Graduate Accountant Trainee (Exeter) - December 2025 Start

PKF Francis Clark LLP; Exeter; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading accountancy firm in Exeter is seeking trainees for their Chartered Accountant program. You will earn while you learn, gaining diverse experience across various client sectors and receiving support for your qualifications. Ideal candidates are analytical, team players, and committed to their personal development, with solid educational prerequisites. Competitive benefits package included.

Benefits

Pension

Group life assurance

Health cash plan

Extra holiday options

Counselling support

Cycle to work scheme

Volunteering day

Qualifications

• You’ll be expected to demonstrate analytical and methodical work approach.
• Regular independent study outside of working hours is required.
• Communicating effectively with clients is essential.

Responsibilities

• Prepare year-end accounts, management accounts, forecasts, and projections.
• Get involved in areas such as company taxation and VAT returns.
• Gain experience across various sectors with high-quality clients.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Teamwork

Communication

Education

2.2 or above in any degree discipline

Minimum of 112 UCAS points

Grade 4-9 or C in GCSE Maths and English

Job description

In a nutshell

You'll join our three-year training programme to become a Chartered Accountant (ACA). You’ll earn while you learn, working whilst studying. We pay for all your training and qualifications and support you every step of the way. We are ranked in the Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list 2025, making this a brilliant place to embark on your accountancy career.

What you'll be doing

One thing we can guarantee is that no two days will be the same. Every client is different, so you’ll be challenged with new opportunities daily. You’ll work across a variety of sectors, experiencing a wide range of high-quality clients, from start-ups, AIM-listed companies, and inspirational not-for-profit organisations.

Ourbusiness advisoryteamshelp our clients prepare year-end accounts, management accounts, forecasts, and projections. You’ll be able to get involved in areas such as company and business taxation, company secretarial matters and VAT returns. Therefore, you’ll gain a breadth of commercial, tax and general accountancy experience in this role.

About you

You’ll enjoy this job if you like….

• Being analytical and methodical in your approach to work
• Working with numbers
• Solving problems
• Talking to people
• Becoming an expert
• Being a team player, surrounded by a fun and caring team

Studying alongside working is demanding. As an ACA trainee accountant, you’ll need to do regular independent study outside of working hours and to revise for your professional exams.

Your development

We recognise that personal development training is essential in helping you to become a trusted business adviser, so you will receive support and learning not only for your professional qualification but also towards the skills and behaviours that are required to be a successful accountant. You will be allocated a buddy before you start with us. When you join us you will have a line manager and a student counsellor who will help ensure that you are on track with your professional qualification and career aspirations.

What we're looking for

You might be an undergraduate, a recent graduate, or a graduate who has already established a career and wants to switch and start a new career in accountancy. You’ll be expected to demonstrate the following:

• On track to achieve or have obtained a 2.2 or above in any degree discipline
• Minimum of 112 UCAS points (obtained from three A Levels or equivalent excluding general studies)
• Grade 4-9 or C or above in GCSE Maths and English

We recruit on a rolling basis for our opportunities and consider applications as we receive them. We recommend applying ASAP as we close roles early if we receive enough applications to fill all our opportunities.

Why work at PKF Francis Clark

As the largest firm of independent chartered accountants and business advisers in South West England, PKF Francis Clark offers a breadth of opportunities to develop your career in the way that’s right for you.

Established in 1919, we’ve grown to a team of nearly 1,000 people, based across our offices in Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Poole, Salisbury, Southampton, Taunton, Torquay and Truro. This means we’re big enough to do challenging work for exciting clients, but small enough to maintain our friendly and supportive culture.

We work hard to ensure you can belong, be yourself and be brilliant as part of a forward-thinking team. This includes a flexible approach tohybrid working. And our focus on wellbeing and learning and development has been recognised nationally.

For the past three years, PKF Francis Clark has been certified as a Great Place to Work and ranked among the UK’s Best Workplaces. In 2025, we climbed four places to 20 out of 100 large organisations on this prestigious list.

We’re also ranked among the UK’s Best Workplaces for Wellbeing (35 out of 100), Best Workplaces for Development (24 out of 100) and Best Workplaces in Consulting and Professional Services.

All these lists are compiled by workplace culture experts Great Place to Work. Our rankings are a direct result of feedback from our people in a confidential, independent annual survey.

The success rates of our trainees mean we’re also ranked 33rdin The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers 2025.

While we’re proudly independent, we collaborate with colleagues around the world to enable our clients to succeed. PKF Francis Clark is a member of the PKF Global family of firms – together we’re the 12th largest provider of accountancy services in the UK. Being part of this international network provides opportunities to connect with like-minded accountants and business advisers in 150 countries.

Your core benefits will includes

Financial benefits:

• Pension
• Group life assurance - up to four times your core salary
• Group income protection
• Health cash plan to help cover the costs of everyday healthcare

Health & Wellbeing benefits:

• Option to buy 5 extra days holiday*
• Counselling and support for you and your immediate family
• Virtual GP for you and your immediate family
• Cycle to work*

Other benefits:

• Medicash Extras providing you with shopping and gym discounts
• Gifts for career and family milestones
• One volunteering day per year to support local organisations
• Emergency funding from the Francis Clark Charitable Foundation

ClickAPPLY NOWto submit your application.