Senior Finance Accountant - Group and External Reporting 5 months FTC

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.

Why This Role is an excellent opportunity:

Maximum Impact, Defined Timeline

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.

About you

• 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

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!)

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