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

CFO Teams

Customer

Supporting functions

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

Rest up to feel your best with 26 days annual leave, plus the option to buy five more days.

Blended working

Spend 2-3 days per week in our Apollo Court office to connect and collaborate with colleagues.

Ocado Bonus Plan

Most colleagues participate in a bonus plan which is split between personal and business objectives.

Enhanced pension contribution options

To support your retirement, ORL matches your pension contributions up to 7%.

Private medical insurance

We’ll pay for your cover, you just pay the tax. You can even add family members at our corporate rates.

Life assurance

If you pass away while working with us, a lump sum of 4x your salary will be paid to your loved ones.

Income protection

If you’re too poorly to work, we’ll cover 50% of your salary, which you can top up to 66.7% or 75%.

Ocado & M&S discounts

Get 15% off Ocado shopping from day 1 and 20% off at M&S once you pass your probation.

Family policies

Whether you grow your family through pregnancy, adoption or surrogacy, our Primary & Secondary Carer Support Policy and Fertility Policy exist to support colleagues.

Digital GP

Enjoy access to unlimited video GP consultations with medical advice and lots more.

Lifestyle break

Take some time out for up to a year, then return to your previous role.

2 weeks work from anywhere

Bring your laptop and work from selected countries for up to two weeks annually.

Discounted gym membership

Train for less at 3,000+ gyms, including David Lloyd, Pure Gym and Virgin Active. Plus, get a season ticket loan discount, and access to discounts and cashback from hundreds of retailers.

Flexible benefits

We offer a host of different benefits that employees can mix and match, such as Travel Insurance, Dental Insurance, and tax-efficient Electric Vehicle Leasing.

Mental health support

If you need someone to talk to, we have lots of support to offer, including mental health first aiders.

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:

Every Ocado Retail colleague feels like they truly belong at Ocado Retail and that they can wholeheartedly bring their best selves to work.

Every Ocado Retail customer feels that we understand and reflect their world and that we are responsive to their diverse needs.

Every Ocado Retail supplier feels equally supported and fairly treated by us.

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

“Ocado projects a start-up culture within a much larger business, like encouraging creative problem-solving and flexibility.”

“I love the collective mindset of striving to be the biggest disruptor in grocery retail.”

“Working in the IT department, I’ve had the opportunity to learn new skills and use this to support users in the business. Plus, Ocado’s blended working model allows you to work comfortably at home and in the office.”

“I love my role! Working at ORL I get the opportunity to organise and attend amazing supplier events, connect with colleagues from all business areas and create and shape the working environment.”

Got a question?

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