Senior Procurement Excellence Manager

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About Us

We are Ocado Group, and we're bringing world-class automation to online grocery. Our Ocado Smart Platform (OSP) combines cutting-edge robotics, AI, and IoT within our advanced CFCs (Customer Fulfilment Centres). We've mastered the single pick, transforming online delivery for our global partners. Join us and be part of a team pushing the boundaries of retail technology.

About the Role 

This role is a fantastic opportunity to elevate Procurement into a true strategic enabler. Operating on a global scale, you'll lead our procurement enablement strategy as we pursue world class procurement at Ocado.

You'll manage a small, group-wide Procurement Excellence team and join the Procurement Leadership Team. 

You will be: 

Leading a small team across 5 foundational pillars of Procurement. This is a hands-on leadership role where you will directly own aspects of the below as well as organising and equipping your team to deliver. 

• Procurement Systems
• Develop and lead the overarching systems strategy for procurement, leveraging our best of breed set up
• Oversee the management and continuous development of our core procurement suite, including our market leading Omnea procurement platform, tail spend management partnership, virtual card solution, and Enterprise ERP (Oracle Fusion)
• Ensure our systems work well with our ERP and external data sources to enable end-to-end process delivery
• Data & Analytics
• Develop data governance and analytics frameworks to increase transparency and actionable insight
• Own our KPI and Reporting strategy, ensuring we have actionable data from individual category level to exec reporting
• Translate system outputs into clear, actionable insights that improve outcomes
• Ensure our data works for our frontline Procurement Managers
• Supplier Risk Management
• Lead Ocado’s Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) programme on behalf of all Procurement
• Lead a functional peer group of risk domain leaders to ensure an effective but proportional risk approach
• Leverage our tech stack to ensure supplier risk management is deeply embedded into procurement decisions
•  Policy & Governance
• Own the Global Procurement Policy
• Embed a governance framework for procurement systems, including the control and change management framework
• Ensure wider supplier governance procedures and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) standards are fully integrated into our procurement practices
•  Process Excellence
• Drive continuous improvement across our sourcing, negotiation, contract management, supplier management, and supplier risk management processes
• Identify opportunities to optimise procurement systems by automating workflows and improving user experience
• Lead Ocado Procurement in the rapid and wide ranging deployment of new AI tools ensuring a mix of personal productivity, function wide enablers and strategic evolution initiatives
• Shape and deliver the Agentic Procurement agenda at Ocado

About you 

• Deep procurement excellence experience in several of the following areas: Procurement Systems, Data & Analytics, Supplier Risk/TPRM, Governance, and Process Excellence
• Strong hands on experience in any category, ensuring a personal understanding of procurement management
• Experience working in a global, ideally matrix procurement organisation
• A sharp commercial mindset, enhanced with deep analytical skills
• Previous experience embedding transformational change within an organisation, far and above a new supplier and way of working, it’s most likely experience of leading an innovation and change agenda for Procurement e.g. ESG or systems transformation
• Great project management skills, able to form and own a portfolio of initiatives
• Experience of implementing or running modern ProcureTech (e.g. Omnea, Zip, Oro, Zycus) is a big advantage, as is a track record of leveraging AI/LLMs for personal productivity, vibe coding and other purposes
• Experience working with both Direct and Indirect procurement is an advantage

What we offer

We believe in supporting our people with meaningful, flexible benefits that prioritise well-being and work-life balance. Here’s a snapshot of what you can expect:

• Time to recharge:
  25 days annual leave (rising to 27 after 5 years), plus the option to buy more – and 30 days a year to work from anywhere in the world.
• Health & wellbeing:
  Private Medical Insurance from your first month, wellbeing support through specialist apps and EAP, plus Income Protection and Life Assurance.
• Family-first policies:
  22 weeks paid maternity/primary carer leave and 6 weeks paid paternity leave
• Financial support:
  Pension with employer matching up to 7%, share schemes (Sharesave & BAYE), and interest-free loans for train tickets.
• Commuter perks:
  Cycle to Work Scheme and free shuttle buses to/from Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City stations.
• Exclusive discounts:
  15% off at Ocado.com with free delivery (starting in your first month).