Junior Simulation Researcher

About us 

Our teams are putting the world’s retailers online using robotics, AI, IoT and the cloud. We provide services to our partners globally via our state-of-the-art robotics technology, known as the Ocado Smart Platform ("OSP"). This proprietary hardware and software powers all online grocery operations - from our sophisticated webshop and highly automated Customer Fulfilment Centres, to our cutting edge last-mile operations.

About the role 

We are looking for exceptional analytical problem solvers to join our Routing Simulation team, where you will use simulation to understand the behaviour of our routing optimisation through modelling, experimentation and data analysis. You will work closely with stakeholders to offer them practical insight from simulation, and perform research to guide the design of some of our most advanced systems. Through research, experimentation and collaboration, you will become an expert in some of Ocado Group’s most advanced and complex technology.

Routing decisions are some of the most complex and most valuable logic in the Ocado Smart Platform. The final delivery (“last mile”) is a significant fraction of the cost of online grocery retail, so while it’s difficult to optimise, the payoff from making better decisions is huge. The Routing Simulation team develops a simulation model to help us make better decisions through understanding the impact of critical decisions or new algorithms. As one of two research specialists in the team, you will work closely with both the software engineers building the simulation and stakeholders who need insight from it.

Some examples of recent projects include:

• Comparing different approaches to offering same-day orders
• Advising on parameter tuning for new optimisation algorithms
• Designing and evaluating a machine learning model that predicts customer response to slot availability
• Building standard experiment designs and analysis tools

About Simulation Research 

As well as being part of the Routing Simulation team, you’ll join a community of simulation researchers working across a range of domains. You’ll be expected to share your insights and experience, but you’ll also get plenty of support, advice and mentorship from experts in other areas.

As a simulation researcher, you will regularly switch between:

• Liaising with stakeholders to clearly understand their requirements
• Designing appropriate models, experiments and analysis to produce trustworthy data from our simulation model
• Analysing large datasets in depth to build a full picture of the system performance
• Sharing results both verbally and in writing, providing clear but nuanced insight in an accessible way
• Defining metrics and building data infrastructure and tooling

About you

You need to be highly numerate and comfortable working with data, with a keen eye for detail and the inquisitiveness and motivation to understand things in depth. You’ll be a fast learner, able to quickly pick up new ideas and use a wide range of tools to solve challenging problems.

Having said that, we care just as much about your soft skills. Great written and verbal communication is essential, telling a clear story through data to technical and non-technical teams, which also requires building an understanding of what a stakeholder really needs and cares about. You need to care as much about getting the process right and building relationships as you do about the numbers.

The most fundamental requirement of all is that you’re always motivated to do better, whether this means improving yourself or helping your team find better ways of working.

That’s what we care about most, although we would also value any experience with relevant analysis tools or approaches (e.g. Python, SQL, statistics, data engineering), as well as professional or academic data-driven research, particularly if it involves simulation or modelling. Experience in a related domain or working with development teams and business stakeholders would also be a plus.

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).

Want to see what this role looks like in action? Watch our short video to get a closer look at the day-to-day work and key responsibilities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCD-fZq_NxI

Ready to apply? Submit your application!

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