Commercial Strategy Senior Associate

Team: Strategic Partnerships

Ref.: VN1090

Type: Fixed Term

Location: Hatfield

Commercial Strategy Senior Associate

Contract type:Permanent

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

Working hours per week:40 hours

Level:Associate

Application Closing Date:Monday 3rd November

About us

Our mission is to deliver joy in every shop, through unbeatable choice, unrivalled 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, Not only is the only place to shop a full range of M&S food online, 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

We're looking for a motivated, collaborative individual to join our Commercial Strategy team as a Commercial Strategy Senior Associate. This role sits within the broader Commercial Development function, alongside Commercial Partnerships.

In this role, you'll be instrumental in shaping our commercial proposition by helping us champion choice for the customer. You'll be a key player in scoping, coordinating, and driving high-impact projects that directly support the strategic goals of our commercial team. This is a hands-on role perfect for someone who thrives on analysing and solving complex problems and collaborating with diverse teams to drive real change in a fast-paced and changing environment.

What you'll do

Deliver Key Commercial Strategy Projects

• Support the delivery of a portfolio of strategic projects, from developing new commercial propositions to solving business-critical issues.
• Conduct deep-dive analysis, develop business cases, and present recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• Work cross-functionally across Commercial, Customer, Operations, and with our partners to bring new initiatives to life.

Lead on Cross-Category Ranging Efforts

• Spearhead range projects that span multiple product categories (e.g,. 'organic', 'Korean')
• Manage project timelines, dependencies, and stakeholders to ensure successful delivery.
• Drive alignment and buy-in across different Commercial and Customer teams.

Monitor Trends & Market Activity

• Continuously monitor the grocery retail landscape, identifying emerging trends and competitor moves to ensure Ocado remains unbeatable on choice.
• Translate market insights into actionable opportunities for innovation and growth.
• Share best practices and key learnings with the commercial team to foster a culture of strategic thinking.

Provide Ad-Hoc Strategic Support

• Act as a go-to resource for the commercial team, providing quick, data-driven insights, problem-solving support, and project management for ad-hoc business challenges.

Who you are

• Problem-solving: A proven ability to break down complex, ambiguous problems into manageable parts, prioritise, and deliver clear and concise recommendations
• Analytical skills: Strong quantitative and analytical skills, with proficiency in Excel and data reporting/BI tools (e.g., Tableau)
• Communication and influence: Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder management skills with the ability to present clearly and flex styles for a range of audiences
• Project management: Proven experience leading or delivering projects from ideation to implementation, taking ownership and driving results
• Experience: A minimum of 2+ years of experience in a strategy consultancy or a similar in-house strategic role within a fast-paced retail or e-commerce business

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 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 opportunity 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.