food technical manager jobs

Team: Finance

Ref.: VN1185

Type: Permanent

Location: Hatfield

Senior Finance Manager – Commercial Controls

Contract type: Permanent

Location: Hatfield (Hybrid working – 3 days in the office)

Working hours per week: 40 hours

Level: Manager

Application Closing Date: Friday 3rd April 2026

About us

Our mission is to deliver joy in every shop, through unbeatable choice, unrivalled service, and reassuringly good value.

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.com the only place to shop a full range of M&S food online, 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

The Finance team at Ocado Retail is made up of 75 people across FP&A, Commercial Finance, Accounting and Operational Finance. This Senior Finance Manager role is part of the Commercial Finance team and has exposure to the heartbeat of how our business trades and plays a key role in delivering on our business objectives. This team provides insight, value add and reporting for both Ocado.com and Zoom by Ocado. It’s an exciting time to join the Commercial Finance Team as we head into a pivotal period of accelerated growth and continue to raise the bar for both our finance and commercial colleagues.

As a core member of the wider Finance leadership team, this Senior Finance Manager will also look beyond their immediate team responsibilities to help shape the longer term success of Finance, with regard to culture, talent and performance.

This Senior Finance Manager will lead a team of four who support and partner our Commercial teams within Commercial Insight, Strategy and Monetisation, delivering insight and decision support to drive our profitable growth targets.

What you’ll do

Team

• Lead the Commercial Controls team including setting and monitoring objectives, talent development, coaching and creating an inclusive culture that makes the team want to give their best every day

Gross Profit:

• Ownership of the performance analysis of the P&L for Ocado.com Gross profit and associated income and cost lines, supporting the Finance Manager in delivering timely, insightful commentary on key levers of performance and building a strong relationship with our Accounting Centre of Excellence team to validate and review monthly reporting processes and sign-off on financials/reconciliations

• Coordination of Commercial Insight & Strategy team across wider Commercial Finance function, FP&A, Control & Reporting and Finance Operations teams.

• Establish strong relationships with key stakeholders across the leadership team (including CEO, CFO, FD & CCO), and specifically business partner relationship with the Director and Heads of within the various areas

Monetisation:

• Ownership of the performance analysis of the periodic reporting of all supplier income (promotional funding, supplier media, data) in P&L for Ocado.com and Zoom and building a strong relationship with our Accounting Centre of Excellence team to validate and review monthly reporting processes and sign-off on financials/reconciliations

• Ensure collaboration with Commercial Insight & Strategy team with respect to commentary and insight on performance

• Ensure appropriate processes are in place to support the delivery of annual Joint Business Plan targets with Commercial teams

• Ownership of relationship with 3rd party promotional audit supplier

• Establish strong relationships with key stakeholders across the leadership team and specifically business partner relationship with: Buying Directors, Head of Supplier Services and GCA Code Compliance Officer

Zoom:

• Ownership of the weekly trade performance reporting and insight for Zoom by Ocado

• Ownership of the performance analysis of the periodic P&L for Zoom by Ocado down to EBITDA

• Ownership of the periodic reporting of all supplier income (promotional funding, supplier media) in P&L for Zoom by Ocado

• Establish strong relationships with key stakeholders across the Zoom by Ocado leadership team including Head of Zoom and their functional lead)

Who you are

• Excited by the prospect of joining a fast growing retail business and the opportunity to shape the future of both the business and the Finance function
• A genuine passion for talent development
• Comfortable working in the grey and with a continuous improvement mindset
• Motivated to create a collaborative culture that encourages knowledge sharing and cross team and function interaction
• Demonstration of team leadership and vision, beyond day-to-day tactical/BAU
• Managing individual and team priorities in a fast paced environment
• Experience of business partnering and stakeholder management of C Suite, Heads and Director levels
• Able to quickly hone in on key drivers of performance, identify actions and deliver value-add change
• Commercial acumen and experience of delivering value-add insight
• Strong technical accounting knowledge in respect of income recognition, provisions and general balance sheet accounting
• Highly numerate and analytical with a keen eye for detail that is deadline focused and goal oriented
• Eager to learn
• Qualified accountant with strong academics
• Retail/FMCG experience is desirable but not essential

What’s in it for you

By joining Ocado Retail, you’ll have the chance to experience life at the world’s largest online retailer, work with an amazing bunch of people who challenge what’s possible each day, and grow your skills and career in online retail.

If that’s not enough to tempt you, you’ll also get access to loads of great benefits to sweeten the deal. Here’s a taste of what we offer:

Health & Wellbeing: Private medical insurance with option to add your family, Digital GP appointments, market-leading family policies, mental health support, discounted gym memberships, dental insurance, and more.

Spend & Save: Annual bonus scheme split between personal and business objectives, recognition with reward platform, up to 7% matched pension contributions, 15% Ocado discount, 20% M&S discount, free breakfast every day in the office, electric vehicle leasing scheme, and free shuttle bus from Hatfield station to the office.

Never miss the moments that matter: Hybrid working, 26 days holiday plus 8 flexible bank holidays, options to buy extra holiday, 2 weeks work from anywhere, and lifestyle break opportunities.

Our Hiring Process

Lucky for us, we receive a high volume of applications and genuinely appreciate the time and effort invested by every candidate. To ensure a fair and thorough process, every application is reviewed by a member of our team. If your skills and experience are a strong match, a Talent Partner will contact you to discuss the role and guide you through the next steps of our hiring process.

Your Application and AI

In the spirit of innovation, we welcome you to use AI tools in your application, just as we use them in our own business at Ocado Retail. However, as you leverage this technology, please don't lose sight of the most important element: your unique self. Your experiences, passions, and personality are what truly set you apart. Ensure that your application still authentically conveys who you are and why you're a great fit for us.

Everyone’s welcome

We’re an equal opportunities employer, which means that we make sure all potential colleagues are treated fairly and equally. We want to ensure everyone has a fair chance to apply; if you need this job description in an alternative format (e.g., larger print, different document type, etc.), please reach out to us at careers@ocadoretail.com and we'll be happy to assist you, and if you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know on the application form.