Principal Product Manager

Job description

Product Manager -  Robotic Picking | Outbound | Hybrid Working | Hatfield 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: 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: • Own the vision, roadmap and adoption outcomes for Ocado’s on-grid robotic picking (OGRP) capability. • Manage product range extension, using data on damage rates and pick success to balance range growth against operational risk. • Design seamless integration between robotic picking, manual stations order packing and downstream CFC workflows. • Lead exception design and site readiness, establishing criteria that allow OGRP to launch reliably across diverse global layouts. • Drive rigorous experimentation and hypothesis testing, holding cross-functional teams to high standards of evidence and validation. • 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. • Serve as the primary market intelligence resource and go-to domain expert for Product Directors, VPs and external partners. • Mobilise and lead through expertise and influence, mentoring surrounding PMs and actively contributing to the broader product leadership group. What We’re Looking For: • A seasoned Product Leader/Manager with a proven track record of driving impact at scale within complex technical or commercial domains. • Demonstrated ability to navigate complex business environments and influence organizational strategy at the senior leadership and C-suite level. • Strong data and commercial fluency, with the ability to manage P&L impacts, build financial rationales and defend prioritization decisions. • Comfort making high-quality, decisive choices under conditions of ambiguity, high