We’re
Ocado
Retail
Hello, nice to meet you.
Unless you got lost on your way to the snacks aisle (we’ve all been there), odds are you’re here because you’re curious about life at Ocado. So, first things first. Ocado Retail is a market-leading, joint venture between Ocado Group and M&S Group. Quite a mouthful, yes, but here’s the gist: we’re all nuts about food, drink and online grocery shopping, and we’re always looking for hungry talent to join the bunch.
Ready to rumble?
Get to know us
As always, when you meet someone new you want to know more about them, like what their favourite biscuits are (hands down M&S chocolate rounds). So, here are a few things you might like to know about us.
Our vision and mission
Our values
Our candidate promises
Our vision and mission
Our vision and mission
Our vision is to “never stop making our customers’ lives better, by delivering the supermarket of tomorrow, today”. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? And, as for our mission, we believe that “together, we are drivers of change. We proudly and sustainably deliver joy in every shop; through unbeatable choice, unrivalled service and reassuringly good value”.
Unbeatable choice
We serve up a bigger range than any other supermarket (around 50,000 products). Including our huge Ocado Own Range, big and small brands, and of course, M&S (we’re actually the only place you can shop for M&S online). Plus, there’s Zoom by Ocado, our speedy delivery service with over 10,000 products, that delivers to customers’ doors in 60 mins or less.
Unrivalled service
This one really makes us tick. We pride ourselves on making customers’ lives just that little bit easier. How? By offering them lots of delivery slots on the hour and half hour (from 5:30am to midnight), next-to-no substitutions, and our handy, shop-whenever-from-wherever app, to mention just a few.
Reassuringly good value
Week in, week out, we’re all about great value. There’s our award-winning Ocado Own Range, our Big Price Drop, and our Ocado Price Promise where we match your like-for-like shop to tesco.com, including Clubcard prices. Oh, and there are vouchers and coupons in the mix that our customers love (why wouldn’t they?).
Our values
Our values
Like a purple thread through ORL (that’s short for Ocado Retail Limited), our core values are front-of-mind for all of us who call Ocado home. (Literally, we like them so much we use them as wallpaper.) In short, we believe they’re our recipe for success.
Always be curious
Here at Ocado, we’re a curious bunch and we aim to understand our customers better than anyone else. We ask why and we keep on learning.
Bring our best selves
We’re a unique lot of individuals who turn up ready to give our best each day. We take ownership and we deliver together.
Challenge what’s possible
Together we are drivers of change – we make our customers’ lives better by delivering the supermarket of tomorrow, today. We raise the bar and we never give up.
Our candidate promises
Our candidate promises
Much like sourcing the best ingredients for a delicious weeknight meal, we’re challenging what’s possible (see what we did there?) to bring together a diverse bunch of people to join our team. Lucky for us, we get loads of great applications and are stoked that so many people put the time and effort in. To recognise that, we treat all applications respectfully and fairly. So, if yours stands out, these are our promises to you:
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Recruiting a diverse group requires a rounded approach. But transparency is key. So, every candidate can expect a clear process, with up to three stages that aim to assess motivation, values and behaviours, and skills.
We strive to be a workplace where everyone can bring their best selves, no matter who they are. So, if there’s anything we can do to make the hiring process more accessible, let our recruitment team know.
We’ll keep you informed throughout the process. Successful or not, we’ll give you constructive feedback at the end of your recruitment journey.
Just like we’re aiming to pick the right person for our team, you’ve got to make sure we’re the right match for you. So, you’ll have plenty of time to be curious and ask questions about us.
If you’re successful (yay!) you’ll get the opportunity to visit our office, meet more people and experience our culture before you get stuck in.
Where we work
We are spread out like the frosting on one of Nigella’s cakes (did you know about our delicious partnership?), but we all share the same love for food, our customers and the people we work with.
Head Office – Hatfield
Our HQ (Apollo Court) is in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. It’s a 20-minute-ish train journey from central London, with regular, free shuttle buses to and from the train station and office each day. Plus, there’s our Zeelo bus service, which transports commuters to and from St Albans.
Drivers will cheer too as the office is easy to get to via car, and comes with a nice, big car park with space for everyone.
Address: Apollo Court, Hatfield Business Park, 2 Bishop Square, Hatfield AL10 9NE
Customer Hub – Sunderland
Our Customer Hub is located in sometimes-sunny Sunderland inside The Beam – an easily commutable, beautiful new development next to Sunderland Riverside.
Driving to work? Then you’ll find available parking in St Mary’s Car Park. Using public transport? Opt for Sunderland Metro Station a short 10-minute walk away through the city centre, or use multiple local bus links.
Address: Plater Wy, Sunderland SR1 3AD
Teamwork makes the dream work
It takes two to tango, or in this case, quite a few more. Ocado Retail is made up of lots of teams, spanning from Buying and Finance, to Customer Service and Creative. And we’re the sum of our parts – all departments play a huge role in our ongoing success by working towards the same mission.
Commercial
- Consumer
- Commodity
- Drinks and Impulse
- Chilled & Frozen
- Fresh
- H&L Buying
- H&L Merchandise Planning
- Strategic Partnerships
- Own Brand & Product
- Technical Compliance
- Sustainability
- Beet Supplier Services
- Commercial Strategy
CFO Teams (Finance, Operations and Tech)
- Operations & Business Planning
- Zoom by Ocado
- Data & Insights
- Finance
- Transformation
- IT
Customer
- Digital Marketing
- Brand Marketing
- EAT Creative
- Customer Experience
- E-commerce & Merchandising
- Seasonal & Events
Supporting functions
- Legal
- Compliance
- Facilities
- People Team
Customer Hub
- Frontline Advisors
- Digital Excellence
- Complaints
- Admin
- Customer Success Team
- Planning & Performance
- Learning & Development
Fresh out of uni?
…or just looking for a career change? Great stuff. We have a fantastic graduate scheme where you’ll be given responsibility from day one, as we think the best way to learn is by doing the job. But of course, we’re on hand to support whenever needed. So if you’re looking for an exciting first step into retail within a fast-growing business, go ahead and apply. We’re always looking for future talent.
Grow your career
At Ocado, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to grow their career within the business. That could be to deepen your expertise, take on management responsibility, or even pivot your career to do something completely different. Our Career Management Principles are there to help you realise your ambitions, whatever they are.
Driven by you
You’re in the driving seat of your career and are responsible for doing the things that can help move it forward. That could mean applying for a new role or completing some learning that’ll make you more confident in your existing role.
Supported by your manager
You should feel that you can have open and productive conversations with your manager about your career and development. They’re there to coach you, signpost opportunities and be your biggest advocate within the business.
Backed by ORL
Of course, you can’t do that without the right tools. That’s why we launched Walnut, our internal learning platform filled with courses, digital resources, video content and lots more. Our employees can also sign up for external career coaching for that extra boost.
Benefits
Aside from working at a great company with a nice bunch of people, a strong sense of purpose, and a chance for you to grow – you also have loads of great benefits to sweeten the deal. We even have a dedicated benefits platform, called Pick ‘n’ Mix. As the name may give away, this is where employees can view and manage their perks, from core rewards like pension support to flexible benefits including private medical insurance and exclusive discounts.
26 days holiday + 8 flexible Bank Holidays
Blended working
Ocado Bonus Plan
Enhanced pension contribution options
Private medical insurance
Life assurance
Income protection
Ocado & M&S discounts
Family policies
Digital GP
Lifestyle break
2 weeks work from anywhere
Discounted gym membership
Flexible benefits
Mental health support
Inclusion and diversity
We’re an equal opportunities employer. That basically means that we make sure all potential (that’s you) and existing employees, along with suppliers and customers, are treated fairly and equally. Here’s what that focus looks like:
Here’s a pie chart
(mmm, pie) to make this
bit more exciting
5 people networks
These include Partners in Pride, Mind & Body, Multi-Ethnic, Women and Parents.
Inclusive policies
Such as Enhanced Parental Leave, Fertility & Neonatal Support and our Carers Policy. We also use gender neutral language and offer flexible Bank Holidays (as we recognise that not everyone celebrates Easter etc.)
World foods
Ocado has a larger range of world foods than any other grocery retailer.
Flexible recruitment process
We strive to ensure a fair, unbiased and inclusive recruitment process for all roles within Ocado. And we work with you to make sure any additional needs are met and you have the best experience possible.
Small suppliers
We work with all sorts of suppliers and thrive on helping smaller ones shine.
Wellbeing benefits
Including support for mental, physical, financial and social health.
Frequently asked questions
The answers you need to some of your most important questions.
Can I apply for multiple roles?
Of course – provided you’re qualified for each role.
How do I know if you’ve received my application?
You’ll receive an auto-response from our Talent Acquisition team. This may end up in your junk/spam folder so keep an eye out on those, too.
How long will it take to get a response once I’ve applied for a role?
We aim to get back to you as soon as possible – please allow up to two weeks for an initial response.
What is the Ocado Retail interview process like?
It depends on the role; however, you can expect to chat with one of our fantastic Talent Acquisition Partners to learn more about you, your experience and desire to work at Ocado Retail; a face-to-face interview with a team of hiring managers; and potentially complete tests or activities if the role requires it. We want you to have a great interview experience – our Talent Acquisition team will guide you through each step so you’re as prepared as possible.
Will you give me feedback if my application is unsuccessful?
Our Talent Acquisition team will keep you updated at all stages of your application. We love sharing great news, but we also appreciate the importance of feedback and will provide you with an update via email or telephone.
I have a disability – are you able to support my requirements if I am invited in for an interview?
We’re more than happy to cater for any requirements you have. Please let our Talent Acquisition team know what these are prior to your interview to ensure you’re effectively supported.
Do you conduct background checks or employment screening?
Yes, we use Agenda Screening Services to complete pre-employment checks. Please chat with your Talent Acquisition Partner if you have any further questions about this.
Ocado has multiple offices, where should I go for my interview?
We’re based in Hatfield at the following address:
Apollo Court,
2 Bishop Square,
Hatfield Business Park,
Hatfield,
Hertfordshire,
AL10 9EX.
We’re not in the offices at Trident Place, Titan Court or Aquarius House – those are part of Ocado Group.
Looking to become a supplier?
Want a reference request?
Hear it from Ocado’ers
Lydia Daniels
Sales & Transformation
Jack Johnson
Supplier Services
Zawaar Ahmed
Tech Shack Team
Lisa Assiotes
Facilities Team
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