L1 Buyer – Frozen Meal Solutions
Contract type: Permanent
Location: Hatfield (Hybrid working – 3 days in the office)
Working hours per week: 40 hours – Full-time
Level: Level 1
Application Closing Date: Friday 7th November
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, ocado.com. Not only is Ocado.com the only place to shop a full range of M&S food online, 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
We're looking for a Buyer to manage our frozen meal solutions category. In this role, you will be responsible for finding the best innovation in the market and bringing it to Ocado customers at pace. You will also be responsible for managing complex supplier negotiations, ensuring the product range is optimised, proactively using data and analysis to maximise performance and drive sales, profitability, and share growth to support the overall Ocado Retail strategy and goals.
Based within the chilled, bakery & frozen buying team, this role is at the forefront of delivering great value, quality & innovation for the Ocado customers. The role is an ideal opportunity for a great buyer to expand the category through a mix of new challenger brands and big market-leading brands.
What you’ll do
- Manage supplier performance, identifying potential new suppliers, and provide support to build long-term supplier relationships
- Use insight tools to analyse and understand performance issues and opportunities
- Conduct regular competitor website visits and review customer insight and food trends, helping shape our future product and range requirements for our customers
- Source customer/market insight-led ranges and product innovation
- Negotiate with suppliers to agree and deliver, market-leading joint business plans for your areas aligned to the customer plan & category strategy, as well as negotiating on supplier-funded media and delivering against the target
Who you are
- 1 year of buying experience or placement equivalent, ideally
- Confident to negotiate and communicate with a wide range of suppliers
- Strong problem-solving, planning, and organisational skills
- Ability to analyse data and formulate tangible outputs
- Proficient in using Excel and formulas
- Good commercial acumen
- Excited and passionate about working in retail and commercial functions
- A passionate foodie
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
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 careers@ocadoretail.com 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.