Job Details:

About us

Our teams are putting the world’s retailers online using the cloud, robotics, AI, and IoT. We provide services to partner clients globally via our innovative advanced robotics technology, known as the Ocado Smart Platform (“OSP”), this drives our highly automated, multi-million pound Customer Fulfilment Centres (CFCs). In our CFCs – together with the proprietary software applications – we operate a world-class online grocery business that automates the single pick of products, ready for your online delivery.This position sits within Ocado Solutions. At Ocado Solutions, we are responsible for our corporate international partnerships, offering the proprietary Ocado Smart Platform (OSP) as a service to retailers around the world. Since 2017, we have signed agreements to provide our unique e-commerce solutions to a number of the world’s leading grocers, including Groupe Casino (France), Sobeys (Canada), ICA (Sweden), Kroger (USA), Coles (Australia), AEON (Japan), Auchan Poland (Poland), all joining our UK partner Morrisons and the Ocado/M&S joint venture. We continue to invest significantly in our technology and people in order to deliver to current clients and to forge new exciting partnerships!

About the role

The Ocado Solutions Commercial team is responsible for:i) Managing the relationships & realising new commercial opportunities with our existing retail partners.
ii) Signing new international partners, managing the full sales process from research and initial contact to detailed joint work and ultimately contract signing.The successful candidate will ultimately become a Commercial Manager, but will likely spend some time gaining Ocado experience as an International Commercial Project Manager whilst the correct partner is found. The Commercial Manager is the “owner of the relationship” with the partner, and the primary representative of Ocado to the partner.The International Commercial Projects Manager (ICPM) will support the Ocado Solutions leadership team on various business development projects, for prospective and existing partners. The International Commercial Projects Manager will demonstrate a strong level of ownership and autonomy to run projects, coordinating the various work streams overall (Tech, Logistics, Network Planning, Legal, etc.) and being the main day-to-day project lead on the commercial work stream, building up business modelling and driving strategic commercial decisions.The ICPM will liaise regularly with prospective and existing partners, so will be a great communicator and negotiator with an aptitude for consultative selling.

Relationship and communication

The Commercial Manager should own the relationship, and develop comprehensive contact coverage across the partners’ organisation. The Commercial Manager should be the “face” of Ocado responsible for communicating on all aspects of the relationship and coordinating the interactions with other parts of Ocado.Internally the Commercial Manager should play the role of “partner advocate”, ensuring that the needs of the partner are appropriately met, and all relevant areas are aware of trade-offs in not meeting them. They should escalate where they feel the relationship is being compromised by how Ocado is performing in the partnership.

Commercial success and development

The Commercial Manager will have overall responsibility for the commercial success of the partnership. This will entail some direct responsibilities (e.g. advising the partner on their e-commerce strategy; connecting them with other partners facing similar questions) but will primarily entail ensuring that the right resources across Ocado are brought to bear to ensure our partners’ success (whether these resources are in Product Solutions, Development, Implementation, Partner Success, Logistics or Support Functions)Commercial Managers will be fully responsible for the continued commercial development of the relationship with the partner, and any other commercial renegotiations required (e.g. for new CFCs, ISF roll out, or for penalties incurred from delays to the programme)The Commercial Manager will take full responsibility for the day-to-day decision making to ensure a successful relationship and is expected to operate with a high level of autonomy in achieving this.

Accountabilities

The Commercial Manager is responsible for overall management of the partner relationship including:

Day-to-day management and responsible for the ways-of-working
Chair Governance meetings (SRM etc)
Overall responsibility for the P&L, inc. profitability (monitoring, understanding and challenging cost)
Liaising and coordinating with other Ocado Solutions team, including Ocado Technology, Solutions Partner Success, Solutions Product and Solutions Bus Dev and ensuring their relationship with the partner is working effectively
Ensure the partner is effectively represented in Roadmap prioritisation discussions
Being the primary contact point for the partner for any ‘unowned’ challenges and escalation point should the partner be unhappy with any element of the relationship
Playing a key role in the sale of new products and services
Monitoring and challenging as appropriate SLA performance
General admin / problem solving
Handling day-to-day enquiries and arrangements (eg visits) etc
Escalation up the Ocado reporting line

Skills, Experience and Qualifications

Degree qualified or demonstrable experience
Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to influence others internally and externally
Commercial empathy – the ability to understand and enunciate a different commercial perspective to foresee challenges that may be raised by our partners
Excellent team player, able to bring different skills and personalities together in a cohesive and productive way
Strong project management and multi-tasking skills
Strong presentation skills – both preparation and delivery
Proven experience in problem solving and issue resolution
Business Analysis experience (e.g. business cases, financial modelling, commercial awareness, etc)
Experience in a leader among peers role, facilitating multiple work streams simultaneously
Native/fluent in an European language e.g. Italian, French, Spanish
Experience in E-commerce / Logistics / Technology projects or industry roles
High proficiency in Excel, data analysis and financial statements
Experience in a consultancy business and / or client facing roles
Business development experience
Strong leadership skills, able to inspire confidence and deliver a compelling vision

What do I get in return?

Hybrid working and flexible working patterns; Private healthcare; Car salary sacrifice and Cycle to Work schemes ; A range of amazing benefits, including Free Shares and Life Assurance; 15% off your Ocado.com shopping ; Company shop offering discounts of up to 70% on groceries from leading brands and major retailers; Exclusive travel, retail and leisure discounts nationwide ; Incredible Head Office, complete with onsite cafe and restaurant just 20 minutes by train from Kings Cross; A free shuttle bus from and to Hatfield Station ; 22 weeks paid maternity leave and 6 weeks paid paternity leave (once relevant service requirements complete) ; Enhanced Pension scheme, matching employee contributions up to 7% of salary; Employee Assistance Programme.We’re in it together, we are proud of what we do, we can be even betterWe welcome applicants from across the world. If your employment is subject to sponsorship under the UK points-based immigration system, Ocado Group will only pay for the cost of a Certificate of Sponsorship for you, including the Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) if applicable. You will be responsible for the cost of your own visa application and the Immigration Healthcare Surcharge (IHS).