At Hotel Chocolat, we’re one of the UK’s favourite premium chocolate brands, with a range of products spanning luxury gifts, alcohol and our pioneering drinking chocolate system, the Velvetiser™. A cacao pod takes years to grow – it can’t be rushed if it’s going to be just right for our products. The same can be said for Hotel Chocolat, which originally started as a mint production company before we realised it was luxury chocolate that we were really passionate about. Now, we’re market leaders in the industry. What began as an online-only business grew to over 140 stores across the UK, and we’re still growing… Today, we’re multi-category, multi-channel, and multi-territory, and our customers, colleagues, cacao farmers and suppliers all benefit from the success we make together.
About the Role
This is a high-impact position within our finance function, where you’ll deliver robust costing, insightful reporting, and meaningful financial analysis to support both operational and strategic decisions. You’ll partner closely with Product Development, Procurement, Sustainability, and IT teams, helping shape how we cost, launch, and optimise our products. If you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment where you can influence change, improve processes, and drive performance—this role offers exactly that.
Responsibilities
* Product Costings & Commercial Insight
* Lead costing for new and existing product development, from feasibility through to launch and beyond
* Partner with Product Development to ensure costings reflect our premium brand positioning
* Deliver accurate, timely data into costing systems, collaborating with IT and data teams to improve quality and integrity
* Work cross-functionally with Procurement Finance and senior stakeholders to ensure competitive, up-to-date cost data
* Track product costings and enhance visibility across the business
* Drive rigorous sign-off processes throughout the product lifecycle
* Analyse financial data to identify trends, variances, and opportunities for efficiency
* Monitor post-launch performance vs. standard costs and provide actionable insights
* Process Improvement & Systems
* Lead the development and continuous improvement of costing systems and processes
* Own the annual standard cost revaluation process
* Identify and implement efficiencies within revaluation and costing workflows
* Create process maps and introduce improved ways of working, including new costing templates
* Support improvements in product delist processes
* Sustainability & Compliance
* Partner with the Sustainability team to ensure costings align with latest ESG policies and regulations
* Support accurate costing aligned to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) requirements
* Contribute to sustainable product design aligned with evolving business practices
* Lead and develop a Finance Analyst, providing coaching and support
* Foster strong relationships across Finance and wider business functions
* Support knowledge-sharing and improve understanding of costing data across teams
* Ensure effective cross-functional coverage during peak periods and holidays
Qualifications
* Qualified accountant (CIMA, ACCA, ACA) or qualified by experience
Required Skills
* Strong experience in product costing within a food manufacturing environment
* Commercially minded with strong business partnering skills
* High attention to detail with a proactive, change-driven mindset
* Strong Excel and data analysis capabilities
* Experience working with accounting and multiple system platforms
* Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines
Preferred Skills
* Experience in a multi-channel retail or trading business
* Advanced systems and data capability
* Knowledge or interest in sustainability / ESG (qualification desirable but not essential)
Pay range and compensation package
This is a unique opportunity to shape and influence how we manage product costings during a period of transformation and growth. You’ll work with passionate teams, contribute to exciting product innovation, and play a key role in driving financial performance across the business.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Here at Hotel Chocolat, we’ve adopted hybrid working. This means you’ll join us on site for three days a week, and for the other two days – you can work from wherever you like! The onsite location for this role is at our Factory ‘Hadley Park’, in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, right in the heart of where our chocolates are made and where weekly, we can produce between 4 to 6 million of the chocolates we all know and love. Hadley Park is just 5 minutes off the A141 and 1.3 miles from Huntingdon train station, with direct rail links to London King’s Cross. To learn more about us and read about our People Pledge – our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion – click here.
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