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- Tasks: Lead the buying strategy for Cook & Dine, optimising product range and driving sales.
- Company: Join Ocado Retail, the UK's largest online supermarket, known for unbeatable choice and service.
- Benefits: Enjoy hybrid working, private medical insurance, discounts, and 26 days holiday plus flexible bank holidays.
- Why this job: Be part of a dynamic team that values innovation and collaboration in a fast-paced environment.
- Qualifications: Significant retail buying experience and strong negotiation skills are essential; leadership experience is a plus.
- Other info: We welcome curious minds eager to learn, even if you don't meet every requirement.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
2 days ago Be among the first 25 applicants
Permanent
Hatfield/ (Hybrid working – 3 days in the office)
40 hours
Contract type: Permanent
Location: Hatfield/ (Hybrid working – 3 days in the office)
Working hours per week: 40 hours
Level: Manager
Application closing date: 3rd July 2025
About Us
Our mission is to deliver joy in every shop, through unbeatable choice, unrivaled service, and reassuringly good value.
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 commercial buying team. You will be responsible for Buying ensuring your supply base and the product range is optimised, proactively using data and analysis to maximise performance to and drive sales, profitability and share growth to support the growth to to support the overall Ocado Retail strategy and goals.
Cook and Dine are our largest categories, and we’re looking for a Senior Buyer to raise the bar even further. The buying area includes great brands with loads of room to innovate and be at the forefront of trends– be that looking after water filters or sourcing beautiful glassware. We also select from the M&S ranges, offering great choice to our customers. This role sits in our Your Home team – a fast paced & dynamic team where there is a fun and collaborative culture.
What You’ll Do
- Manage the category P&L and deliver against KPIs
- Complete category reviews to refine range and align to the business and category strategy, and support L2s and Commercial Associates in delivering their category reviews
- Plan and deliver trade, promotions and events plans
- Identify opportunities to drive customer penetration
- Identify opportunities to improve all-in margin, negotiate with suppliers to deliver savings
- Negotiate with suppliers to agree and deliver market-leading plans aligned to the customer plan and category strategy.
- Analyse and assess performance issues and opportunities using data and reporting tools, devise and implement solutions
- Identify, analyse and source first-to-market / Ocado exclusive product innovation using customer, market and supplier insights to guide decision making
- Ensure range changes are aligned to the category and business strategy
- 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 supply
- Work closely with suppliers and the quality team to ensure product quality meets Ocado requirements
- Adhering to all Ocado policies, storage and handover protocols and successfully completing all of your training so that you have zero GSCOP breaches. Ensuring all agreements are recorded in writing, reporting GSCOP complaints to Legal within 48 hours of receipt
- Following our Business Code of Conduct and always acting with integrity and due diligence
Who You Are
- Significant retail buying experience and existing senior buyer experience required
- Strong experience in managing a team
- Excited about working in retail and homewares
- Proficient in Excel, with prior experience working with customer, transactional or financial data
- Leadership capability/people management
- Influencing and stakeholder management
- Very strong negotiation skills and commercial acumen
- Project management capability
- Able to analyse complex sets of data
At Ocado Retail we\’re passionate about building careers and skills by giving people access to new and diverse opportunities. If you don\’t tick all the boxes above but have a curious mindset, a passion for learning and adaptable skills to bring to the role, we still want to hear from you.
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.
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 the 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: Blended/Hybrid working, 26 days holiday plus 8 flexible bank holidays, options to buy an extra holiday, 2 weeks work from anywhere, and lifestyle break opportunities.
Our Hiring Process
Lucky for us, we get loads of great applications and we really appreciate that so many people put the time and effort in to apply. To recognise that, we treat all applications respectfully and fairly. So, if yours stands out, you’ll follow our standard hiring process – one of our Talent Partners will talk you through this in an initial call.
Everyone’s welcome
We’re an equal opportunities employer. That means that we make sure all potential colleagues are treated fairly and equally. If you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know on the application form.
Seniority level
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Seniority level
Mid-Senior level
Employment type
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Employment type
Full-time
Job function
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Job function
Purchasing and Supply Chain
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Industries
Retail
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Senior Buyer – Cook & Dine employer: Ocado Retail
Contact Detail:
Ocado Retail Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Buyer – Cook & Dine
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with Ocado's product range, especially in the Cook & Dine category. Understanding their offerings will help you speak confidently about how you can enhance their buying strategy and identify potential gaps in the market.
✨Tip Number 2
Brush up on your negotiation skills. As a Senior Buyer, you'll need to demonstrate your ability to secure the best deals with suppliers. Consider preparing examples of past negotiations where you've successfully driven savings or improved terms.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your analytical skills by being ready to discuss how you've used data to inform buying decisions in previous roles. Be prepared to share specific examples of how your insights led to increased sales or improved margins.
✨Tip Number 4
Network with current or former employees of Ocado Retail if possible. They can provide valuable insights into the company culture and expectations for the Senior Buyer role, which can help you tailor your approach during the interview process.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Buyer – Cook & Dine
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in retail buying, particularly in homewares. Use specific examples that demonstrate your negotiation skills and team management experience.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for the role and the company. Mention how your background aligns with Ocado's mission and values, and provide examples of how you've driven sales and profitability in previous roles.
Highlight Data Proficiency: Since the role requires proficiency in Excel and data analysis, include any relevant experience you have with data reporting tools. Mention specific projects where you used data to inform buying decisions or improve performance.
Showcase Leadership Skills: Emphasise your leadership capabilities in both your CV and cover letter. Provide examples of how you've successfully managed teams and influenced stakeholders to achieve business objectives.
How to prepare for a job interview at Ocado Retail
✨Showcase Your Buying Experience
Make sure to highlight your significant retail buying experience during the interview. Discuss specific examples where you've successfully managed a category, optimised product ranges, or driven sales growth. This will demonstrate your capability to handle the responsibilities of a Senior Buyer.
✨Prepare for Data-Driven Discussions
Since the role involves analysing complex data sets, be ready to discuss how you've used data to inform your buying decisions in the past. Bring examples of reports or analyses you've conducted that led to successful outcomes, showcasing your proficiency in Excel and data interpretation.
✨Demonstrate Negotiation Skills
Negotiation is key for this position, so prepare to share instances where you've successfully negotiated with suppliers. Highlight your strategies and the results achieved, as this will illustrate your commercial acumen and ability to secure market-leading plans.
✨Emphasise Team Leadership
As a Senior Buyer, you'll likely manage a team. Be prepared to discuss your leadership style and provide examples of how you've motivated and developed team members in previous roles. This will show that you can foster a collaborative culture within the fast-paced environment at Ocado Retail.
