Audit & Accounts Associate

Headstar; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 27,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Study support

Career progression

Client exposure

Small audit teams

Hybrid work

No overtime

Core hours 10am-4pm

37.5-hour week

Renovated office

Free on-site parking

Friendly culture

Internal progression

Job summary

Headstar is seeking an Audit & Accounts Associate in North Leeds on a hybrid basis. The role focuses on audit, with opportunities to own files and develop technical skills while receiving study support.

Ideal candidates have 1–2 years in audit, experience with accounts preparation, and strong client-facing communication. The firm offers flexible hours, a 37.5-hour week, and a supportive culture.

Qualifications

• Around 1–2 years of audit experience.
• Experience preparing statutory accounts is desirable.
• Strong communication and client-facing skills.

Responsibilities

• Undertake statutory audit assignments as part of a wider team.
• Take ownership of audit files and run them through to completion.
• Prepare year-end statutory accounts.
• Assist with corporation tax computations and deferred tax.
• Support clients with accounting queries and bookkeeping where required.
• Work with a varied portfolio of businesses and groups.
• Assist with ad-hoc valuations and advisory work.

Skills

Audit experience

Accounts prep

Client-facing

Communication

Education

AAT Level 4 or above

Job description

Audit & Accounts Associate £27,000 - £35,000 North Leeds Hybrid

Build your career in audit with a practice that genuinely invests in its people.

Are you 1-2 years into your accountancy career and keen to develop your audit experience?

We're working with a highly respected independent accountancy practice just North of Leeds that is looking to add an Audit & Accounts Associate to its growing team.

The key thing here is that they want someone who actually wants to work in audit. You'll be given the opportunity to take ownership of audit files, work with a varied client base and develop your technical skills, while receiving full study support as you continue your professional qualification.

And unlike many practices, they don't expect you to work 60-80 hour weeks to get there.

Why Join?

This is a practice that takes a different approach to developing its people.

• Full study support through First Intuition
• Genuine career development and progression
• Opportunity to work on clients you'd like exposure to
• Small, collaborative audit teams
• Hybrid working - 3 days in the office / 2 from home
• No expectation of regular overtime
• Core hours of 10am-4pm, with flexibility around these
• 37.5-hour working week- very rarely do staff exceed this
• Modern, recently renovated office
• Free on-site parking
• Friendly and supportive culture
• Strong track record of developing people internally

The firm believes in growing its own talent, with the majority of its qualified team progressing internally rather than being recruited from outside.

The Role

The role will have a strong audit focus, with the right candidate likely spending around 70% of their time on audit, alongside accounts and wider tax work.

You'll be responsible for:

• Undertaking statutory audit assignments as part of a wider team
• Taking ownership of audit files and running them through to completion
• Preparing year-end statutory accounts
• Assisting with corporation tax computations and deferred tax
• Supporting clients with accounting queries and bookkeeping where required
• Working with a varied portfolio of businesses and groups
• Getting involved in ad-hoc assignments including valuations and other advisory work
• Working alongside more experienced members of the team to develop your technical knowledge

You’ll typically work as part of a small audit team, although smaller assignments may be handled individually.

The Clients

The portfolio is genuinely varied, with clients ranging from smaller businesses through to groups with turnovers of £50m+.

You’ll gain exposure to:

• International groups
• Overseas subsidiaries
• Owner-managed businesses
• Larger corporate groups

You’ll also be given the choice to work with clients in industries you’re interested in.

Most clients are within around an hour’s drive, with occasional overnight assignments for a small number of clients.

What They’re Looking For

Ideally, you’ll have:

• Around 1-2 years’ relevant audit experience
• Experience working on audits
• Accounts preparation experience
• Studying AAT Level 4 or above
• A genuine desire to continue developing a career in audit
• Good communication and client-facing skills
• The ability to work independently as well as within a team

The firm is particularly interested in people who are committed to audit as a career path. If audit isn’t something you want to pursue, this isn’t likely to be the right opportunity.