Head of Strategy

About The Very Group

The Very Group is a leading digital retailer dedicated to helping families get more out of life. We prioritize not only customer satisfaction but also employee growth and flexibility, fostering an environment where individuals are encouraged to be themselves, continuously learn, and advance their careers.

Role Overview

As The Very Group embarks on its next growth phase, the Head of Strategy will be pivotal in steering the organization towards achieving its expansion goals. Collaborating closely with the CEO, Executive Committee, and senior leaders, this role ensures the business remains aligned with strategic priorities that generate substantial long-term value. Leading a skilled team of Strategy Managers, the position integrates strategic insights, customer knowledge, and commercial acumen to enable better decision-making and sustainable shareholder value.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with executive leaders to assess strategic opportunities, investments, and business trade-offs.
• Drive the evolution of the Group’s five-year strategic plan, ensuring alignment with customer, market, and shareholder priorities.
• Combine customer, market, commercial, and operational data to guide strategic decisions and challenges.
• Translate strategy into actionable plans with clear outcomes and coordinated business activities.
• Promote understanding and adoption of the Group’s strategy across all organizational levels.
• Maintain focus on critical strategic priorities, identify delivery obstacles, and assist leaders in managing trade-offs and competing demands.
• Evaluate progress towards strategic objectives and value creation, advising leaders on when to accelerate, adjust, or intervene.
• Leverage customer, commercial, and operational insights to improve decision-making, resource prioritization, and allocation.
• Foster a customer-centric, evidence-based, and experimental approach to growth.
• Lead, mentor, and motivate the Strategy Managers team, cultivating a culture of curiosity, challenge, collaboration, and accountability.
• Ensure the strategy team remains a trusted partner to the Executive and broader organization.

Desired Profile

• Extensive experience in strategy, management consulting, corporate development, or related commercial leadership roles.
• Proven success in shaping business strategies and influencing major growth, investment, and transformation initiatives.
• Strong commercial judgement with the capacity to evaluate complex opportunities, trade-offs, and value drivers.
• Exceptional strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, adept at handling ambiguous, high-impact challenges.
• Excellent analytical skills to distill complex data into actionable insights and recommendations.
• Outstanding communication and stakeholder management abilities, with experience collaborating at executive levels.
• Experience in leading and inspiring high-performing teams.
• Ability to build consensus and alignment across multiple functions and competing priorities.
• A customer-focused mindset with a commitment to data-driven, evidence-based decision-making.
• Comfort operating within fast-paced, dynamic environments where adaptability and prioritization are essential.

Perks & Benefits

• Flexible hybrid working approach.
• Inclusive and supportive culture.
• £10,000 flexible benefits allowance tailored to individual needs.
• 30 days holiday plus bank holidays.
• Access to professional learning via LinkedIn Learning.
• Potential for performance and business-related bonuses.
• Up to 25% discount on purchases from Very.co.uk.
• Matched pension contributions up to 6%.
• Additional benefits detailed on the company’s career site.

Additional Information

Applicants will undergo credit, CIFAS, Right to Work, and where relevant, criminal record checks. Candidates should disclose any information that may impact these checks, including unspent criminal convictions prior to their execution. The interview process includes a video call and a formal face-to-face interview involving a task and competency evaluation. Reasonable adjustments are available to ensure accessibility throughout recruitment.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Very Group is committed to fostering an inclusive environment and encourages applications from diverse backgrounds without discrimination. The company supports accessibility and is a Disability Confident Committed Employer with multiple colleague networks promoting inclusivity and awareness.