Senior Sales & Operations Planning Manager

Senior Sales & Operations Planning Manager | Hatfield | Hybrid (2 days office)

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.

About the role

The Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) team drives the process of alignment between sales, demand, supply and financial planning, to support executive level decisions to deliver a feasible and profitable business plan. The team is key in aligning Operations, Development, Sales, and Finance in strategic planning to meet our partners requirements.

The Senior S&OP Manager is responsible for the execution of the S&OP process (from the demand plans to manufacturing plans) - ensuring the quality and timeliness of inputs and leading definition of scenarios to be considered. This necessitates strong commercial acumen and analytical skills as well as the consideration of supply chain implications and the impact to profitability.

This is a highly collaborative role across functions, with strong relationship-building skills to evaluate and progress solutions alongside the wider team. Strong communication skills are therefore required to ensure buy-in of senior stakeholders, as well as a proactive and inquisitive approach by not just taking data at face value but appreciating the why, how and future impact from both a technical and commercial perspective and bringing the right level of challenge.

What you will be doing

• Contribute towards the achievement of the company's strategic and operational targets
• Contribute to the development of the supply chain strategy
• Execute the S&OP process which includes the portfolio plan, MHE demand assumptions, and long term manufacturing strategy
• Define the longer-term impact and wider implication of decisions
• Validate data on inventory, supply and financial information to ensure accurate reporting
• Review and challenge key inputs such as sales forecasts, procurement, financial considerations
• Identify changes between cycles, their impact, and summarise key trade offs and decisions required
• Understand the audience to tailor review decks, with the ability to present up to executive level
• Independently lead major cross functional initiatives to help develop scenarios, considering trade-offs that drive overall business performance and risk management
• Responsible for maintaining best practice for S&OP with all stakeholders, and ensure continuous review of processes to ensure it provides the maximum value to the business
• Support leadership in developing key governance criteria for the S&OP process and lead solutions to address gaps
• Own the relationship with Finance to facilitate reconciliation of operational plans and financial plans
• Proactively build relationships with senior colleagues to support issue resolution and opportunity identification

Team Leadership

• Be an active member of the Supply Chain LT
• Manage, motivate and coach the team and supporting functions
• Effective communication & reporting across teams and stakeholders
• Develop and maintain close & effective working relationships with key internal customers and collaborators
• Ensure resilience across the team

We'd love to talk to you if you have...

• 5+ years of experience across operational delivery, supply chain, planning or strategy roles
• Experience with S&OP, demand and supply planning processes
• Knowledge and experience working with ERP/MRP systems
• Credible, confident and polished presentation skills.
• Demonstrable management experience of delivering in fast paced environments, with a high degree of change
• Commercial acumen with a strong understanding of the Ocado business model and key drivers including revenue generation and CAPEX / OPEX
• Proven ability to lead and influence senior stakeholders to drive cross functional alignment whilst balancing key operational requirements with longer term strategic planning
• Strong analytical skills and ability understand business critical trends from data sets
• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills to work and communicate effectively cross-functionally at ‘head of' and director level
• STEM background - either in education or technical/technology/engineering project management roles
• IT literate - Google software suite, PPM software

Bonus points if you also have…

• Experienced with managing remote teams
• International working experience

What we offer you...

Our employee benefits are designed for you, we care about people and we've ensured we have a wealth of benefits that focus on your well-being. We regularly review our benefits to ensure we are supporting our employees appropriately. Currently, we offer technically stretching work, a competitive salary and;

• A Work from Home policy that sees you in the office typically 40% of your time.
• 30 days ‘working from anywhere' policy
• Wellbeing support through Apps and an Employee Assistance Programme
• 25 days annual leave, rising to 27 days after 5 years service (plus optional holiday purchase)
• Pension scheme (various options available including employer contribution matching up to 7%)
• Private Medical Insurance
• 22 weeks paid maternity leave and 6 weeks paid paternity leave (once relevant service requirements complete)
• Train Ticket loan (interest-free)
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Free shuttle bus to and from Welwyn Garden City Train Station to the Welwyn Garden City offices
• Opportunity to participate in Share save and Buy as You Earn share schemes
• 15% discount on Ocado.com and free delivery for all employees
• Income Protection (can be up to 50% of salary for 3 years) and Life Assurance (3 x annual salary)

We also have regular divisional socials, sports clubs not to mention the Ocado Technology Academy for a packed schedule of courses, conferences and events. If you think you have what it takes to make a difference, please submit your application below.

Be bold, be unique, be brilliant, be you. We are looking for individuality and we value diversity. We are an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to treating all applicants and employees fairly and equally. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to provide a positive, barrier-free recruitment process and supportive work environment.

If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application.

We are thrilled to welcome applicants from across the world. Whilst we are able to offer visa sponsorship, please note that we are only able to cover costs relating to the Certificate of Sponsorship and the Immigration Skills Charge only. For all employment offers made for UK roles, it is expected that you will be based in the UK in commutable distance, ready for your first day of work, so please keep this in mind. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Due to the energising nature of Ocado's business, vacancy close dates, when stated, are indicative and may be subject to change so please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. If you have applied and been rejected for this role in the last 6 months, or applied and been rejected for a role with a similar skill set, we will not re-evaluate you for this position. After 6 months, we will treat your application as a new one. All benefits information is subject to change and the terms of the individual arrangements. Please assume you have been unsuccessful if you haven't heard from us within 4 weeks.

About Ocado Group

When our journey started, we were all about changing the way people shop for groceries. 20 years later, we're developing our own ground breaking technology, opening multiple sites at an accelerating rate and engaging in exciting new business partnerships around the world!

Transforming an industry also means transforming the way we do business. As we continually develop new technologies and customer propositions, we're looking for the Everyday Pioneers to lead us into the next stage of our evolution: enhancing our capabilities, inspiring our teams and developing new ways of working.

Changing the way the world shops, for good.