Senior Financial Controls Accountant

**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, age, disability or union membership status.**

We have a new permanent position available to join us as **Financial Controls Senior Accountant.**This is a hands-on role and an excellent opportunity for an experienced finance professional with scope ro add value, implement financial controls methodology, policies and procedures reporting to the Financial Controls Senior Manager.

You will be an experienced Senior Qualified Accountant able to demonstrate strong risk and controls skills to become the "go to" Financial Controls SME. You will be working in a fast-past, dynamic and commercial environment, with responsibility to ensure Financial Controls methodology is in place and adhered to. The right individual will draw upon technical knowledge, commercial insights, and excellent interpersonal skills to drive, influence and challenge the business to achieve short and long term financial objectives, and to highlight and mitigate financial control weaknesses and related risk.

This role will provide experience and support to other members of the team and effectively support the business during the design and implementation of these controls and effect any change required through roll-out of risk and control matrices across the Group.

This role will engage with various stakeholders to provide focused insight and solutions in support of the business' financial strategy, developing and maintaining a strong control environment to provide assurance over the financial statements. You will also support system enhancement and other strategic projects that impact finance and finance systems.

This role may also include providing support to the Group Finance Department in ad hoc projects, control and process improvements and other finance related projects driven by the growth of the business.

***So what else will you be doing?**
- Take personal ownership for the design, implementation and ongoing monitoring of the Group's Financial Controls methodology including adherence with the firm's relevant accounting policies and procedures and ensuring latest developments are included and best practice considered
- Support the design and delivery of the financial controls plan to implementing and embedding of the second line within the Finance function
- Anticipate change and inputs into the vision for future development of the Group's financial control environment
- Collaborate with the wider Financial Controls team and ensure controls in other processes and the systems controls are linked in to ensure the end to end process is addressed
- Input into the financial controls vision and roadmap for the Group including assessing the opportunities to standardise and automate
- Responsible for the testing of key controls and ensuring appropriate recommendations for improvements are implemented to ensure a 'no surprises' environment.
- Deliver effective tailored training, guidance and advice to Finance and non-finance teams enhancing visibility of the importance of financial controls in their respective areas to ensure controls are embedded
- Take personal ownership for either the Finance Risk Register, Controls Self Certification, related validation the Financial Controls or the Financial Risks on the Fraud Risk Assessment
- Support drafting papers to committees on Financial Control matters (Risk Committee, Audit Committee, SOC Steering Committee, Transformation Steering Committees etc.)
- Input into the creation of control metrics to monitor the control environment for end to end processes through a Financial Controls Dashboard
- Responsible for preparation of KPI's tested input into the monthly Financial Controls KPI pack and presenting where required
- Ability to interpret complex issues, distil key points to be addressed and develop effective, practical & simple recommendations to resolve problems
- Drive early involvement of the Financial Controls team in changes to processes to identify weaknesses and design controls required to mitigate risk
- Identify, assess and champion improvements to financial controls in place ensuring appropriate recommendations for improvements are implemented
- Responsible for ensuring that all risk and control matrices and process flows remain up to date and well documented
- Responsible for the continuous improvement of Financial Controls across Finance and the business to drive improvements and best practices.
- Influence and facilitate changes to improve the control's environment to mitigate risks to an acceptable level.
- Maintain close working relationship with the Group's Auditors and external financial control advisors
- Liaising with stakeholders across finance and the Group where relevant
- Liaise with Internal Audit on specific reviews, as necessary.
- Facilitating audits and liaising with internal and external auditors to ensure issues raised are all resolved, escalated or agree next steps in a timely manner and monitor progress for closure of all issues
- Identify areas of emerging financial control risk through proactive and regular collaboration with operations and functions, Internal Audit, External Auditors and further relevant information sources
- Ensure all subsidiaries and controlled joint ventures adhere to the Group's Financial Control methodology
- Strong influencer for embedding a culture of strong financial controls across the Group
- Able to present to Senior Finance Leadership, wider finance community and other stakeholders in relation to financial controls
- Take responsibility for delivering designated ad-hoc projects (e.g. Training, communication and branding, scoping and testing, methodology and documentation,stakeholder mapping, etc.)
- Participate in projects supporting Ocado's rapidly growing business, driving improvements to accounting and reporting processes that support the growth of the business
- Act as a deputy to the Financial Controls Senior Manager; representing the Financial Controls Senior Manager (& wider team) as required
- Be a visible Ambassador for Financial Controls across Finance and the wider business to raise awareness and credibility of the Financial Controls team

***About you...**

**Essential**:

- 3+ years Post Qualified Experience (preferably 5 years ACA / ACCA or equivalent)
- Demonstrable experience in a similar role and experience of operating at Senior Financial Accountant level in internal audit, second line or other assurance roles
- Experience of designing assurance methodology (e.g. financial controls, internal audit, SoX), including implementing, designing and monitoring financial controls
- Risk and Control Matrices (RACMs)
- Segregation of Duties
- High integrity, trustworthy and reliable.
- Ability to deliver with a high degree of autonomy
- Enthusiastic, confident and a team player.
- Flexible and positive approach to work
- Able to pay attention to detail whilst combining with the ability to see the 'big picture'.
- Organised and able to prioritise and meet deadlines.
- Experience in close collaborative working within a mid sized finance team
- Desire to assess effectiveness and optimise financial systems & drive change
- Ability to hold workshops, project manage and drive consensus across different stakeholder groups
- Experience of understanding issues and breaking down problem statements
- Ability to forge strong working partnerships with other teams and functions
- Independent and unbiased mindset and able to challenge senior stakeholders
- A good understanding of general IT knowledge, with good working knowledge of systems and related controls
- Strong analytical, presentation and report writing skills
- Thorough understanding of financial reporting and internal control processes of multinational operations and best practices for risk-appropriate financial/operational assurance
- Experience of designing, implementing,monitoring and documenting a financial control methodology
- Proven ability to explain technical matters to non-experts
- Desire to assess effectiveness and optimise financial systems & drive change

**Desirable**:

- Assurance Qualification (CIA/ CMIIA or equivalent)
- Experience of COSO methodology
- Experience of Oracle Risk Management Cloud
- Experience of business process management / GRC software
- Awareness of systems controls
- Strong presentation and report writing skills
- Experience of auditing (internal or external) cloud based Finance systems
- Strong Microsoft Excel skills
- Experience of ERP systems (e.g. Oracle Fusion preferable)
- Up to date technical knowledge of IFRS and experience of preparing/auditing financial statements under IFRS
- Experience and/or Exposure in Tax

***Benefits**

***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 Apps such as Unmind 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%)
- Private Medical Insurance within the 1st month of joining
- 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
- Income Protection (can be up to 50% of salary for 3 years) and Life Assurance (3 x annual salary)