Graduate Audit Trainee (ACA) - Bournemouth - September

Our training contract takes three years to complete with full support and access to first-class tuition centres. You’ll follow a structured development programme combining professional study with on-the-job learning. As your knowledge and confidence grow, you’ll take on more responsibility within audit engagements, contribute to more complex areas of work and build your confidence working directly with clients.

If you’re AAT Level 4 qualified, you will be eligible for exemptions, otherwise we ask for all trainees to complete the full ACA syllabus. We believe that studying alongside a cohort gives you the best chance of exam success.

What You'll Do

• Be taken through the various stages of an audit from planning to completion.
• Support audit engagements for clients across a diverse range of industries by testing financial information and reviewing key controls.
• Prepare clear, well-structured audit documentation and working papers.
• Work with client financial data using a range of accounting systems and audit tools.
• Assist with planning and fieldwork, both in the office and on client sites.
• Build strong relationships with clients to gain a deeper understanding of their business.
• Help identify and investigate differences or inconsistencies in financial information.
• Work closely with colleagues to deliver high-quality audit work to agreed deadlines.

What You'll Learn

• Core audit and accounting principles, including regulatory and reporting requirements.
• How audits are planned, delivered and reviewed in practice.
• How businesses operate and how their financial processes and controls work.
• How to assess risk and evaluate financial information critically.
• The practical application of your professional qualification studies in a real-world environment.

We’ll support you every step of the way through mentorship, structured training, and our off-site trainee programmes as well as regular social events to build friendships with colleagues.

What You'll Need

• 2:1 undergraduate degree (expected or obtained) in any discipline.
• A minimum of 120 UCAS points from your top 3 A Levels or Highers (or equivalent), excluding General Studies and AS Levels.
• A minimum of 6 (or B) in GCSE or National 5 Maths and English Language (or equivalent).

We welcome applications from candidates who are AAT qualified. If you have completed AAT studies (up to Level 4) in place of A Levels or Highers, please detail this under the A Level, Scottish Highers (or equivalent) qualifications section on your application form.

If you have over 12 months relevant experience within a training contract at another firm, we recommend exploring part-qualified opportunities on our Experienced Hire vacancy page.

What We'll Offer You

Financial support & flexibility

• Competitive salary
• Profit-sharing scheme (approx. £1,000 per year)
• Generous annual leave & flexible work arrangements
• Contributory pension plan (5% salary match)

Work life balance & wellbeing

• Buddy scheme and/or line manager support
• Agile working policy (up to three days working from home, however in your first few months we do encourage up to 4 days in the office to reap the benefits of training around your managers and colleagues)
• Health assessments, GP access, & cancer screenings
• Access to mental health & wellbeing resources

Personal development and belonging

• Mentorship & career progression opportunities
• Participation in our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) programme
• Volunteer to join one of our People networks, including Accessibility, Cultural Heritage, Faith, LGBTQ+, Social Mobility and Gender Equality.

Before You Apply

• Familiarise yourself with our recruitment process by visiting How to apply - Saffery. Through this page you can also navigate to guidance on how to appropriately use AI in your application.
• Practise psychometric tests and learn more about how to approach a face-to-face, competency-based interview.
• You can apply to just one of our programmes during each recruitment season. If your application isn’t successful this time, we’d love for you to try again when applications re-open next September for the following year.
• If you’ve experienced extenuating circumstances (such as bereavement, mental health challenges, or any other unforeseen situation), that may have impacted your academic performance, please reach out to us before you submit an application - EarlyCareersTalent@saffery.com.
• If you require any reasonable adjustments, please look out for further details throughout our assessment process on how to request throughout each stage of our application and assessment process.
• If you are selected for an in-person interview, we will provide reimbursement for your travel expenses.
• If you're offered a place at Saffery, we kindly recommend holding off on booking any annual leave around your expected start date.