Graduate accountant trainee – Professional Practice - ACA - August 2026

PKF FRANCIS CLARK; Poole; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading chartered accountancy firm in Poole is seeking ACA trainees to join their Professional Practices team. This role offers structured training over three years, supporting graduates through their transition into accountancy with a competitive salary and a clear path to success. Candidates should have a 2.2 degree or above, a keen interest in finance, and the desire to work effectively in a supportive environment. The firm emphasizes relationship building and professional development, ensuring a solid foundation for an accountancy career.

Benefits

Pension

Health cash plan

Option to buy extra holiday

Counselling support

Emergency funding

One volunteering day per year

Qualifications

• Graduates motivated to build a career in accountancy.
• Ability to work with numbers and solve problems.
• Willingness to undertake independent study.

Responsibilities

• Support clients with financial information.
• Prepare year-end accounts and management accounts.
• Gain broad experience across accounting and taxation.

Skills

Analytical skills

Interpersonal skills

Initiative

Effective communication

Education

2.2 degree or above in any discipline

Minimum of 112 UCAS points

GCSE Maths and English at grade 4 (C)

Job description

In a nutshell

Join our ACA trainee programme and launch your career as a Chartered Accountant. This full-time, permanent role includes three years of structured training and qualification support, giving you hands‑on experience, a competitive salary, and a clear path to long‑term growth. We’ll cover your training costs and support you every step of the way. As a certified Great Place to Work, we’re the perfect place to start your accountancy career.

What you'll be doing

As a trainee accountant within our Professional Practices team, you’ll support law firms and other professional clients with the financial information and advice they need to manage their businesses effectively. You’ll gain broad experience across accounting, tax (partnership, company and personal), audit (statutory and client money audits), and preparing analysis, forecasts and projections.

Our team has extensive expertise in the legal sector, and for law firm clients we produce detailed discussion documents explaining the accounts, benchmarking analysis, advising on capital funding and providing tax analysis. We have a strong national reputation in this area of work with clients across the country.

You will:

• Develop technical, commercial and interpersonal skills
• Help clients prepare year‑end accounts, accounts discussion documents, management accounts, forecasts, and projections
• Get involved with company and business taxation, company secretarial matters and VAT returns
• Gain a breadth of commercial, tax and general accountancy experience
• Be part of a high performing team

As you progress, you’ll take on more responsibility and have opportunities to make a real impact.

About you

You’ll enjoy this job if you like:

• Taking initiative and achieving goals
• Communicating effectively, both verbally and in writing
• Building strong relationships and working collaboratively
• Working with numbers and solving problems
• Being analytical and methodical in your approach

Studying alongside working is demanding. As an ACA trainee, you’ll need to do regular independent study and revision for your professional exams. It typically takes around three years to qualify as a chartered accountant. The following 1‑2 years are key in consolidating your knowledge and leading more complex projects with the opportunity to progress to manager roles and beyond.

Your development

We recognise that personal development training is essential in helping you to become an accountant, so alongside your ACA, you’ll receive personal development training to help you grow the skills and behaviours needed to become a successful accountant.

You’ll be supported every step of the way:

• A buddy before you start, to help you settle in
• A line manager and student counsellor will help you stay on track with your professional qualification and career goals
• Ongoing learning and development opportunities beyond qualifications, helping you progress into manager roles and beyond

What we're looking for

Bright, motivated graduates who want to build a meaningful career in accountancy. This programme offers structured development, early responsibility, and long‑term progression.

Entry requirements:

• On track for, or have achieved, a 2.2 degree or above in any discipline
• Minimum of 112 UCAS points (obtained from three A Levels or equivalent, excluding general studies and EPQ)
• GCSE Maths and English at grade 4 (C) or above
• Available to start August 2026

How to apply

Apply online by midnight on Sunday, 8 February 2026. We recommend applying early, as the window may close if we receive a high number of applications. Please note you can only apply for one role per recruitment cycle.

Recruitment Process

Our selection process includes the following stages:

• Online application
• Verbal and numerical reasoning tests
• Pre‑recorded video interview
• In‑person assessment centre

We’re committed to creating an inclusive and positive experience for all candidates. If you require any adjustments during the recruitment process, whether related to a disability, neurodiversity, or any other need, please let us know, and we ’ll do our best to support you.

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 to hybrid 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 in the UK’s top 10 Best Workplaces for Women (6 out of 100 large organisations), as well as being ranked among the 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 33rd in 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 include

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