Development Organisation (MDO) Purina Northern Region - (UK, Ireland, Benelux, Nordics & Baltics)

Location: Gatwick (Hybrid working: 2-3 days per week in our office)

Competitive Salary & Benefits package

Some of our fantastic benefits

• Car Allowance
• Potential, discretionary bonus
• Generous pension scheme
• 12 flexible days on top of 25-day holiday entitlement
• 2 paid volunteering days
• A focus on personal development and growth

Although this is a full-time permanent opportunity, please speak to us about what flexibility means to you as we are always open to discussing individual’s flexible working needs.

Position Summary

At Nestlé Purina, we’re on a mission to enrich the lives of pets, the people who love them, and the planet we share. Join us, and you’ll discover a world where your skills, knowledge, and passion can flourish. As part of our supportive and dynamic environment, you’ll be encouraged to challenge norms, experiment with new ideas, and drive meaningful change. At Purina, you’re not just part of a team; you’re part of a movement to create a better world for pets and people alike.

We have an exciting opportunity to join our team as the Head of MDO – Northern Region for Purina reporting into the Business Executive Officer for Nestlé Purina Petcare (NPP) UK&I and Northern Region.

Purina operates across multiple channels from grocery to ecommerce right through to vet and direct to consumer. MDO covers all these channels. Beyond the core brand portfolio, the UK is right at the heart of the NPPE ecosystem with partners, start-ups and acquisitions such as Tails.com (a UK based D2C business), IVC Evidensia (Europe’s largest vet clinic group, also headquartered in the UK), Lily’s Kitchen (based in central London) and ZigZag (a UK based training app company).

The core of the role is focused on the Purina branded business in the UK but an important aspect is helping advance the full ecosystem plus also overseeing and supporting MDO operations in the other markets within the Northern Region – Ireland plus Benelux, Nordic and Baltic countries.   

You will lead a team of 40 experts to build the overall category and channel development strategy with our customers, to achieve long term sustainable profitable business growth, and win omni-channel share in all channels. This involves putting shopper insight at the heart of our thinking, optimising our SRM approach and also ensuring that our sustainability actions are fully embedded in our category strategy.   

Purina UK is proud to have one of the most expert and advanced MDO teams in Europe matching the overall dynamism of the UK omni-channel environment, rapidly changing shopper trends and high retail expectations. This role will continue to raise the bar on category development.

As Head of MDO, you will sit on the Purina UK&I leadership team representing the function but also helping shape focus and culture of the UK&I business.  You will also sit on the NPPE MDLT leadership team representing both the UK and also the other markets in Northern region, helping shape the MDO function at European level.

Your impact

Ultimately, you will be building and developing a high performing team culture to deliver the achievement of the business objectives through leading and inspiring the MDO team as well as the wider commercial teams to drive our customers thinking in developing tomorrow's pet category. Your key responsibilities will be:

• Ownership of the Channel Strategy and to ensure it remains relevant for hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience, specialist channels, discounters, D2C and eCommerce
• Evolve and enhance the MDO organisational structure to guarantee it continues to be fit for the future and is enabling the wider commercial organisation to be able to anticipate new trends.
• Develop senior level contacts with key customers category and buying teams to drive the category agenda.
• Work hand in hand with colleagues in Sales, Specialist and Marketing in the market plus above market colleagues in NPPE, NiM colleagues and MDO teams across the Northern Region.
• Maintain external relationships with key stakeholders within the pet industry and beyond to support the role out of Purina in Society.                                                             

• Coach and develop direct and indirect reports to achieve their full potential, building a strong culture of inclusivity across the full end to end team in the UK and the region.
• Be a contact point for the Regional MDO teams as support and to enable sharing of best practice.                                                                         

Your ingredients for success

To be successful in this role, you’ll be a practiced leader and influencer with a strongly collaborative approach. You will have displayed great leadership of diverse teams and will be well versed in building and executing commercial strategy. MDO sits as an equal partner to sales, specialist channel and marketing so a breath of commercial experience across Marketing, Sales and MDO is especially important.  Given the role complexity, you are likely to already be part of a senior leadership team. You will also have:

• Knowledge of the pet care category
• Ability to flex from strategy and inspiring vision to operational delivery and concrete solutions
• Strong leadership characteristics – success in team building + results track record + energy/drive and able to balance long term vison with short term results
• Knowledge of a variety of business models is also very much appreciated (due to the nature of the various channels Purina operates in)
• International experience is helpful but not essential.
• The ability to work collaboratively through impact and influence across a wide variety of teams, functions and cultures
• Strong and clear communicator internally and externally
• Able to foster an analytical, curious, insight driven culture

What you need to know

Advert posting date: 30/04/2026
Advert closing date: 07/05/2026

We will be considering candidates as they apply and we will occasionally close job advertisements early in the event we receive sufficient applicants, so please don’t delay in submitting your application.

At Nestlé, our values are rooted in respect and we believe that embracing diversity and fostering an inclusive environment allows everyone to reach their full potential and drives innovative thinking. We strongly encourage applications from individuals of all gender identities, ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities, parents, carers and members of the LGBT+ community. Please let us know if we can provide accommodations to ensure your full participation in the application process.

We take pride in championing inclusion and diversity. We proudly signed the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter, are committed to Disability Confidence, and have been recognised as a Times Top 50 Employer for gender equality for three consecutive years. Additionally, we are a headline partner of Diversity and Inclusion in grocery.

To find out more about Nestle’s commitment to DEI: Nestlé's Commitment to a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace

To find out more about your recruitment journey with Nestle: Recruitment Journey | Nestlé UK & Ireland