Trainee Accountant - Office for Students

Job summary

Trainee Accountant

Salary: £37,614 – £ 38,577 plus generous Civil Service defined benefit pension

Fixedterm: 3 years

Location: Bristol

Build a finance career that makes a difference

Whatever your route into finance, if you're looking for a career where you can develop professionally, maintain a healthy work-life balance and do work that matters, we'd like to hear from you.

About us

The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of higher education in England. We regulate higher education on behalf of all students, ensuring that every student, regardless of their background, has a fulfilling experience that enriches their lives and careers. We have high ambitions and offer great opportunities to get involved in bringing that vision to life.

What you'll get:

• Funded study towards a CCAB-recognised accounting qualification dedicated study support and practical experience across multiple areas of finance
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements that support a healthy work-life balance
• Early responsibility and exposure to senior stakeholders
• A supportive team environment focused on learning and development
• The opportunity to do work that helps improve outcomes for students across England
• Generous annual leave and access to the Civil Service Pension Scheme

Learn, develop and grow

As a trainee accountant, you'll gain experience across the full finance function through duties in Financial Accounting and Business Partnering. You'll work on a wide range of activities, from financial transactions and month-end processes to budgeting, forecasting and supporting decision-making across the organisation.

Alongside your day-to-day role, we'll support you to study towards a CCAB -recognised professional accounting qualification (ACCA, CIMA - others considered). You'll receive practical experience, professional development and dedicated support to help you succeed.

Our Finance and Procurement team is small, supportive and highly regarded. You'll work closely with experienced colleagues, take on meaningful responsibilities from an early stage and gain exposure to senior stakeholders across the organisation.

Job description

About the role

We're looking for a trainee accountant to join our Finance and Procurement team. This is an opportunity to build a professional finance career while contributing to work that has a real impact on people's lives.

What you'll get:

• Funded study towards a CCAB-recognised accounting qualification dedicated study support and practical experience across multiple areas of finance
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements that support a healthy work-life balance
• Early responsibility and exposure to senior stakeholders
• A supportive team environment focused on learning and development
• The opportunity to do work that helps improve outcomes for students across England
• Generous annual leave and access to the Civil Service Pension Scheme

Learn, develop and grow

As a trainee accountant, you'll gain experience across the full finance function through duties in Financial Accounting and Business Partnering. You'll work on a wide range of activities, from financial transactions and month-end processes to budgeting, forecasting and supporting decision-making across the organisation.

Alongside your day-to-day role, we'll support you to study towards a CCAB -recognised professional accounting qualification (ACCA, CIMA - others considered). You'll receive practical experience, professional development and dedicated support to help you succeed.

Our Finance and Procurement team is small, supportive and highly regarded. You'll work closely with experienced colleagues, take on meaningful responsibilities from an early stage and gain exposure to senior stakeholders across the organisation.

Person specification

About you

You'll be a recent accountancy graduate or have previous finance experience, including being part-qualified with a CCAB body or AAT qualified. You'll also have:

• Good analytical and data processing skills
• Strong Excel skills
• Excellent organisation and attention to detail
• The confidence to communicate with colleagues and stakeholders at all levels
• A proactive approach and a willingness to learn

For the purposes of recruitment to the role, we are measuring the following core competencies:

Collaborating and partnering

• Collaborating and partnership is about building strategic, inclusive relationships, built on mutual respect, confidence and trust, that enable us to deliver our priorities. Internally, it includes effective teamwork.

Communicating and influencing

• Whether verbal or written, communication should carry clarity, conviction and enthusiasm. It should respect the needs, responses and opinions of others, and anticipate concerns. The OfS should provide information that is easily understood by everyone.

Managing a quality service

• Managing a quality service means being set up to deliver the activity in our business plan. It is about all staff contributing to setting the standards that lead to a high-quality service, considering different stakeholder needs and requirements. We want a culture that encourages continuous improvement, efficiency and value for money, to fulfil the OfS’s regulatory role and mission. Motivated staff who are well-led, clear about the OfS’s purpose, engaged in their work, and well-supported will produce high quality, and cost-efficient services.

Developing self and others

• Developing self and others is about a focus on continuous professional development and learning for ourselves, our colleagues, and the wider organisation, by ensuring there is an effective mix of behaviours, knowledge, and skills to meet the OfS’s evolving needs.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,614, Office for Students contributes £10,896 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Application process

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