Senior Data Scientist

Ocado; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 95,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Private Medical Insurance

Pension with employer matching 7%

Sharesave & BAYE

Cycle to Work Scheme

15% discount at Ocado.com

Job summary

Ocado Group in London is seeking a Senior Data Scientist for the Autoplanner team, offering hybrid working. You will build AI-powered systems that unify planning across global warehouses and last-mile operations, developing ML models, optimisation algorithms and simulations that power core planning products.

Working with software engineers and product managers, you will set technical direction, mentor colleagues, and translate complex logistics challenges into production-ready data‑science

Qualifications

• Production-grade ML in production environments.
• Strong ML and statistics, evaluating models against business metrics.
• Fluency in production-quality Python code.
• Experience with large datasets and BigQuery, with data-quality checks.
• Experience building simulations or stochastic models of systems.
• Experience using AI coding agents and validating outputs.
• Ability to collaborate with engineers, PMs and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Deliver ML models for planning products from prototype to production artefacts.
• Explore modelling/optimisation approaches and benchmark against existing solutions.
• Build simulations of warehouse operations and demand to power live plans.
• Define metrics and establish evaluation standards for models.
• Set technical direction for DS initiatives and delivery strategy.
• Mentor data scientists across the team.
• Partner with software engineers to package, deploy, monitor, and serve models.
• Own relationships with product managers and external retailers to align roadmaps.

Skills

Production-grade ML

Python

BigQuery

Data science

Statistical analysis

Model evaluation

Team collaboration

Tools

OR-Tools

SimPy

Job description

Senior Data Scientist | Autoplanner | Hybrid Working | London

Introduction:

We are Ocado Group, and we're bringing world-class automation to online grocery. Our Ocado Smart Platform (OSP) combines cutting-edge robotics, AI, and IoT within our advanced CFCs (Customer Fulfilment Centres). We've mastered the single pick, transforming online delivery for our global partners. Join us and be part of a team pushing the boundaries of retail technology.

About the Role:

As a Senior Data Scientist within our Autoplanner team, you will build AI-powered systems that unify planning across global warehouses and last-mile operations. You will be responsible for developing the machine learning models, optimisation algorithms, and operational simulations that underpin our core planning products. By taking high-impact models from concept through to monitored production systems, you will ensure automated operational plans are robust, globally optimised, and trusted to run live across our partners' international supply chains.

Working closely with cross-functional software engineers and product managers, you will set the technical direction for key initiatives while mentoring colleagues to elevate the team’s overall data science capabilities. You will also engage directly with internal and external stakeholders, including global retail partners - to translate complex logistics challenges into production-ready data science solutions, shaping the future of autonomous operational planning.

Key Responsibilities:

• Deliver machine learning models for planning products, iterating from initial prototype to evaluated and monitored production artefacts.
• Explore innovative modelling and optimisation approaches, benchmarking and testing them rigorously against existing solutions.
• Build and extend simulations of warehouse operations and customer demand to validate and power live operational plans.
• Define and measure business-critical metrics using robust statistical techniques, establishing the team's standards for model evaluation.
• Set the technical direction and delivery strategy for the data science initiatives you lead.
• Develop the technical capabilities of data scientists across the team through mentoring, technical guidance, and collaboration.
• Partner with software engineers to ensure models are cleanly packaged, deployed, monitored, and efficiently served on the platform.
• Own relationships with product managers, internal partner teams, and external retailers to align on requirements and delivery roadmaps.

What We’re Looking For: Essential

• Proven track record of taking data science and machine learning models into production, maintaining them, and leading initiatives end-to-end.
• Strong machine learning and statistical expertise, including the ability to evaluate model performance rigorously against business metrics.
• Fluency in writing production-quality Python code.
• Experience querying and working with large datasets in cloud data warehouses such as BigQuery, including implementing data-quality checks.
• Experience building simulations or stochastic models of operational systems.
• Practical experience using AI coding agents, alongside the critical judgement to verify and test generated code and outputs.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with software engineers, product managers, and diverse business stakeholders.

Nice to Haves

• Experience with mathematical optimisation frameworks and toolkits, such as OR-Tools.
• Experience with discrete-event simulation libraries, such as SimPy.
• Background or domain knowledge in logistics, supply chain, or operational research.

Benefits

We believe in supporting our people with meaningful, flexible benefits that prioritise well-being and work-life balance. Here’s a snapshot of what you can expect:

• Time to recharge: 25 days annual leave (rising to 27 after 5 years), plus the option to buy more – and 30 days a year to work from anywhere in the world.
• Health & wellbeing: Private Medical Insurance from your first month, wellbeing support through specialist apps and EAP, plus Income Protection and Life Assurance.
• Family-first policies: 22 weeks paid maternity/primary carer leave and 6 weeks paid paternity leave
• Financial support: Pension with employer matching up to 7%, share schemes (Sharesave & BAYE), and interest-free loans for train tickets.
• Commuter perks: Cycle to Work Scheme and free shuttle buses to/from Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City stations.
• Exclusive discounts: 15% off at Ocado.com with free delivery (starting in your first month).

Be bold, be unique, be brilliant, be you. We are looking for individuality and we value diversity. We are an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to treating all applicants and employees fairly and equally. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to provide a positive, barrier-free recruitment process and supportive work environment. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application.