Vacancy NameCategory Planning Associate Vacancy NoVN1169 Job TypePermanent LocationHatfield Job Details
Category Planning Associate
Contract type:Permanent
Location:Hatfield (Hybrid working - 3 days in the office)
Working hours per week:40 hours (Full Time)
Level:Associate
Application Closing Date:Wednesday 4th Feb
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, 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, our same-day grocery delivery service.
About the team and the role
Ocado Retail is seeking an organised and analytical Category Planning Associate 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 require close collaboration with teams across Buying, Marketing, E-commerce, Retail Media, and Supply Chain.
What you’ll do
1. Work with Buying teams to create and implement category-specific plans to support the annual trade calendar and deliver a strong customer and commercial proposition
2. Coordinate across the commercial to gather product and promotional nominations for each event and refine the product mix, using a data-led approach to select products
3. Review and work with buyers to continuously improve the promotional offering, including value competitiveness and use of feature space
4. Work closely with the Demand Planning team to align volume forecasts for all key trade activities, ensuring adequate stock availability
5. Ensure readiness for promotional changeover, executing pre-go-live checks for all promotional changes (including promo accuracy, web tagging, event banners & media)
6. Conduct post-event analyses to assess promotional performance and strategy, and develop strategic recommendations for future plans
7. Monitor and evaluate competitor activities to inform future planning
Who you are
8. Proven experience in a commercial, category management, trade planning, or analytical role within a retail environment, ideally the grocery sector
9. Good understanding of the UK grocery market and competitor landscape
10. Strong analytical skills with proficiency in working with multiple data sets and reporting tools
11. Ability to juggle multiple deadlines and tasks
12. 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