Finance Undergraduate Placement (12 Month Contract)

Paragon Banking Group PLC; Metropolitan Borough of Solihull; Hybrid; GBP 18,000 - 22,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday allowance

Share Save Scheme

Profit related pay

Pension plan

Family friendly policies

Employee discounts

Volunteering day

Life assurance

Job summary

Paragon Banking Group PLC is offering a 12-month undergraduate placement in finance. The role supports long and short-term finance projects, with a focus on maintaining project plans, preparing accounting changes, and assisting with year-end processes.

The successful candidate will bring strong IT skills with spreadsheets, good numeracy, and clear communication. Hybrid working is available, with standard hours and flexible options considered.

Qualifications

• GCSE Maths and English at grade C or above (Band 5+).
• A Level Maths at grade C or above is preferred.
• Degree subjects should be STEM, Accountancy, Economics or similar.

Responsibilities

• Maintenance of project plans and documentation.
• Preparatory work for accounting changes & implementation.
• Support for Group year-end accounts and external reporting processes.
• Process reviews within the Finance department.
• Participation in Group projects on behalf of Group Finance.
• Research and data analysis related to these tasks.

Skills

IT skills with spreadsheets

Numeracy

Data analysis

Communication

Organisational skills

Prioritisation under pressure

Education

GCSE Maths and English (C or above)

A Level Maths (C or above)

Degree in STEM / Accountancy / Economics or similar

Job description

About The Role

A Platinum Investors in People employer and an award-winning UK bank, focused on growth. Our customers include savers and businesses across the UK and, working together, we use our specialist expertise to help them achieve their ambitions and build a sustainable future. If you're an undergraduate looking for an opportunity in finance for 12 months, to grow in a friendly environment, we’re looking for you!

Purpose of the role

To assist other members of the team in the execution of the long and short term finance projects which will be on-going during the term of the placement.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Maintenance of project plans and documentation
• Preparatory work for accounting changes & implementation
• Support for Group year-end accounts and other external reporting process
• Process reviews within the Finance department
• Participation in Group projects on behalf of Group Finance
• Research and data analysis relating to the above tasks

What you’ll bring to the team

• Strong IT Skills, particularly with spreadsheets
• An inquisitive mind and the confidence to ask questions to develop knowledge and understanding
• Strong numeracy skills and the ability to analyse data
• The ability to communicate with the team and wider business effectively and efficiently
• Ability to work under pressure, whilst maintaining high levels of accuracy
• Organisation skills, particularly being able to prioritise work effectively

Qualifications And Experience

• GSCE Grade C or above in Mathematics and English essential (Band 5+). A Level Grade C or above in Mathematics preferred. Degree subjects being studied should be STEM, Accountancy, Economics or similar.

Further information on the role can be found in the Purpose and Performance Profile (PPP), which is downloadable on this page.

Working hours

37.5 hours per week – whilst our standard hours are Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.00pm (one hour for lunch) we encourage flexible working and your preferred options will be considered.

Please note, applications will close Monday 4th January 2027, with Interviews taking place in February 2027

Inclusion

As a Disability Confident Employer, we want to ensure that our vacancies are accessible for everyone. If you have a disability, long term health condition or are neurodiverse and need us to adjust our recruitment process please get in touch with our recruitment team.

What can we offer you?

• Generous Holiday Allowance: Starting from 25 days and climbing to 30, you also get to enjoy a day off for your birthday, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve. You can also buy or sell up to a week’s leave
• Share Save Scheme: Annually, you have the opportunity to buy shares in Paragon at a discounted rate
• Profit Related Pay: We share some of our annual profit with our eligible employees
• Pension Plan: We contribute up to 10% of your annual salary towards your pension
• Family Friendly policies: We offer enhanced parental pay and paid time off for fertility treatment
• Employee Discounts: Enjoy exclusive discounts on entertainment, travel, shopping, motoring and more
• Volunteering Day: Contribute to causes you care about with one volunteering day per year
• Life Assurance and Personal Accident Cover

Be flexible

We promote flexibility around how and where we work so that you can achieve a healthier work-life balance. We operate hybrid working, splitting our week between the office and home.

Be yourself

As an equal opportunities employer, we welcome diversity and care about inclusion. That’s why we want you to be your whole self at work. We believe an inclusive workplace is good for each of us, great for our customers and better for our business. Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Network meets regularly to share challenges, experience, and ideas to build a more equal, diverse, and inclusive business.

Be heard

We listen to your point of view, with our People Forum and regular employee surveys making sure you can use your voice and influence our future.

Be well

We will give you access to a range of tools and resources to support your wellbeing. This will include a digital GP service via our free Employee Assistance Programme, access to our Wellbeing team to connect you with the help you need to get more out of life and our Vitality at Work programme to provide you with discounted gym membership, fitness equipment and another multitude of wellbeing services.

Be better

We want you to reach your potential and, as a Platinum Investors in People employer, we’ll encourage you to learn and develop by building a personalised development plan together with your manager.