Finance Apprentice

Natures Way Foods Ltd; Chichester; On-site; GBP 14,000 - 19,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Study support

Structured rotation through finance

Mentor & progress reviews

Career progression in finance

Job summary

Nature's Way Foods Ltd in Chichester invites applications for a Finance Apprentice to gain hands-on experience in Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable while studying for an AAT qualification.

You'll rotate through the finance function, learn about management accounting, reporting and planning, and receive dedicated study time, mentorship, and clear progression opportunities within a growing food manufacturing business.

Qualifications

• A-Levels or equivalent, ideally including a numerate subject.
• Strong numerical accuracy and attention to detail.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Office.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills.
• A genuine interest in building a career in finance/accounting.

Responsibilities

• Deliver accurate, timely transactional processing within agreed controls and deadlines.
• Build strong working relationships with suppliers, customers, and internal stakeholders across the business.
• Maintain data integrity within the finance systems (e.g. accounting/ERP system).
• Identify and help resolve discrepancies, escalating where appropriate.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of finance processes and controls.
• Complete apprenticeship coursework, assignments, and off-the-job training hours as required.
• Adhere to NWF's policies, including data confidentiality and financial controls.

Skills

Strong numerical accuracy

Excel & Office

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Organised

Teamwork

Willingness to learn

Education

A-Levels or equivalent

Tools

ERP software

Job description

Overview

Finance Apprentice | Chichester | Launch Your Career in Finance

If you join us as a Finance Apprentice, you'll gain hands-on experience in Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable, learning the fundamentals of finance in a fast-paced business with a turnover of over £400m. As you grow in confidence, you'll have the opportunity to explore other areas of finance, including management accounting, reporting, and financial planning.

We'll also support you in studying for your AAT qualification (Level 2/3), giving you dedicated study time, expert guidance, and real-world experience every step of the way.

If you're keen to join a friendly team, learn, grow, and build a long-term career in finance, we'd love to hear from you.

What you get from us

• Fully funded study support towards a recognised accounting qualification, including study leave
• A structured, supportive rotation through the finance function with real responsibility from day one
• A dedicated workplace mentor and regular progress reviews
• The opportunity to build a long-term career in finance within a growing food manufacturing business
• A collaborative, down-to-earth finance team culture
• Profit-share bonus scheme
• Employer matched pension
• Health cash plan
• Cycle to work scheme
• Colleague discounts, e.g. Gym membership & shopping discounts
• Star Awards
• Flexibility in pay frequency each month
• Access to online GP
• Employee assistance programme

How we'll support your growth

Phase 1 - Accounts Payable & Accounts Receivable (approx. first 9-12 months)

• Process supplier invoices, matching to purchase orders and delivery notes, and resolving queries
• Prepare supplier payment runs and support day-to-day cash management
• Reconcile supplier statements and maintain accurate vendor records
• Raise sales invoices and credit notes, ensuring accuracy against customer contracts and pricing
• Monitor the sales ledger, chase outstanding debt, and support credit control activity
• Perform bank and ledger reconciliations
• Respond to internal and external queries from suppliers, customers, and colleagues
• Support month-end AP/AR close activities, including accruals and prepayments

Phase 2 - Rotation into wider finance (indicative, subject to business need)

• Management accounts: assisting with journal postings, balance sheet reconciliations, and variance analysis
• FP&A: supporting budgeting, forecasting, and reporting cycles, including exposure to departmental and consolidated reporting
• Fixed assets / capex: assisting with capex tracking and asset register maintenance
• Exposure to audit support activity and basic technical accounting under guidance

Phase 3 - Specialisation and qualification

• Building towards a defined role within the finance team aligned to the apprentice's strengths and interests
• Completing the apprenticeship qualification, including end-point assessment

Your Key Responsibilities

• Deliver accurate, timely transactional processing within agreed controls and deadlines
• Build strong working relationships with suppliers, customers, and internal stakeholders across the business
• Maintain data integrity within the finance systems (e.g. accounting/ERP system)
• Identify and help resolve discrepancies, escalating where appropriate
• Contribute to continuous improvement of finance processes and controls
• Complete apprenticeship coursework, assignments, and off-the-job training hours as required
• Adhere to NWF's policies, including data confidentiality and financial controls

Skills & Experience

Essential

• A-Levels or equivalent, ideally including a numerate subject
• Strong numerical accuracy and attention to detail
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Office
• Clear written and verbal communication skills
• A genuine interest in building a career in finance/accounting
• Well organised, able to manage deadlines and prioritise a varied workload
• A proactive, curious approach and willingness to learn
• Comfortable working as part of a team and building relationships across departments

Desirable

• Some prior exposure to a finance or administrative environment (e.g. part-time work, work experience)
• Experience with accounting or ERP software
• Interest in the food manufacturing/FMCG sector

Nature's Way Foods is the leading manufacturer of prepared salads, coleslaw and "food-to-go" for retailers and QSR, and as such we work closely with farmers across Europe. But there's lots more to us than the products we make.

Our culture is inclusive, and our people are diverse spanning 39 different languages. We operate four manufacturing facilities capable of producing over 326m units per year. It is an exciting time to join Nature's Way Foods as we are growing rapidly and there are genuine opportunities to progress within the organisation.

Interested?

At Nature's Way Food, we believe that diversity and inclusion are key to driving innovation and achieving excellence. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to reach their full potential. We are dedicated to building a diverse team that reflects the communities we serve and the world we live in.

Join us in our mission to create a more inclusive and fairer world. Together, we can become best at fresh.

Why we are different.

We want to be a force for good. To that end, we are committed to making sure that everyone wins when they work with us, from our colleagues to customers and the farmers who supply us. We call this commitment "Do the Right Thing". For us, that means measuring our environmental sustainability, employee benefits and charitable giving and the effect it has - and making sure we always improve.

Our values

Everything we do starts with passionate people because they help us to deliver quality, service, and value to our customers. The NWF team focuses on three key areas:

1) Doing the right thing
2) Putting the customer at the heart of what we do
3) Making sure our product is perfect