Senior Merchandise Planning Manager

Ocado Retail; Hatfield; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Private medical insurance

Pension contribution up to 7%

Ocado discount 15%

M&S discount 20%

Office shuttle

Events and learning opportunities

Job summary

Ocado Retail is seeking a Senior Merchandise Planning Manager in Hatfield. You will lead the General Merchandise planning team, owning stock, buy strategies, forecasting, and financial performance across our DCs with hybrid working (3 days in the office).

You will partner with Buying, Insight, Finance, Logistics and Marketing to shape planning strategy, drive demand planning, forecasting, and supplier governance, while building strong relationships with key partners.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of leading large planning teams while managing significant budgets.
• Strong commercial and analytical skills in product mix, basket dynamics and margins.
• Skilled at senior-level negotiation and managing high-trust partnerships with suppliers (e.g., M&S).
• Able to drive organisational change in high-pressure planning environments.
• Experience in online retail sectors such as Homeware, Beauty, Clothing, Healthcare, Pet, or Gardening preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of 10, including recruitment and career progression.
• Translate trading strategies into stock plans, manage Open to Buy, and monitor key metrics like Available to Purchase and stock turnover.
• Own senior stakeholder relationships, deliver rolling forecasts, and enforce compliance with GSCOP and competition law.
• Drive stock turns and seasonal event planning from inbound phasing to markdown strategies.
• Partner with Buying, Insight, Finance, Logistics, and Marketing to lead cross-functional transformation projects.

Skills

People Leadership

Commercial & Analytical

Strategic Relationships

Operational Agility

Job description

Senior Merchandise Planning Manager

Contract type: Permanent

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

Working hours per week: 40 hours

Level: Senior Manager

Reports to:

Application Closing Date: Wednesday 16th September

About us

Our mission is to deliver joy in every shop, through unbeatable choice, unrivalled service, and reassuringly good value. We’re also on a mission to empower our business with smart technology; we've recently launched our AI Academy, providing a tailored AI learning journey for every colleague.

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 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 Zoom by Ocado, our same-day grocery delivery service.

About the team and the role

The Supply Chain team at Ocado Retail ensures that stock is available to sell to customers as baskets are created, ensuring products flow seamlessly from supplier to doorstep.

As the Senior Merchandise Planning Manager, you will lead Ocado Retail's General Merchandise planning team, taking complete ownership of stock, buy strategies, forecasting, and financial performance across our General Merchandise Distribution Centres.

You will play a pivotal role in shaping our planning strategy while acting as a key point of contact for our partnerships across demand planning, forecasting, and logistics workstreams.

In this role, you will lead a team of 10 (2 direct reports, 8 indirect reports), helping to build and nurture the next generation of merchandise planning talent within Ocado Retail.

What you’ll do

• People Leadership: Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of 10, managing recruitment, career progression, objective-setting, and planning review calendars.
• Commercial Strategy & Financial Forecasting: Translate sub-category trading strategies into stock plans, controlling Open to Buy, option counts, and key category metrics including Available to Purchase, stock cover, aged inventory, fixed buy-sell-through rates, and overall profit margins.
• M&S Partnership & Supplier Governance: Own senior stakeholder relationships with our partners and suppliers, delivering accurate rolling forecasts to secure inventory, drive Joint Business Planning, and enforce strict compliance with GSCOP and Competition Law.
• Stock & Seasonal Event Management: Drive stock turn and warehouse space utilisation, planning major trade events (e.g., Christmas and Easter) from inbound phasing to clear exit strategies for markdown, clearance, and aged stock reduction.
• Cross-Functional & Project Leadership: Partner with internal teams such as Buying, Insight, Finance, Logistics, and Marketing. DC Operations to lead transformation projects, including supply chain network optimisation and ambient growth initiatives.

Who you are

Essential:

• Proven People Leader: Demonstrated track record of leading, coaching, and developing large planning teams while managing significant commercial budgets.
• Commercial & Analytical Expertise: Solid background in product mix, basket dynamics, and margin management, with advanced data analysis capabilities to pinpoint performance drivers.
• Strategic Relationship Builder: Skilled at senior-level negotiation and managing high-trust, high-challenge external partnerships (such as M&S or primary supplier networks).
• Operational Agility & Resilience: Adaptable team player capable of driving organisational change, navigating high-pressure commercial environments, and managing complex planning calendars.

Desirable:

• Sector Experience: Background working within online Homeware, Beauty, Clothing, Healthcare, Pet, or Gardening sectors.
• Tech-Curious & Forward-Thinking Mindset: An appetite to leverage modern tools, modern systems, and emerging technologies (including AI Academy learning opportunities) to continuous-improvement initiatives within demand planning.

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. You'll also be part of our AI Academy, a dedicated learning journey designed to empower every colleague with the smart technology skills of the future.

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 [e-mail] 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.