Senior Finance Accountant - Group and External Reporting 12 months FTC

This posting is for hourly paid logistics employees to apply through.

Ocado Group is an equal opportunities employer and as such makes every effort to ensure that all potential employees are treated fairly and equally, regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, marital status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, age, or disability or union membership status. 

About Us

Our teams are putting the world’s retailers online using the cloud, robotics, AI, and IoT. We provide services to partner clients globally via our innovative advanced robotics technology, known as the Ocado Smart Platform ("OSP"), this drives our highly automated, multi-million pound Customer Fulfilment Centres (CFCs). In our CFCs - together with the proprietary software applications - we operate a world-class online grocery business that automates the single pick of products, ready for your online delivery.

About The Role

This is an excellent opportunity to join Ocado’s Group Finance team in a high-profile role at the heart of our reporting function. You will take ownership of the Half Year and Full Year reporting cycles, which includes preparing statutory accounts, disclosures, technical papers, and regulatory submissions.

You will be instrumental in ensuring full IFRS compliance and maintaining robust internal controls while also collaborating with senior stakeholders and supporting audit requirements.

As well as the core responsibilities, you will have the chance to shape process governance, drive efficiency, and contribute to the ongoing strengthening and high-quality delivery of our Group Reporting. This cross-functional position offers broad exposure across Finance and a chance to strengthen your technical expertise.

Accountabilities

• Coordinating the production of the back-end HY and FY statutory accounts and ensuring preliminary sign off takes place on the accounts (including Stat Accounts, Disclosures, Regulatory reporting)
• Preparation of the Primary Financial Statements (Income Statement, EBITDA reconciliation, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, SOCIE)
• Preparation of the Group’s technical papers for HY, Interim and FY
• Ensure full compliance with IFRS and group accounting policies, working closely with wider finance to address complex accounting matters
• Assist in managing and coordinating the HY and FY post-close adjustment process
• Liaising with the wider accounting team to ensure adherence to group accounting policies and IFRS’s
• Substantiating account/general ledger balances and providing first level commentary
• Close collaboration with wider finance, ensuring a quick resolution to audit requests and deliverables throughout the HY, Interim and FY reporting cycles
• Improving the monthly reporting cadence, assisting in system remediation projects and testing (where required)
• Building excellent relationships across Finance, working to resolve issues in in a timely manner
• Providing oversight; understand variances and proactively identify problems and opportunities to standardise, streamline and improve processes and accuracy
• Support the global process owner for record to report processes by driving process efficiency, effectiveness and compliance working closely with the Continuous Improvement team
• Driving process governance and measuring process effectiveness
• Working with and supporting senior members of Group Finance to improve the service offering 
• Seeking continuous improvement and constantly challenging the team to improve standards
• Building and developing a high performing and engaged team, creating a culture of excellence
• Driving the professionalisation of Ocado reporting and raising the bar on quality
• Supporting internal control and audit processes and the safeguarding of Ocado assets
• Embedding a culture of controls within the team, responsible for operating effectiveness of all key controls within the department's processes and remediation of any control weaknesses

About You

Essential

• Relevant financial qualifications (ACA/ACCA/CIMA) and understanding of relevant regulatory environments
• Strong knowledge of accounting and reporting standards & principles (IFRS)
• Experience in statutory accounts preparation and audit processes
• Proven ability to business partner across wider teams and build trusted relationships
• Ability to manage conflicting deadlines and deliver under pressure
• High attention to detail with ability to produce accurate and timely financial data and reporting
• Strong communication skills – both written and verbal – to explain complex issues clearly to finance and non-finance stakeholders 
• Ability to exercise professional scepticism and sound judgment

Desirable

• Experience in listed company / PLC reporting
• Experience working with external auditors and third party external advisors
• Experience in process improvement, automation
• Ability to adapt quickly in a fast-paced, evolving environment
• Ability to use SmartView and Oracle Cloud (FCCS) reporting tools

What we offer you

Our employee benefits are designed for you, we care about people and we’ve ensured we have a wealth of benefits that focus on your well-being. We regularly review our benefits to ensure we are supporting our employees appropriately.

• 30 days ‘working from anywhere in the world’ policy 
• Wellbeing support through dedicated apps and an Employee Assistance Programme 
• 25 days annual leave, rising to 27 days after 5 years service (plus optional holiday purchase)
• Pension scheme (various options available including employer contribution matching up to 7%)
• Generous Private Medical Insurance (within the first month of joining!)
• Income Protection (can be up to 50% of salary for 3 years) and Life Assurance (3 x annual salary) 
• 22 weeks paid maternity leave and 6 weeks paid paternity leave (once relevant service requirements complete) 
• Train Ticket loan (interest-free)
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Free shuttle bus to and from Hatfield Train Station to the Hatfield offices 
• Free shuttle bus to and from Welwyn Garden City Train Station to the Welwyn Garden City offices
• Opportunity to participate in Sharesave and Buy as You Earn share schemes
• 15% discount on Ocado.com and free delivery for all employees (within the first month of joining!)