Senior Data Analyst - Simulation Research

“Ocado Technology, powering the future of retail through sustained disruptive technology innovation...”

Ocado Technology is the in-house technology division of over 1,000+ software developers, engineers, researchers and scientists that uses the latest in AI, robotics, cloud services, big data, and mobile technologies. We brainstorm, design, architect, innovate, experiment, build and maintain the systems that power Ocado.

Building this cutting edge technology is only possible through extensive simulation, which drives decisions around warehouse design, business planning and control algorithms. On a given day we might simulate months of warehouse operation and years of supply chain. 

We’re looking for someone to join our Simulation team to provide valuable insight to the wider business. You will work closely with these diverse stakeholders to understand their requirements, then configure the appropriate simulations and convert the results into clear and meaningful analysis. Through research, experimentation and collaboration, you will become an expert in some of Ocado’s most advanced and complex technology.

About the team

The Simulation Analysis team generates data and insight on the performance of Ocado’s robotic warehouses, based on simulations of real and hypothetical warehouse operation. Our analysis has a real impact on Ocado’s decisions around how to use and develop this technology. The analysis team is small but growing quickly, and we are looking to continue this growth in order to meet the increasing demand for simulation data.

We are looking to increase our analysis capability by hiring analysts in Sofia, where we have an established software development team. You would own, follow and improve the existing analysis process alongside the UK team, as well as looking to develop strong collaboration with the algorithm development team.

About the environment

We all appreciate being part of an open and collaborative team. We believe in the Kanban philosophy and are always looking to improve our ways of working. We work together to understand novel requests and warehouse scenarios (of which there are many), and discuss all our findings before sending them out. We work closely with developers in other simulation teams to improve our systems and build a shared understanding of how the highly complex systems behave.

About the work

A typical piece of analysis work may involve:

• Liaising with stakeholders to understand their requirements
• Determining how best to answer these questions, which might be existing data, a spreadsheet model, a suite of simulations, or even not to answer at all
• Anticipating any additional functionality required (to the simulation, algorithms or tooling), and communicating with the relevant development teams
• Planning and configuring appropriate simulation studies
• In-depth analysis of the results, building a complete picture of the simulation behaviour
• Running further experiments and investigations into anything unexpected or interesting
• Producing an accessible and understandable summary of the results, at the appropriate level of detail, with a clear description of the limitations and assumptions made

The analysis will typically involve using some of the following (previous experience desirable): Microsoft Excel, Python (e.g. Jupyter, Pandas), Tableau, Google Data Studio, SQL, Google BigQuery.

About you

We’re interested in speaking to people who have: 

• Degree (PhD, MS, BS) in Computer Science, Statistics, Applied Math or relevant majors with specialisation in artificial intelligence, robotics, or natural language processing.
• Demonstrable experience of using data to answer open ended research questions and provide rigorous interpretations of the results
• A keen eye for detail, with the inquisitiveness and drive to understand things in depth
• Speed of learning, ability to quickly pick up new ideas and use a wide range of tools to solve challenging problems
• Ability to communicate clearly and precisely with technical and non-technical teams, both verbally and in writing
• Drive to continually improve and find better ways of working as a team

Bonus points for experience with any of the following:

• Any useful tools (e.g. Python, modelling, advanced Excel)
• Professional or academic data-driven research
• Use of simulation to understand complex systems
• Applied statistics (e.g. significance testing, regression, machine learning)
• Retail operations, or Ocado’s new “Rainbow” CFC technology
• Working with software development teams and business stakeholders
• Kanban or other agile methodologies

What we offer you

• A chance to work on an cutting-edge innovative product
• 25 Days annual leave
• Flexible working hours
• Compliments card
• Additional health care
• In house and external training programs
• A choice of equipment and OS (MacOS / Linux / Windows)
• Team building activities

Be bold, be unique, be brilliant, be you. We are looking for individuality and are committed to treating all applicants and employees fairly and equally.