Trainee Accountant - CIPFA

Peterborough City Council; Peterborough; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government organization in Peterborough seeks a motivated Trainee Accountant to support their finance team. This permanent role offers training towards CIPFA qualification while providing financial business support. Ideal candidates will have strong attention to detail, relevant educational qualifications, and experience with office applications. Enjoy benefits like generous annual leave, development opportunities, and an inclusive workplace culture.

Benefits

Generous annual leave

Access to benefits through Vivup

Flexibility with bank holidays

Paid volunteering hours

Development opportunities including apprenticeships

Qualifications

• Hold a minimum of 3 GCSEs and 2 A Levels at grades A-C (or equivalent).
• Experience with office applications and financial management systems.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Support budget holders and prepare detailed financial reports.
• Maintain the accuracy of the council's accounting records.
• Assist in the production of grant claims.
• Ensure correct income recording with appropriate VAT codes.
• Support the closure of accounts and prepare working papers.
• Monitor external capital funding and capital income.
• Assist with treasury management activities.
• Support the council's preparations for Local Government Reorganisation.

Skills

Attention to detail

Team player

Self-motivated

Education

Minimum of 3 GCSEs and 2 A Levels (Maths and English)

Tools

Excel

Financial management systems

Job description

This is a permanent role and is 37 hours per week

All about the Role

We are looking for a motivated and detail-oriented Trainee Accountant to join our finance team. In this role, you will train to become a fully qualified accountant member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).

You will provide financial business support in a developing role, including assisting in the production of management accounts, budgeting, final accounts, treasury management, and capital projects and will assist wider teams across the organisation. Your responsibilities will include:

• Financial Management: Supporting budget holders, providing analysis and advice, and preparing clear and detailed financial reports for monitoring expenditure and forecasting future requirements.

• Accounting Records: Helping to maintain the completeness and accuracy of the council's accounting records in line with best professional practices.

• Grant Claims: Assisting in the production of grant claims.

• Income Recording: Ensuring that income received is correctly recorded in the accounts with the appropriate VAT code, and taking corrective action when necessary.

• Closure of Accounts: Supporting the closure of accounts, including preparing working papers and financial information.

• Capital Accounting: Supporting capital accounting tasks, including monitoring external capital funding and capital receipt income.

• Treasury Management: Assisting with treasury management activities, such as cash flow monitoring, interest rate tracking, and loan administration.

• Specialist Project work: Assisting with the council's preparations for Local Government Reorganisation

Our supportive and collaborative team will give you a great opportunity to develop your finance skills in a professional environment

All about You

• You meet the entry level for CIPFA training, holding a minimum of 3 GCSEs, and 2 A Levels, at grades A-C (or grades 4 and up), or accepted equivalent (subjects must include Maths and English)

• You have experience of using office applications such as Excel, and ideally have used financial management systems

• You are self-motivated with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail
• You are a team player who is eager to learn and develop in public sector finance

All about our Benefits
We value our colleagues and have developed a number of benefits in addition to our generous annual leave starting at 25 days + bank holidays, sick pay and local government pension scheme

• Access to a range of benefits via Vivup, including in-store and online discounts as well as our Cycle to Work and Home & Electronics schemes
• Buy up to 10 days additional annual leave (pro-rata)
• Access to car lease scheme
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared Cost AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings
• Access to development opportunities including apprenticeships to support your personal and professional growth
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day
• Access to our equality, diversity and inclusion network
• Opportunities to receive Employee Recognition Awards

All about our Commitments
We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to fostering diversity, advancing equity, and building an inclusive workplace for everyone. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and particularly encourage those from underrepresented groups, including disabled people, care leavers, and individuals from minority ethnic communities. Your unique perspectives and experiences are encouraged and valued and will play a vital role in our success.

We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible. If you are disabled and require any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview process, please contact [e-mail] we will work with you to meet your needs.