Commercial Optimisation Manager – FTC in Hatfield

Contract type: Fixed Term Contract (until Feb/March 2027)

Location: Hatfield (Hybrid working – 3 days in the office)

Working hours per week: 40 hours

Level: Manager (Equivalent to Senior Buyer)

Application Closing Date: Wednesday 13th May

About The Team And The Role

As an integral part of the M&S Partnership team, this role is key in driving continuous momentum in our close relationship. We have an ambitious agenda of tapping into multiple cross-functional opportunities to maximise the benefit of M&S for our customers. We’ll do this by creating further joint value, aspiring to grow M&S ahead of the total business on ORL, grow our joint market share, facilitate closer touchpoints to uncover efficiencies and better ways to collaborate all across the business.

You would be joining the M&S Partnership team to maximise the performance of the M&S proposition on Ocado. This role is replicated in the M&S structure, and both roles will help ensure we are maximising how we drive the performance of M&S online. You will work most closely with M&S – we see our M&S counterparts each Wednesday and co-work at Waterside fortnightly. In addition, you will work closely with our trading teams and the newly created trade planners to align priorities and agree on action plans to optimise the performance of the existing M&S ranges, as well as ensure major transformations and campaigns land as strongly as possible. Our aim is to recreate the M&S magic in-store and online, and you will drive to execute this in line with in‑store timings.

What You’ll Do

• Be the M&S champion inside ORL and interpret data from multiple sources to identify and understand drivers of over‑ and under‑performance.
• Analyse and understand M&S performance online, create weekly/monthly reporting & performance updates, and work with M&S to identify priority areas for deep‑dive analysis and commercial optimisation recommendations.
• Build and run the agenda for the weekly partnerships meeting, shape the content for the Commercial Working Groups and support analysis and prep for the bi‑monthly Top to Top Steer Co.
• Align with M&S on the category visibility priority plans and calendar of execution.
• Work closely with merch to build execution plans for all levers across the site, heroing M&S and maximising OSP opportunities to test and learn.
• Collaborate with our M&S partnership lead in Customer to ensure strong ways of working with M&S Marketing, and to align trade & campaign plans as much as possible.
• Facilitate delivery of the M&S & ORL joint commercial objectives and support execution through workstreams (NPD and range extensions, optimising M&S cat trans on Ocado, improve availability, improve ways of working).
• Support M&S in building internal capabilities to understand performance and trading on Ocado using Beet and customer research.

Who You Are

• Collaborative: Building relationships is one of your strengths. Whether it’s within your team, with your stakeholders, or with the wider community, you realise the importance of working together to deliver successful outcomes.
• Commercial: Have a strong understanding of how to drive performance on site, ideally with experience utilising the range of tools and merch levers available.
• Analytical: Able to proactively seek out data sources, interpret data and identify key drivers for performance, and make compelling recommendations to stakeholders.
• Rigorous: Strong attention to detail and ability to prioritise workstream based on commercial performance gains.
• Results‑oriented: Able to consistently deliver against KPIs within an evolving landscape.
• Customer‑focused: Putting your customers at the heart of everything you do.

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.

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: 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.

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.