School Leaver Accounts Trainee (ACCA) - Edinburgh - September

Our training contract takes four 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 develop, you’ll take on more complex work, contribute to projects and build your expertise as a trusted advisor.

Our bespoke School Leaver Programme, developed with Kaplan, includes a six-week business simulation designed to build key professional skills such as teamwork, decision-making and leadership. Kaplan has successfully delivered this programme for several years and it has consistently received excellent feedback from participants.

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

Your Role and Development

Your growth doesn't just come from exams. It comes from valuable work experience and real-world learning.

What you’ll do

• Assist with preparing financial statements, management accounts and related analysis
• Work with client financial data using a range of accounting systems and tools
• Assist with resolving day-to-day accounting queries as you gain experience, building confidence over time
• Prepare accurate, high-quality work for review by senior team members

What you’ll learn

• Core accounting principles, financial reporting standards and regulatory requirements
• How businesses operate and how financial information supports decision-making
• How to interpret financial data and communicate insights
• The practical application of your professional qualification studies in real-world scenarios

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

• 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

We believe that supporting our people leads to success, so we provide both core and flexible benefits tailored to your needs:

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

What to know before you apply

• Before submitting your application, take some time to 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.
• We also recommend practising psychometric tests and learning more about how to approach a face-to-face, competency-based interview. This will help you feel confident and prepared to show your best self.
• 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. We’re committed to assessing all applicants fairly and want to do everything we can to support your success throughout the process.
• If you are selected for an in-person interview, we will provide reimbursement for your travel expenses. More information on what we cover will be shared at this stage of the process.
• If you're offered a place at Saffery, we kindly recommend holding off on booking any annual leave around your expected start date. This helps ensure you don’t miss out on important training and onboarding sessions that will set you up for success.