14 September, Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh
We have some great trainee and apprentice opportunities available throughout the year for motivated individuals who want to start a rewarding career in public finance and accountancy. You could be placed with a leading public sector employer on a three year fixed term contract with full sponsorship to complete the CIPFA Professional Accountancy Qualification (CIPFA PQ).
Get in touch to find out more about our trainee and apprenticeship programmes.
CIPFA trainee and apprenticeship vacancies
Trainee Accountant Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council
Location: Redcar
Start date: July/August 2023
Application closing date: Tuesday 13 June 2023
Salary: £23,194 - £38,296 per annum (career graded position)
Interview/Assessment dates: Week commencing 26 June 2023
Number of vacancies: 1
Benefits
Career average local government pension scheme, flexible working policies and access to a wide range of salary sacrifice benefits.
Details of organisation
Redcar and Cleveland Council’s Finance Team are a high-quality finance function who have a strong track record of providing excellent strategic financial support to the Council to help meet its corporate plan objectives. The Council provides a wide range of services, a net revenue budget of £126m per year and a five-year Capital Investment Programme of £163 million, which delivers valuable services to the public. The Council seeks to ensure it achieves the best outcomes for service delivery at reduced cost.
The Council has recognised it needs to invest in its future financial resources. The Council is seeking to recruit an ambitious and dynamic Trainee Accountant who will work with us to develop their skills and experience whilst studying to be a professionally qualified Accountant with amazing future prospects. The posts will be career-graded, with your salary progression dependent on your progress in studying for a professional accountancy qualification and acquiring new skills as you work on a variety of placements within the Finance Function.
We wish to provide exciting opportunities to work alongside other Finance Staff to develop your skills and qualifications to become a financial professional.
This exciting and rewarding work will enable you to train for a professional qualification and apply your technical skills and add real value to key projects, whilst gaining experience working with a diverse range of services and with other partner organisations.
Key responsibilities
In your role, you will provide financial support, professional advice, and innovative approaches to all aspects of financial management and financial planning in line with your level of knowledge and experience:
- Undertaking budget monitoring to ensure that significant financial variations are identified and challenged with Service Managers, identifying potential solutions, assessing their impact on budget forecasts, and supporting their implementation.
- Complete detailed financial analysis, investigations and appraisals on business case proposals and the impact on changes of Government and Council policies.
- Assist with and prepare reports, business cases, financial challenge documents and project documentation.
- Develop innovative approaches to financial management and governance.
- Encourage Service Managers to consider different ways of delivering services; to initiate research and bring forward proposals.
- Providing training on financial issues to budget managers and other Council staff.
- Supporting the Council to have strong arrangements in place for funding and cash-management.
Minimum entry requirements
Applicants need to have the following skills and experience:
- Minimum of 5 GCSEs (including English Language and Mathematics) and above average performance at A-Levels.
- You would also benefit from having a University Degree which demonstrates an aptitude for studying a professional accountancy qualification. If you have not yet graduated, please tell us your predicted grade and the date you expect this to be confirmed.
- A basic understanding of the Council’s role and services.
- Computer literate with proven experience of using Microsoft Office Word and Excel.
- Knowledge & understanding of financial management issues within a public sector organisation.
- Good inter-personal skills and the ability to work with a range of customers.
- Ability to work proactively with colleagues across the finance function, including in a supervisory capacity.
- Ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams, which you need to develop a quick understanding of their aims and objectives to achieve service outcomes.
- Ability to use initiative, discretion, and respect confidentiality.
- Willingness to study for CIPFA membership.
How to apply
Assistant Financial Business Partner - Grade PO2
Location: Leeds
Start date: September 2023
Application closing date: Friday 19 May 2023 11:59 PM
Salary: £32,028.96 - £34,788.00
Interview/Assessment dates: TBC
Number of vacancies: 1
Benefits
We pride ourselves on offering the best employee experience, with a genuine commitment to keeping our colleagues safe and well at work. You can expect great benefits whilst working for us including:
- A competitive pay progression structure including generous employer pension contributions
- Flexible career paths with tailored personal and professional development
- Support for you, your home and your family including personal, and financial support
- Hybrid working arrangements (subject to needs of the role) and a flexitime system
For more information about our benefits please see the benefits section of our jobs page.
Details of organisation
Would you like to be part of something bigger and join us in our ambition to become the Best Council, working together as a Team for Leeds. Do your values match ours and do you have something to offer?
Leeds City Council delivers over 500 different services to residents and is dedicated to bringing the benefits of a prosperous, vibrant and attractive city to the people of Leeds. This is a fantastic time to join us.
Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region. We want Leeds to be the best city in the UK: compassionate and caring with a strong economy; tackling poverty and reducing inequalities; and working towards being a net zero carbon city by 2030.
Key responsibilities
We are looking for a number of enthusiastic and proactive individuals to join us as Assistant Finance Business Partners in our highly regarded, forward-thinking Financial Management service. You will work closely with a portfolio of council services, providing high quality financial information and advice so they can deliver the council’s priorities while achieving value for money.
One of the roles could be supporting the School finance team in the delivery of the traded service which is varied and challenging.
You will support service delivery and transformation through your focus on financial planning, options appraisals, invest-to-save business cases and a commercial approach to traded services. You will also take a risk-based approach to supporting the core finance processes of budget planning, monitoring, reporting and closure of accounts.
We have a strong track record of helping people develop their Finance careers, alongside our commitment to improving diversity and wellbeing. In addition to training, development and mentoring, employees can also gain experience in our different Finance teams (the job description for this vacancy is generic to reflect this flexibility).
You can also take advantage of our various flexible working patterns including our ‘hybrid’ working model. Staff within Financial Management at present work both in the office and from home, with an average of 1-2 days worked from the office a week depending on business need.
Entry requirements
Qualifications
- AAT part-qualified or equivalent (which may include substantial relevant work experience within a financial environment
Personal Specification
- Method of Assessment will be through one or more of the following Application Form, Test, Interview, and Certificate
Essential Requirements
- It is essential that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities. Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements
Skills Required
- Ability to produce accurate, user friendly financial analyses and dashboards using computerised financial management systems, windows based applications including excel and other line of business computer systems
- Sound written, oral communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to support the effective working of a team through supporting and advising colleagues
- Ability to question and analyse data and to present it in a coherent and user friendly format
- Ability to take decisions using your initiative that result in improved service delivery
- Ability to explain financial matters clearly to managers using appropriate means and provide advice on actions required
- Ability to maintain the accuracy and integrity of financial information.
Knowledge Required
- Working knowledge of accountancy in a financial service background including budget planning, monitoring and closure of accounts
- Have a sound working knowledge of standard IT applications used in an office environment and the use a computerised financial ledger
- Understanding of employees’ responsibility for health and safety.
Experience Required
- Working experience of all aspects of the annual financial cycle
- Experience of providing financial services in a complex organisation
- Experience of maintaining good working relationships in the delivery of financial advice services
Behavioural & other Characteristics required
- To demonstrate the council’s values, behaviours and manager habits in all aspects of your day to day work
- To demonstrate an inclusive and engaging leadership style and positively promote the equalities agenda
- To carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under the Council’s Health & Safety Policies and Code of Conduct.
- To take ownership of your personal development planning and be willing to actively participate in learning and development activities to ensure up to date knowledge and skills
Desirable Requirements
- It is desirable that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role. Candidates are not required to meet all the Desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between acceptable candidates.
How to apply
Trainee Professional Accountant, Leeds City Council
Location: Leeds
Start date: September 2023
Application closing date: Wednesday 31 May 2023 11:30 PM
Salary: £24,496.00 - £38,296.00
Interview/Assessment dates: TBC
Number of vacancies: 3
Benefits
We pride ourselves on offering the best employee experience, with a genuine commitment to keeping our colleagues safe and well at work. You can expect great benefits whilst working for us including:
- A competitive pay progression structure including generous employer pension contributions
- Flexible career paths with tailored personal and professional development
- Support for you, your home and your family including personal, and financial support
- Hybrid working arrangements (subject to needs of the role) and a flexitime system.
For more information about our benefits please see the benefits section of our jobs page.
Details of organisation
Would you like to be part of something bigger and join us in our ambition to become the Best Council, working together as a Team for Leeds. Do your values match ours and do you have something to offer? Leeds City Council delivers over 500 different services to residents and is dedicated to bringing the benefits of a prosperous, vibrant and attractive city to the people of Leeds. This is a fantastic time to join us.
We are looking for high calibre applicants with the people skills, technical ability and a record of academic success to reach the highest levels within our organisation. We want only those with the ambition to reach the top of the finance profession.
The role will enable trainees to undertake the level 7 Accountancy/ Taxation Professional apprenticeship and become a qualified accountant.
The post is a permanent role within the finance team with incremental progression dependent on examination success and demonstrating competence in meeting work based progression criteria. Trainees will work in the various finance sections whilst studying to gain a broad mix of knowledge and skills in a programme designed to meet the work experience requirements of the qualification.
Key responsibilities
- To participate in appraisal, training and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge and skills.
- To improve own practice through observation, evaluation, discussion with colleagues and appropriate CPD programmes.
- To work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice.
- Contribute to the overall ethos, work, and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days/events as requested.
- Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures e.g. child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person.
- Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding and promoting the values, standards and equal opportunities of Leeds City Council.
- Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation and any form of abuse of equal opportunities, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
- The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.
- The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and this role will be expected to work within these parameters.
Plus additional requirements, set out in the job description.
Minimum entry requirements
- Have a degree (minimum 2:1)
- To have passed Maths and English GCSE at grade C or equivalent.