Principal Product Manager
Job Description
This posting is for hourly paid logistics employees to apply through.
Product Manager - Robotic Picking | Outbound | Hybrid Working | Hatfield
About the Role:
As the Product Manager for Robotic Picking (OGRP), you will own Ocado’s flagship automated picking capability, which has completed over 350 million picks in production to date. Sitting within our Outbound Product Area, you will operate at the intersection of software, robotics and physical operations - optimising performance and profitability where decisions show up in production within days, not quarters.
Operating as the highest individual contributor level in Product, you will serve as a recognized domain authority for Product Directors and VPs, with the capability and strategic breadth to step into a Director role. Day to day, you will manage the boundary between what the robot can reliably pick, how orders get planned and packed and what the CFC can execute without losing throughput or delivery quality. You will drive cross-area strategy, influence senior engineering counterparts and collaborate with commercial leaders to accelerate feature adoption and scale OGRP across new global sites.
Key Responsibilities:
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Own the vision, roadmap and adoption outcomes for Ocado’s on-grid robotic picking (OGRP) capability.
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Manage product range extension, using data on damage rates and pick success to balance range growth against operational risk.
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Design seamless integration between robotic picking, manual stations order packing and downstream CFC workflows.
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Lead exception design and site readiness, establishing criteria that allow OGRP to launch reliably across diverse global layouts.
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Drive rigorous experimentation and hypothesis testing, holding cross-functional teams to high standards of evidence and validation.
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Maintain clear visibility over P&L lines influenced by your domain, making critical Build vs. Buy calls and establishing metrics tied directly to business outcomes.
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Serve as the primary market intelligence resource and go-to domain expert for Product Directors, VPs and external partners.
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Mobilise and lead through expertise and influence, mentoring surrounding PMs and actively contributing to the broader product leadership group.
What We’re Looking For:
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A seasoned Product Leader/Manager with a proven track record of driving impact at scale within complex technical or commercial domains.
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Demonstrated ability to navigate complex business environments and influence organizational strategy at the senior leadership and C-suite level.
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Strong data and commercial fluency, with the ability to manage P&L impacts, build financial rationales and defend prioritization decisions.
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Comfort making high-quality, decisive choices under conditions of ambiguity, high operational stakes and physical constraints.
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Exceptional communication skills, with experience presenting complex product strategies to internal leadership and external clients.
Nice to Haves:
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Valuable expertise in robotics, automated fulfilment, warehouse operations or complex hardware/software integrations.
Benefits:
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:
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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.
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Health & wellbeing: Private Medical Insurance from your first month, wellbeing support through specialist apps and EAP, plus Income Protection and Life Assurance.
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Family-first policies: 22 weeks paid maternity/primary carer leave and 6 weeks paid paternity leave.
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Financial support: Pension with employer matching up to 7%, share schemes (Sharesave & BAYE) and interest-free loans for train tickets.
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Commuter perks: Cycle to Work Scheme, Car salary sacrifice and free shuttle buses to/from Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City stations.
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Exclusive discounts: 15% off at Ocado.com with free delivery (starting in your first month) and up to 70% off at our Company Shop.
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.
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