Category Planning Lead

Team: Seasonal & Buying Support

Ref.: VN1165

Type: Permanent

Location: Hatfield

Category Planning Lead

Contract type:Permanent

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

Working hours per week:40 hours (Full-Time)

Level:Lead

Application Closing Date:Sunday 21st December

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

Ocado Retail is seeking a commercially minded and highly organised Category Planning Lead to join our Commercial team. This role is crucial for ensuring our trade plans are successfully developed and executed across the business, driving customer impact as well as commercial performance.

This role will report to either the Fresh or Ambient Trading Director** and acts as a key interface between the Commercial and Customer teams, working closely with stakeholders across the Buying team, Marketing, Ecommerce, Retail Media, and Supply Chain.

**Please note: We are recruiting for two Category Planning Leads, one for each of Fresh and Ambient, and your application will be considered for both roles.

What you'll do

Annual planning:

• Act as the primary liaison between multiple Buying teams and the Marketing function to inform the development of the annual trade calendar, feeding in key commercial priorities
• Lead the coordination and prioritisation of commercial focus across different departments for specific events, ensuring resources (e.g., marketing support, feature space) are strategically allocated in line with business goals

Event planning and execution:

• Input into creative briefs and channel strategies for trade events
• Lead event briefings to the Buying team to share the objectives, scope, and commercial requirements of each event
• Coordinate across the commercial team to select relevant marketing 'hero' products, championing a data-led approach and considering both customer and commercial goals (e.g., product mix, value competitiveness, supplier funding, NPD launch timing)
• Coordinate across the commercial to gather product and promotional nominations for each event and refine the product mix
• Work closely with the Demand Planning team to align volume forecasts for all key trade activities, ensuring adequate stock availability
• Ensure readiness for promotional changeover, coordinating pre-go-live checks for all promotional changes (including promo accuracy, web tagging, event banners & media)

Analysis and recommendations:

• Own the process of assessing promotional performance and strategy, conducting robust post-event analyses to provide strategic recommendations for future plans
• Monitor and evaluate competitor activities to inform future planning
• Provide additional ad-hoc support to Trading Directors on other commercial topics, taking a cross-category perspective
• Drive continual improvement in processes and cross-functional ways of working
• Include any line management responsibility

Who you are

• Proven experience in a commercial, category management, trade planning, or analytical role within a retail environment, ideally in the grocery sector
• Good understanding of the UK grocery market and competitor landscape
• Excellent coordination and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence cross-functional teams
• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in working with multiple data sets and translating complex information into clear, commercial recommendations
• A proactive, organised approach with strong attention to detail, and the ability to manage complex critical paths in a fast-paced environment

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 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 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.