Senior Finance Accountant - Group and External Reporting 5 months FTC

Ocado Group; Hatfield; On-site; GBP 58,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK retail company is seeking a Finance professional for a critical role within its finance team. The position involves coordinating statutory accounts, ensuring IFRS compliance, and engaging with senior stakeholders. Candidates should possess relevant financial qualifications, strong knowledge of accounting principles, and excellent communication skills. This 5-month contract provides the opportunity to influence financial processes while gaining broad exposure across the company's finance function.

Benefits

30 days 'working from anywhere' policy

Wellbeing support through dedicated apps

25 days annual leave

Pension scheme

Private Medical Insurance

Income Protection and Life Assurance

Paid maternity and paternity leave

Train Ticket loan

Cycle to Work Scheme

Free shuttle bus service

Participation in Sharesave schemes

15% discount on Ocado.com

Qualifications

• Relevant financial qualifications such as ACA, ACCA, or CIMA.
• Strong knowledge of accounting and reporting standards.
• Experience in statutory accounts preparation and audits.
• Ability to manage conflicting deadlines effectively.
• Strong communication skills for explaining complex issues.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and finalize the back-end statutory accounts.
• Serve as IFRS authority and prepare technical accounting papers.
• Work closely with senior stakeholders and auditors.
• Drive process efficiency and compliance.
• Embed a strong controls culture within the Finance team.

Skills

Financial qualifications (ACA/ACCA/CIMA)

Knowledge of IFRS

Ability to manage deadlines

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Job description

You'll be joining us right on time for the Interim and Full-Year (FY) reporting cycle, making you absolutely instrumental to our success. This role goes far beyond simple number-crunching. You'll be empowered to look critically at how we operate and drive real change:

• Assist in the coordination of the FY Statutory Accounts Process: Take the reins in coordinating and finalising the Group's back-end statutory accounts, disclosures, and regulatory reporting, driving the preliminary sign-off process.
• Be the IFRS Authority: Serve as a technical expert, preparing Group technical papers and ensuring rigorous adherence to IFRS and Group accounting policies across the wider Finance function.
• Direct Senior Stakeholder Exposure: Work side-by-side with senior members of Group Finance and external audit teams, allowing you to showcase your expertise and build a lasting network.
• Process Transformation: You'll be a key player in driving process efficiency, effectiveness, and compliance.
• Raise the Bar: Lead the charge in further developing Ocado's reporting-driving process governance, standardisation, and measuring effectiveness to raise the quality and accuracy of our output.
• Culture of Control: Play a fundamental part in embedding a strong controls culture, ensuring the operating effectiveness of key controls and supporting our internal audit processes.

In just five months, you'll gain unparalleled, broad exposure across the entire Finance function. You will collaborate extensively with various accounting teams, quickly resolve complex audit requests, and work to resolve technical issues in real time. This is a fast‑track way to strengthen your technical expertise and build a valuable, wide‑ranging professional network within a dynamic, FTSE‑listed organisation.

• 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

Salary: £57,777 per year (estimated)

Contract: This isn't just a 5-month contract; it's an excellent opportunity to place yourself at the core of Ocado Group's Finance team during our most critical reporting cycle. If you thrive on technical complexity, cross‑functional collaboration, and the chance to genuinely influence processes, this is the right opportunity. This is your chance to step into a high‑visibility role where your technical accounting expertise directly translates into the Group's public reporting success.

Benefits

• 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!)