Public Sector Audit Graduate Programme (Autumn 2027) - Leeds

CFA Institute; Leeds; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary £34,250

£5,000 joining bonus

Fully‑funded professional qualification

Sponsor from day one

International exposure

AI tools access

Client interaction

Structured learning

Cohort experiences

Career growth opportunities

Job summary

CFA Institute in Leeds offers a prestigious graduate programme designed to fast‑track your career in public sector audit and financial services. You’ll join a structured pathway with real client exposure from day one.

You will study for a professional qualification with paid study leave, a milestone £5,000 joining bonus, and a market‑leading starting salary of £34,250 plus full benefits. You’ll work with senior leaders and gain international exposure while developing leadership skills.

Qualifications

• Commercial curiosity and genuine interest in clients' businesses.
• Digital mindset with data and tools to find smarter solutions.
• Adaptability and quick learning in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong problem-solving, judgement and attention to detail from first live work.
• Collaborative communication to build trust with clients and colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Work with a variety of public sector and client engagements, building relationships and developing technical audit skills.
• Engage with real data, select samples, gather evidence and test it to assess impacts on the business.
• Apply professional judgement to assess policies and estimates.
• Analyze financial statements and review internal controls across client organisations.
• Study for a relevant professional qualification (ACA/ICAS/CFAB/ACCA/CIMA or DTS) to support career progression.

Skills

Commercial curiosity

Digital explorer

Adaptability

Problem solving

Collaborative communication

Proactive career growth

Education

ACA/ICAS/CFAB/ACCA/ACCA/CIMA or DTS

Job description

Job Description:

Go one better than Four.

The industry is set to change. It's time to get with a new kind of programme. One that leaves traditional graduate schemes behind. From the off, you'll see a future you want to stay for. Because we don't just recruit exceptional graduate talent. We turn trainees into leaders. We're talking bigger opportunities, faster growth, and an experience designed to accelerate your career from the start.

Take the purple path

What investing in talent actually looks like

• A market-leading salary of £34,250 and full benefits package
• A milestone bonus of £5,000 (50% paid upon joining and 50% paid upon successful completion of your professional qualification) to support you as you take your first step on the purple path
• A fully-funded professional qualification, including paid study leave, expert tuition, and all course fees covered
• A named Partner sponsor from day one to support you grow in your career
• International exposure, helping you build a global perspective early in your career
• Access to the latest leading AI tools and digital solutions from day one, building skills that will shape the future of your career
• Meaningful client interaction outside of the day-to-day - understanding how businesses operate and driving results which matter
• Structured learning built around the capabilities of a future Partner - taking you beyond the technical
• In-person experiences with your cohort of future leaders. One pathway, one cohort, and a network for life
• Access to additional opportunities as you reach your potential - from working with our Senior Leadership Team to shaping new initiatives
• Business Development responsibilities before you even qualify. Hands‑on opportunities to win work and support our growth ambitions

Powered by AI, driven by you

We are investing £500m in digital transformation.

Our leading AI tools drive efficiencies, handling time‑consuming manual tasks, which means you can focus on higher‑value work, faster. You'll get experience and training to progress rapidly, earlier than graduates ever have before.

Powered by AI, you will spend more time on detailed analysis, professional judgement and the insights that genuinely add value for clients. You'll be the one in control, reviewing and challenging the quality of AI inputs and outputs to ensure our clients continue to receive an exceptional service.

We're in the business of people, not just numbers. AI helps us work more efficiently, but it's our people who bring judgement, curiosity and care to every client relationship. As a trainee, you'll learn to use these tools while developing the human skills that will set you apart throughout your career.

A look into the role

Public Sector Audit : Audit is about giving people confidence in the numbers behind public services. As an auditor, you'll look closely at the financial records of public bodies to check they're accurate and complete - work that taxpayers, regulators, and the public all rely on. You'll get exposure to a wide range of clients, from central government to local authorities and the NHS, building the insight to understand how public sector organisations really operate.

As an auditor in our Public Sector team you will:

• Work with a variety of clients, from central government departments to local authorities and NHS bodies. Build strong client relationships, understand how each organisation delivers for the public, and develop your technical expertise in audit and financial reporting.
• Get hands‑on from day one, working with real data sets, selecting samples, gathering evidence from clients, and testing it to assess the real‑world impact of any errors on the business
• Apply professional judgement to assess the policies and estimates clients adopt
• Analyse financial statements and review internal controls, learning how companies manage money, risk and operations
• Study for a relevant professional qualification (typically ACA, ICAS, CFAB, AAT, ACCA, CIMA or DTS) which will complement your technical knowledge, and prepare you for future career success

Did you know: We are the market‑leader for Public Sector Audit, holding a 35% share of NHS Audits and partnering with over half of all UK councils. In addition to this, Audit was our strongest growing service line in 2025 with 11% revenue growth.

Get to know our Head of Audit, Wendy Russell here

Who we're looking for

Our pathway moves fast.

You'll be juggling the demands it brings, alongside an intensive professional qualification, so you'll need real drive and determination to keep pace and succeed. This is a distinctive pathway offering exceptional opportunities, but the work is demanding. We want people with the ambition to contribute to our high‑performance culture, who see a real future with us beyond qualification, following the purple path.

We're looking for people who bring:

• Commercial curiosity - genuine interest in our clients' businesses and an eye for spotting opportunities to add value, from the start.
• A digital explorer's mindset - curiosity for digital tools and data, and a drive to find smarter solutions early on.
• Adaptability - embracing change, asking good questions, and picking things up quickly when thrown in at the deep end.
• Strong problem‑solving skills - critical thinking, sound judgement, and attention to detail from your first live piece of work.
• Collaborative communication - listening well, adapting your approach, and building trust with clients and colleagues alike.
• A proactive approach to your career - taking ownership of your growth and seeking out opportunities rather than waiting for them to come to you.

We've got a flexible approach to academic entry requirements, and we'll consider these alongside your strengths and motivations.

We're growing fast, and we want you to grow with us. With digital‑first innovation and a firm that's investing in its future leaders, this is your chance to shape what's next.

Follow the purple path.

It's the start of something bigger.