Data Engineering Graduate - Sept 2027

Data Engineering Graduate

Contract type: Permanent

Location: Hatfield (Hybrid working - 3 days in the office)

Working hours per week: 40 hours

Level: Entry level - Graduate

Starting Salary: £32,000

Application Closing Date: Sunday 1st November 2026

Scheme commences: September 2027

About us

Our mission is to deliver joy in every shop, through unbeatable choice, unrivalled service, and reassuringly good value.

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.com 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

Any online business generates an enormous quantity of raw data, and we’re no different. The difference is made in what you do with it. Intelligent use of data and information is at the heart of how Ocado Retail does what it does. Every significant decision is backed up with data-driven evidence. Every change is tried and analysed to understand how we can be even better.

The Data Team is the engine room behind it all. We make sure that data flows seamlessly from where it’s made to where it needs to get to for a decision to be made, and we ensure that it’s delivered in the way that is easiest for the decision-makers to use and understand.

We use Google Cloud Platform (GCP) tools to automate bringing data into our cloud environment, processing it, and storing it in our analytical database. We have machine learning tools watching the data we land to ensure no errors or other quality issues creep in undetected. Once in the analytical database, we help our Insights team understand it and use it to inform business decisions or we automate data feeds onwards into other systems that need to use it. We create interactive dashboards for less technical business users to allow them to explore data and serve as many of their information needs themselves as possible. We are also responsible for some of the cloud infrastructure that allows all this to happen.

There’s a certain satisfaction to using the huge power of cloud computing to automate tasks that would be impossible for people to do alone. The skills we learn can be applied to any area of the business - from personalisation of the customer experience to help our suppliers understand how selling products online is different from their decades of knowledge selling in shops, to saving our Finance teams the job of manipulating data so they can focus their energy where it matters most.

What you’ll do

• This scheme will initially be all about programming. You start by learning SQL, Python and how to effectively use an AI LLM code assistant, then spend the first couple of placements in our Data Engineering and Reporting teams, using those skills to improve the code base that our entire data ecosystem is built on. There will then be opportunities to rotate into other areas of the business and explore more of the lifecycle of Data, expanding your experience in areas such as IT, Governance and Analytics.

• The Data Engineering team is responsible for much of the automation of our data. They take data from a huge number of systems and combine it into a clearly labelled data warehouse for the rest of the business to use. They work closely with analysts and other data users to explore and add new data to keep pace with our constantly evolving business. They need to really get under the skin of the business and understand all the nuances of how its systems work to simplify it for all other data users.

• The Reporting team turns vast, complex datasets into clear, actionable clarity for every corner of our business. Their goal is simple: ensure nobody else wastes hours manually wrestling with data. Combining technical curiosity with a personal touch, they work directly with teams across the company to understand their day-to-day challenges, then translate their real-world domain knowledge into clean, automated metric logic. Whether crafting automated alerts, sophisticated interactive dashboards, or AI-driven query assistants, in this rotation your work will directly give colleagues back time to focus on driving the company forward.

• Placements in other teams will be aimed at broadening your awareness of what goes into making our data work. They may involve:

• Understanding the technology infrastructure we build everything on with our IT operations team.

• Experiencing how new technologies are introduced and how change projects are managed with our IT transformation team.

• Exploring how we protect our data, business and customers with Data Governance.

• Putting yourself in the seat of the users of our data by taking on a placement in our Insights team, who use it to answer questions and recommend how to improve what we do.

• In addition to your core scheme, you will have the opportunity for cross-functional rotations to gain broader business exposure outside of your primary discipline

• Throughout every placement you will be expected to be smart with your use of data - Using your programming skills to do as much as possible, as efficiently as possible. You will quickly become an expert in how to manipulate, explore and summarise data, and how it’s used to help make decisions in a large company.

Who you are

• Have a curious mind. Ideally you feel a quick skim often isn’t enough, you want to fully understand what you’re working on.

• Have a methodical approach to explore every angle of a problem to be certain it’s completely solved.

• Have a good eye for detail to spot unusual patterns or occurrences that may cause problems.

• Have strong logical reasoning to unpick sometimes complex code to find the source of an issue.

• Experience with any programming language would be beneficial.

• Experience working with large quantities of data would be beneficial.

• Experience visualising and explaining data for different audiences would be beneficial. Particularly with software such as Tableau, PowerBI, Excel etc.

What you need to apply

• A 2:1 (predicted or achieved) or above in a STEM field or field with significant data usage from a UK accredited University

• The legal right to work in the United Kingdom upon scheme commencement and duration of the scheme (24 months)

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.

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.

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 careers@ocadoretail.com 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.