Finance Accountant - Payroll

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

As a Finance Accountant reporting directly to the Finance Manager, you will play a pivotal role in managing and analysing the international payroll accounting process on a monthly basis. This is an exceptional opportunity to contribute to the financial integrity of a global organisation and enhance your expertise in international payroll accounting.

In this role, you will take ownership of the end-to-end international payroll accounting process, ensuring accurate transactional processing activities, including journals, allocations, and reconciliations for employees across multiple locations worldwide. Your meticulous attention to detail will be crucial in preparing and maintaining high-quality balance sheet reconciliations for each reporting period, adhering to group policies and practices for Payroll and Treasury.

Collaboration will be key as you work closely with wider finance teams to resolve payroll discrepancies and liaise with the Benefits team to ensure seamless integration of payroll data. Your expertise will also support interim and year-end reporting processes, contributing to the organization's financial transparency and compliance.

This role offers a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on the financial operations of a global company, providing valuable experience in international payroll accounting and financial reporting. If you are a proactive and detail-oriented professional seeking to advance your career in a dynamic and international environment, this position is for you.

Accountabilities

• Preparing and posting various payroll journals for bi-weekly and monthly international payrolls to aid period-end reporting and populating monthly payroll analysts files for finance teams
• Performing monthly balance sheet reconciliations,  leading monthly balance sheet reviews for nominated accounts and proactively working with teams to resolve reconciling differences
• Substantiating general ledger balance reconciliations and providing first level commentary 
• Working to the period-end close calendar timelines 
• Business partnering with relevant Finance teams, including understanding the processes for the international payrolls in detail and improving period-end payroll processes
• Investigating and resolving issues relating to international payroll, this will entail working closing with local payroll specialists to resolve issues identified 
• Support the Half Year and Year End close process, ensuring that audit queries are dealt with swiftly and appropriately, and audit adjustments are processed in a controlled manner in line with guidelines
• Support in providing payroll numbers for all disclosures in the annual report and statutory accounts
• Supporting the wider team to undertake necessary day-to-day transactional activity; understanding variances; and resolving variances and issues quickly in order to meet key reporting requirements
• Escalating issues to relevant senior management and helping resolve them promptly
• Proactively identifying problems and opportunities to standardise, streamline and improve processes and accuracy of payroll numbers 
• Produce adhoc reporting where required
• Ensure accounting policies set by the in-house technical team are adhered to
• Contribute to building a high performing and engaged team

About you

• Relevant financial qualifications (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) and understanding of relevant regulatory environments
• An understanding of core financial processes and relevant systems
• Knowledge of payroll, accounting, and reporting standards 

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!)