Ocado Retail
Senior Buyer – Dairy (12 month FTC)
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Contract type: Fixed Term Contract (12 months, until Oct/Nov 2027)
Location: Hatfield (Hybrid working – 3 days in the office)
Working hours per week: 40 hours
Level: Senior Buyer
Reports to: Head of Category
Application Closing Date: Wednesday 26th August
About Us
Our mission is to deliver joy in every shop, through unbeatable choice, unrivalled service, and reassuringly good value. We’re also on a mission to empower our business with smart technology; we’ve recently launched our AI Academy, providing a tailored AI learning journey for every colleague.
We’re Ocado Retail, a market-leading joint venture between Ocado Group and M&S, and the world’s largest dedicated online supermarket, ocado.com. Not only is Ocado.com the only place to shop a full range of M&S food online, but it’s also the home to the widest online supermarket range in the UK and champion of small, independent brands. We’re also the brains behind Zoom by Ocado, our same-day grocery delivery service.
About The Team And The Role
As a Senior Buyer, you will have accountability for a specified category within the Fresh commercial buying team. You will be responsible for ensuring your supply base and product range are optimised, proactively using data and analysis to maximise performance and also drive sales, profitability and growth to support the overall Ocado Retail strategy and goals.
The Dairy category is a heavily branded space with plenty of room to innovate, and we’re looking for a Senior Buyer to continue raising the bar.
What You’ll Do
Commercial Accountability
- Be fully accountable for the category P&L and deliver against all KPIs.
- Proactively identify opportunities to drive customer penetration and significantly improve the all-in margin by negotiating with suppliers to deliver savings.
- Plan and execute the comprehensive trade, promotions, and events plan.
- Ensure zero GSCOP breaches, recording all agreements in writing, and reporting GSCOP complaints to Legal within 48 hours of receipt. Always follow the Business Code of Conduct and act with integrity and due diligence.
Strategy, Range & Innovation
- Develop the category strategy with support from the Trading Manager/Buying Director.
- Expertly execute category reviews to refine the range, ensuring all changes align with the business and category strategy.
- Identify, analyse, and source first-to-market / Ocado exclusive product innovation using deep customer, market, and supplier insights.
- Support 2 Buyers in delivering their own range and strategy reviews.
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Negotiation & Supplier Excellence
- Lead complex negotiations to agree upon and deliver market-leading Joint Business Plans (JBPs) that align with the customer plan and category strategy.
- Manage and review the performance of a complex supplier base, communicating and developing strong relationships to drive high engagement.
- Work closely with merchandise planning and the supplier base to ensure best-in-class availability.
- Identify and create plans to mitigate potential issues/events that may impact the supply, and ensure product quality meets all Ocado requirements.
People Management & Performance
- Manage 2 Buyers and provide day-to-day coaching and feedback to Category Assistants.
- Be an expert in data, analysing and assessing performance issues and opportunities using reporting tools, and quickly devising and implementing effective solutions.
Who You Are
- Significant retail buying experience with a demonstrated track record of delivering breakthrough commercial results.
- Exceptional negotiation expertise required for strategic, high-value, and business-critical supplier agreements.
- Proven leadership capability with experience in managing/mentoring.
- Exceptional influencing and executive stakeholder management skills, capable of shaping strategy at a senior, cross-functional, and leadership level.
- Expertise in complex data analysis; ability to synthesize diverse data sets to define the long-term category vision and strategy.
- Proven project management capability required to lead and deliver complex, long-term business-wide initiatives (e.g., major range resets).
- A passion for the Fresh/Dairy categories and the drive to deliver a best-in-class customer proposition.
Training and Development
Joining our Buying team provides access to our Commercial Academy, a comprehensive development program structured around three pillars: Buyer Induction, Specific Skills (Buying & Selling), and General Skills. You’ll gain access to external, advanced training such as Negotiation, as well as courses on Understanding Suppliers and Optimising JBPs. This whole program is designed to deliver a foundational and advanced skillset across essential commercial competencies.
What’s In It For You
By joining Ocado Retail, you’ll have the chance to experience life at the world’s largest online retailer, work with an amazing bunch of people who challenge what’s possible each day, and grow your skills and career in online retail. You’ll also be part of our AI Academy, a dedicated learning journey designed to empower every colleague with the smart technology skills of the future.
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If that’s not enough to tempt you, you’ll also get access to loads of great benefits to sweeten the deal. Here’s a taste of what we offer:
- Health & Wellbeing: Private medical insurance with option to add your family, Digital GP appointments, market-leading family policies, mental health support, discounted gym memberships, dental insurance, and more.
- Spend & Save: Annual bonus scheme split between personal and business objectives, recognition with reward platform, up to 7% matched pension contributions, 15% Ocado discount, 20% M&S discount, free breakfast every day in the office, electric vehicle leasing scheme, and free shuttle bus from Hatfield station to the office.
- Never miss the moments that matter: Hybrid working, 26 days holiday plus 8 flexible bank holidays, options to buy extra holiday, 2 weeks work from anywhere, and lifestyle break opportunities.
Our Hiring Process
Lucky for us, we receive a high volume of applications and genuinely appreciate the time and effort invested by every candidate. To ensure a fair and thorough process, every application is reviewed by a member of our team. If your skills and experience are a strong match, a Talent Partner will contact you to discuss the role and guide you through the next steps of our hiring process.
Your Application and AI
In the spirit of innovation, we welcome you to use AI tools in your application, just as we use them in our own business at Ocado Retail. However, as you leverage this technology, please don’t lose sight of the most important element: your unique self. Your experiences, passions, and personality are what truly set you apart. Ensure that your application still authentically conveys who you are and why you’re a great fit for us.
Everyone’s welcome
We’re an equal opportunities employer, which means that we make sure all potential colleagues are treated fairly and equally. We want to ensure everyone has a fair chance to apply; if you need this job description in an alternative format (e.g., larger print, different document type, etc.), please reach out to us at careers@ocadoretail.com and we’ll be happy to assist you, and if you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know on the application form.
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