Join to apply for the Trading Manager – Personal Care role at Ocado Retail
Contract type: Permanent
Location: Hatfield (Hybrid working – 3 days in the office)
Working hours per week: 40 hours
Level: Manager
Application Closing Date: Thursday, 23rd October 2025
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, ocado.com. Not only is Ocado.com 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
This role will lead the Buying team for our Personal Care product ranges (Beauty, Toiletries and Health). These categories are crucial to our business plans within the Basket of the Future strategic workstream. You will help grow penetration and repertoire with all customers, especially Champions and Core customers, and support and ultimately lead the work transformation in these areas.
We operate in a unique market with notable specialists in Boots and Superdrug for core Toiletries and Healthcare products. The Beauty category faces fragmentation in department stores, but major social selling channels exist. This creates trading and strategic challenges. The partnership with Holland and Barrett shows we can do things differently, with opportunities also with M&S. A leader with the right mindset will manage internal stakeholders and supply base partners to elevate the proposition.
There is significant growth potential. You will develop the strategy and lead your team in collaboration with major CPGs (e.g., P&G, L’Oréal, Beiersdorf), partners like M&S and Holland & Barrett, and emerging entrepreneurs. You will work closely with internal stakeholders, particularly the customer CRM team, and support the transformation work we are doing.
What You’ll Do
* Source and buy high-quality ranges for our customers and manage your department P&L
* Adopt an Online mindset to identify untapped growth opportunities and leverage customer data to improve the proposition
* Lead your team to maximise performance, sales, profitability and market share with a coaching approach
* Develop your own category strategy and deliver category and business goals
* Collaborate with stakeholders to land the business plan and lead change projects
You will work for our Head of Category in Non Food Grocery. You will lead and coach a team of around 6 Buyers, with dotted-line support from commercial teams, and collaborate with Supply Chain, Merchandising, Finance and Customer stakeholders as you build and mobilise your plans.
Who You Are
* Retail buying experience and leadership experience are required; experience in these markets is desirable but not essential
* Strong influencer and negotiator with excellent supplier management skills and a good network
* Proven leadership capabilities with emotional and strategic intelligence; able to develop yourself and your team
* Ambassador of Ocado Values; energetic, intelligent leadership with suppliers and stakeholders
* Ability to deal with ambiguity and resilience to changing priorities
* Experience in devising and delivering large-scale strategic projects
* Passion for the category and awareness of latest trends; able to optimise the range
* Strong analytical skills; proficient in Excel/Sheets; familiarity with Tableau and AI tools, balancing data with judgement
What’s In It For You
By joining Ocado Retail, you’ll be part of the world’s largest online retailer, work with a diverse team, and grow your skills and career in online retail. You’ll also access a range of benefits:
* Health & Wellbeing: Private medical insurance (option to add family), Digital GP, family policies, mental health support, discounted gym memberships, dental insurance, and more
* Spend & Save: Annual bonus, recognition with a rewards platform, pension contributions up to 7%, discounts (Ocado 15%, M&S 20%), free breakfast in the office, electric vehicle leasing, and shuttle from Hatfield
* Never miss the moments that matter: Hybrid working, 26 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays, options to buy extra holiday, 2 weeks work from anywhere, lifestyle breaks
Our Hiring Process
We review every application to ensure a fair process. If your skills and experience match, a Talent Partner will contact you to discuss the role and next steps. We also welcome the use of AI tools in your application; ensure your unique experiences and personality remain clear in your submission.
EEO Statement: We’re an equal opportunity employer. If you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know on the application form.
#J-18808-Ljbffr