Technical Operations Lead

Technical Operations Lead Contract type: Permanent Location: Hatfield (Hybrid working - 3 days in the office) Working hours per week: 40 hours Level: Lead Reports to: Chief Data and Technology Officer Application Closing Date: 5th November 2026 About us Our mission is to deliver joy in every shop, through unbeatable choice, unrivalled service, and reassuringly good value. We’re also on a mission to empower our business with smart technology; we've recently launched our AI Academy, providing a tailored AI learning journey for every colleague. We’re Ocado Retail, a market-leading joint venture between Ocado Group and M&S, and the world’s largest dedicated online supermarket, ocado.com. Not only is Ocado the only place to shop a full range of M&S food online, it’s also the home to the widest online supermarket range in the UK and champion of small, independent brands. We’re also the brains behind Zoom by Ocado, our same-day grocery delivery service. About the team and the role The Technical Operations Lead is the operating partner to the CDTO and the leadership team. You will design and run the operating rhythm that gives everyone a shared understanding of what we are building, why, in what order, with what capacity, and how it is going. You will make sure decisions are made in the right forum with the right information, that commitments are tracked through to delivery, and that the team keeps raising its standards, moving from good to great. This is a broad role. In a given week you might rebalance capacity after a change in priorities, prepare the quarterly OKR review, resolve a cross-team dependency that is putting a release at risk, and write the update that goes to the executive committee. Key relationships CTDO and the leadership team; product, engineering and delivery leads; Finance and People business partners; Internal Communications; portfolio and programme teams in other functions; executive committee members and their chiefs of staff. What you’ll do Operating rhythm and governance - Design, run and improve the cadence of leadership forums (weekly, monthly, quarterly), including agendas, pre-reads, facilitation and follow-up on actions. - Agree who decides what, and keep a decision log so that decisions, owners and rationale are visible and are not reopened without good reason. - Make sure each forum has a clear purpose, the right attendees and a defined output, and retire forums that are no longer needed. Capacity planning and resource allocation - Maintain a single view of capacity, skills and allocation across teams, covering permanent colleagues, contractors and partners. - Model the capacity impact of new demand and priority changes, and present trade-off options to the leadership team before commitments are made. - Work with Finance and People teams on headcount plans, budget tracking and hiring priorities so that people plans match the roadmap. Roadmap priorities and sequencing - Own the integrated roadmap across teams and keep it current, so there is one version everyone works from. - Run the prioritisation process using an agreed framework (for example value, effort, risk and strategic fit), and make the reasoning behind sequencing decisions visible. - Identify work that is duplicated, stalled or no longer aligned to priorities, and bring options to the leadership team. OKRs and strategic alignment - Lead the quarterly OKR cycle: drafting, challenge sessions, alignment with company objectives and final sign-off. - Make sure every roadmap item maps to an objective and key result, and flag work that does not. - Run regular OKR check-ins and quarter-end reviews that look at what we learned as well as what we scored. Rollout plans and release readiness - Set the standard for release readiness (go/no-go criteria, operational readiness, communications, training, support and rollback plans) and make sure it is applied consistently. - Maintain a forward view of upcoming releases and their impact on customers, colleagues and operations, and agree timing with business stakeholders. - Run post-release reviews to check whether shipped work delivered the expected outcomes, and feed the lessons back into planning. Dependencies and risks - Maintain a cross-team log of risks, assumptions, issues and dependencies, with clear owners and dates. - Escalate early when a dependency or risk threatens a priority outcome, and bring a recommended course of action with the problem. - Coordinate with peer functions such as Commercial, Operations, Finance, Data and Security where dependencies sit outside the team. Progress tracking and stakeholder reporting - Build and maintain a regular reporting pack giving a consistent, concise view of delivery progress, OKR status, risks, capacity and spend. - Tailor updates for each audience, from executive committee and board pre-reads to team-wide updates. - Prepare CDTO for key meetings with briefings, data and recommended positions. Driving the team from good to great - Work with the leadership team to define what great looks like for us, with clear standards for delivery, quality, decision-making and ways of working, and measures to track them. - Run regular retrospectives on how the leadership team and the operating rhythm are working, and make sure the agreed actions happen. - Identify capability gaps and lead improvement initiatives, such as better planning practices, tooling, data quality, or product and engineering standards. - Build a culture of ownership, transparency and follow-through, where commitments made in forums are tracked and closed. - Bring in practices from other organisations and benchmark how we work against them. Communication, culture and engagement - Plan and deliver internal communications, including all-hands sessions, team updates, leadership messages and communications about change. - Own the action plan that follows engagement surveys and track progress against it. - Organise leadership offsites and team events, and support onboarding for new leaders. Special projects - Lead high-priority, cross-cutting initiatives on behalf of [Leader] that do not sit naturally with one team. - Represent CDTO in meetings and decisions where agreed, and follow up on issues that need their attention. Who you are Experience - Substantial experience in a technical operations, strategy, operations, portfolio management or consulting role, ideally within a technology, product or digital function. - A track record of running planning and governance processes across several teams and senior stakeholders. - Hands-on experience of OKRs, roadmap management and capacity planning. - A working understanding of modern product and engineering delivery, including agile ways of working and release management. - Experience of preparing material for executive committees or boards. Skills - A structured thinker who can turn an unclear situation into a clear plan. - An excellent writer and communicator who can make complex information simple for senior audiences. - Confident with data: builds the analysis and dashboards, and asks the questions they raise. - Influences without formal authority, and challenges senior colleagues constructively. - A strong facilitator who keeps discussion on track and gets the group to a decision. Behaviours - High standards and attention to detail, while keeping the wider picture in view. - Discreet with confidential information, and trusted by both the leader and the team. - Low ego: does much of the work behind the scenes and gives others the credit. - Acts quickly and follows through on commitments. What’s in it for you By joining Ocado Retail, you’ll have the chance to experience life at the world’s largest online retailer, work with an amazing bunch of people who challenge what’s possible each day, and grow your skills and career in online retail. You'll also be part of our AI Academy, a dedicated learning journey designed to empower every colleague with the smart technology skills of the future. If that’s not enough to tempt you, you’ll also get access to loads of great benefits to sweeten the deal. Here’s a taste of what we offer: Health & Wellbeing: Private medical insurance with option to add your family, Digital GP appointments, market-leading family policies, mental health support, discounted gym memberships, dental insurance, and more. Spend & Save: Annual bonus scheme split between personal and business objectives, recognition with reward platform, up to 7% matched pension contributions, 15% Ocado discount, 20% M&S discount, free breakfast every day in the office, electric vehicle leasing scheme, and free shuttle bus from Hatfield station to the office. Never miss the moments that matter: Hybrid working, 26 days holiday plus 8 flexible bank holidays, options to buy extra holiday, 2 weeks work from anywhere, and lifestyle break opportunities. Our Hiring Process Lucky for us, we receive a high volume of applications and genuinely appreciate the time and effort invested by every candidate. To ensure a fair and thorough process, every application is reviewed by a member of our team. If your skills and experience are a strong match, a Talent Partner will contact you to discuss the role and guide you through the next steps of our hiring process. Your Application and AI In the spirit of innovation, we welcome you to use AI tools in your application, just as we use them in our own business at Ocado Retail. However, as you leverage this technology, please don't lose sight of the most important element: your unique self. Your experiences, passions, and personality are what truly set you apart. Ensure that your application still authentically conveys who you are and why you're a great fit for us. Everyone’s welcome We’re an equal opportunities employer, which means that we make sure all potential colleagues are treated fairly and equally. We want to ensure everyone has a fair chance to apply; if you need this job description in an alternative format (e.g., larger print, different document type, etc.), please reach out to us at [email protected] and we'll be happy to assist you, and if you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know on the application form.