School Leaver Audit Trainee (AAT or ACA) - Leeds - September 2025

Saffery Champness; Leeds; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking ambitious A Level students to embark on a rewarding career as Audit Trainees. This exciting opportunity offers a structured pathway to becoming fully qualified within 4 to 4.5 years, supported by a dedicated team focused on your success. You'll engage in diverse audit and accounts preparation tasks while working closely with clients from various sectors. The firm values inclusivity and provides a supportive environment, ensuring you gain essential skills and experience. Join a firm with a rich history and a commitment to excellence, and take the first step towards a fulfilling career in audit.

Benefits

Annual leave allowance

Flexible working hours

Contributory pension plan

Life assurance cover

Working from home allowance

Profit-Sharing Plan

Paid overtime or time off in lieu

Qualifications

• A minimum of 120 UCAS points in A Levels or equivalent is required.
• GCSE Maths and English Language at grade 6 (B) or equivalent is essential.

Responsibilities

• Work on audit and accounts preparation assignments in a friendly environment.
• Gain valuable work experience and exposure to various clients.

Skills

Analytical Skills

Communication Skills

Teamwork

Education

A Levels with a minimum of 120 UCAS points

GCSE Maths and English Language (minimum 6 or B)

Job description

School Leaver Audit Trainee (AAT or ACA) - Leeds - September 2025

Right now, we’re looking for A Level (or equivalent) students wanting to start their career as a trainee in audit. We’ll support you in becoming fully qualified within a 4 to 4.5 year period.

We have two study pathways:

• AAT Level 3 (2 papers only) and AAT Level 4 followed by an ACA apprenticeship. Exemptions to the ACA will only apply once you’re AAT Level 4 qualified.
• ACA apprenticeship only

We want you to have the best possible journey with Saffery and help you to achieve a high level of success in your exams. We have a dedicated Early Careers team who will consult with you throughout the recruitment process to explain and choose the best pathway for you.

Application windows:

• 17 September 2024 – 31 December 2024
• 14 February 2025 – 28 June 2025

Please note due to the high popularity of these positions, applications may close earlier than stated. We recommend applying as soon as possible.

What you'll need

• A minimum of 120 UCAS points in your A Levels (or equivalent), and
• A minimum of 6 (or B) in GCSE Maths and English Language (or equivalent).

Qualifying is not just about passing your exams; gaining valuable work experience is so important. You'll work in a friendly and progressive environment on audit and accounts preparation assignments, with exposure to clients from different industries. We guarantee an exciting and varied learning experience.

By the end of your training contract, you’ll be comfortable handling whole files by yourself, preparing you for progression into a senior audit role.

What we’ll offer you

Because you do the best job you can for our clients and your colleagues, we do everything we can for you. We provide a mixture of core and flexible benefits, all designed to save you money and make your life a little easier.

Core benefits

• Annual leave allowance, which increases in line with length of service,
• A 35-hour working week with flexibility around our core hours of 10am-4pm,
• A contributory pension plan (we’ll contribute 5% of salary on a matched basis with you from the date you join),
• Life assurance cover based on 4 x annual salary,
• Working from home allowance of £25 a month,
• Our Profit-Sharing Plan, enabling you to share in the firm’s profits (usually c.£1,000), and
• Paid overtime or time off in lieu.

We’re also committed to being a fully inclusive employer and have a huge focus on equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I).

Who we are

Saffery is a partner-led and people-focused firm of chartered accountants, tax and business advisers. Since 1855, we’ve built long-term relationships with our diverse, high-profile clients, across varied and specialised sectors.