Ocado Retail
Senior Financial Manager - Accounting Centre of Excellence (FTC)
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Senior Financial Manager - Accounting Centre of Excellence
Contract type: Fixed Term Contract (12 months) Location: Hatfield (Hybrid working – 3 days in the office) Working hours per week: 40 hours Level: Senior Manager Application Closing Date: Tuesday 14th July
About Us
Our mission is to deliver joy in every shop, through unbeatable choice, unrivalled service, and reassuringly good value. We’re also on a mission to empower our business with smart technology; we’ve recently launched our AI Academy, providing a tailored AI learning journey for every colleague.
We’re Ocado Retail, a market-leading joint venture between Ocado Group and M&S, and the world’s largest dedicated online supermarket, ocado.com. Not only is Ocado the only place to shop a full range of M&S food online, but it’s also the home to the widest online supermarket range in the UK and champion of small, independent brands. We’re also the brains behind Zoom by Ocado, our same-day grocery delivery service.
About the Team and the Role
At Ocado Retail, our Finance team plays a critical role in supporting the business to drive forward. Reporting to the Financial Controller, the Senior Finance Manager will lead the Accounting Centre of Excellence to own our month-end processes and ensure integrity and controls of our financial data are delivered to our key finance stakeholders.
The Senior Finance Manager – Accounting Centre of Excellence will lead a team of 7 (1 Finance Manager, 3 Senior Finance Analysts, and 3 Finance Graduates) to deliver their balance sheet and P&L month-end processes, maintain financial integrity, meet controls requirements, and instil a culture of continuous improvement.
The team is currently focused on an upcoming ERP system transformation project; this role will be pivotal in supporting the team to adapt processes to align with the new system, ensuring uninterrupted BAU delivery, whilst leveraging the new platform to significantly enhance our financial controls and accounting capabilities compared to where we are today.
What You’ll Do
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead the Accounting Centre of Excellence – This role will have ultimate responsibility for month-end close processes, accuracy reviews/approvals, and reconciliations, setting up the team for success.
- MEC timeline management and Process Improvement – Delivering a WD2 month-end close process is a critical success factor. The SFM will provide leadership to support the team in meeting timelines, fostering a continuous improvement mindset. Alongside active observation of the end-to-end close cycle, the role will involve:
- Identifying bottlenecks
- Driving changes to make processes more efficient and accurate
- Ensuring optimised workflows are standardised and adopted across the team
- Finance to Finance Business Partnering – Work closely with Finance Business Partnering teams, ensuring ways of working are effectively managed. This role is key to enabling business partners to drive high-quality decision-making for business strategy.
- Develop the Team – Lead and support the team in becoming experts in:
- Project management and delivery
- Continuous improvement
- Core finance skills
- Provide coaching and developmental opportunities to support individual and team growth.
- Oracle Retail Implementation – Support the rollout of the new sales audit module and stock ledger, ensuring a seamless transition. Collaborate with multiple stakeholders (internal and external) to maintain reporting and data continuity, while improving accounting recognition methodologies and strengthening control frameworks.
- Upskill and prepare the ACE team for the transition to the new system, coordinating with delivery partners.
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Who You Are
- Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, or equivalent experience).
- Proficient in Microsoft Excel and Word.
- Experience with finance systems (Oracle Fusion/EPM) and driving process change through systems.
- Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills to engage effectively with key members.
- Ownership mindset, with a motivation for continuous improvement and personal development.
- Demonstrated experience in leading teams and guiding individuals to support their growth.
- Hands-on experience in delivering and coordinating monthly-end close processes, ensuring accuracy and efficiency.
- Results-driven with a focus on operational excellence.
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Benefits
By joining Ocado Retail, you’ll:
- Be part of the world’s largest online retailer and work with a team that continuously challenges industry limits.
- Apply and develop your career in the fast-evolving online retail sector.
- Become part of our AI Academy, with dedicated learning opportunities to future-proof your skills.
Our benefits are as generous as our focus on people:
Health & Wellbeing
| Benefit |
|---|
| Private medical insurance (and possibility to include family) |
| Digital GP service |
| Market-leading family policies |
| Mental health support services |
| Discounted gym memberships |
| Dental insurance |
| Health risk assessments |
Spend & Save
- Recognition and rewards platform
- Up to 7% matched pension contributions
- 15% Ocado employee discount
- 20% Marks & Spencer (M&S) customer discount (for all Ocado and M&S products)
- Free breakfast every day in the office
- Electric vehicle leasing scheme
- Free shuttle bus from Hatfield station
Work-Life Balance
- Hybrid working model
- 26 days annual leave plus 8 flexible bank holidays
- Option to purchase additional vacation days
- 2 weeks work-from-home policy annually
- Lifestyle break opportunities
Our Hiring Process
Applications are reviewed by a member of our team to ensure fairness. If aligned, a Talent Partner will contact you to discuss the role and guide you through the next steps.
AI in Applications
While Ocado encourages the use of AI tools (as we utilise them to streamline our own processes), candidates should still place their personal experiences, passions, and personality at the forefront of their applications. Emphasise what makes you unique and aligned with Ocado’s needs.
Equal Opportunities Policy
We strive to create a workplace that treats everyone fairly and equally.
- If you require an alternative format to review the job description or need reasonable adjustments during recruitment (e.g., adjustments for interview formats), please contact: careers@ocadoretail.com or let us know on the application form.
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