Vacancy NameTrading Manager - Personal Care Vacancy NoVN1087 Job TypePermanent LocationHatfield Job Details
Trading Manager - Grocery (Personal Care)
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,. 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, 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 (aka Beauty, Toiletries and Health). These categories cover mainly under trades within Ocado due to the unique market here (more on that next) but provide major opportunities to add that extra each to the basket. are crucial to our business plans within what we call the Basket of the Future strategic workstream.. We know there is a massive opportunity to grow our penetration and repertoire with all customers, but especially our Champions and Core customers. Hence why you are joining to support and ultimately lead the work transformation work we are doing in these areas.
We operate in a unique market environment where there are notable specialists in Boots and Superdrug for core Toiletries and Healthcare products. The Beauty category faces further fragmentation department stores, but major social selling channels such as TikTok shop for big brands DTC. This creates unique trading and strategic challenges. However, as our partnership with Holland and Barrett has shown we are willing to do things differently, and there remains an enormous opportunity with M&S as well. A leader with the right mindset and drive you see the opportunities that require effective stakeholder management both internally and with our supply base partners to take the proposition to greater heights and close out the existing opportunities within this area
Despite these challenges, there is significant opportunity for growth. As a retailer with an expanding customer base, our superior service and product range position us well to navigate these market conditions. In this role, you will develop the strategy and lead your team in collaboration with major CPGs like P&G, L’Oreal, Biersdorf, partners like M&S and Holland & Barrett, as well as emerging entrepreneurs. You will also work closely with a range of internal stakeholders, particularly the customer CRM team, and harness the investment and focus from the transformation work we are doing.
What you’ll do
1. Choice is a differentiator for Ocado so you have the responsibility to source and buy great quality ranges for our customers and manage your department P&L
2. You can quickly adapt to an Online mindset, where growth is untapped, customer focus isn’t a buzzword, it is fundamental to why customers shop with us and you can see opportunities in the rich data available to us at Ocado to constantly raise the bar in our customer proposition
3. Proactively leading your team, you will maximise performance, sales, profitability and grow market share in conjunction with a coaching mindset
4. You will develop your own category strategy and be responsible for delivering both category & business goals in tandem
5. We are always striving to raise the bar for our teams, stakeholders and customers. You will possess a high level of strategic thinking, with a track record of working with stakeholders to land the basics of your business plan but can demonstrate leading change projects
You work for our Head of Category in Non Food Grocery. You have the responsibility to lead andcoach a team of c6 Buyers, working with dotted line support across our commercial support teams, and will work closely with Supply Chain, Merchandising, Finance and Customer stakeholders as you build and mobilise your plans.
Who you are
6. Retail buying experience and leadership experience is required, candidly having experience of these markets will help you,we would prefer it, but it is not essential, more desirable shall we say.
7. Strong influencer and negotiator with excellent supplier management skills, you know how to build relationships, have a good network and can build relationships quickly.
8. Proven track record in your own and team leadership capabilities and skills to develop yourself and those who work for you. You can demonstrate how you lead your team through high levels of emotional and strategic intelligence is vital.
9. An ambassador of the Ocado Values, ensuring you lead your team with energy and intelligence, are an ambassador with our suppliers and a brilliant stakeholder to work with.
10. Ability to deal with ambiguity and show positive resilience to changing priorities to iterate towards a strategic goal
11. Experience in devising and delivering large-scale strategic projects, is essential as Ocado is always looking to raise the bar on our range and categories trading tactics and the commercial operating model and environment
12. You have a genuine passion for your category, and care about keeping up to date with the latest trends in this area and are excited by the range in Ocado and want to nurture that, but are confident to make decisions to optimise the range
13. You are able to analyse complex sets of data and are proficient in Excel/Sheets, tableau and are excited about what AI can bring to support us. However, know when to use data in balance with your judgement to make decisions
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.