Graduate Audit Chartered Accountant Trainee (for Summer/Autumn 2025)

Closing date: Wednesday 15 January 2025

Job Title: Graduate Audit Chartered Accountant Trainee (for Summer/Autumn 2025)

Location: Berwick upon Tweed

Starting Salary: Competitive starting salary increasing with each exam module pass.

Employment Type: Full time, Permanent with ICAS or ICAEW CA/ACA Training Contract

About Us:

Greaves West & Ayre is an Independent Chartered Accountancy firm that has been advising and supporting clients across the UK for over 100 years. With offices across the North East of England and East Lothian, we are proud to have provided specialist advice to families and businesses across the generations.  We provide a broad range of accounting, auditing, tax, and advisory services to a diverse portfolio of clients. With a reputation for excellence and a commitment to delivering the highest standard of service, we are seeking a Trainee Chartered Accountant to join our dynamic team.

Job Summary / Our Training Programme:

GWA holds the ‘Authorised Training Employer’ accreditation of the ICAEW and is an Authorised Training Office of the ICAS, both of which demonstrate our commitment to supporting our trainees. We are dedicated to helping students become successful professionals. And we are proud of our excellent technical training record while passing on our professional values of Quality Advice – Quality Service to every student we welcome to the GWA team.

We are proud of our reputation for ongoing development. We envisage that the successful candidate will become an integral part of our firm whilst ideally possessing an ambition and desire to progress within their career, giving the opportunity to grow knowledge, experience, and confidence.

Your training will include spending time in class completing the exam modules alongside working within our modern office in Berwick-upon-Tweed.

In addition, our ambitious training programme is designed to support you towards becoming a professionally qualified chartered accountant. You will receive ongoing mentoring and will have the opportunity to gain experience across our wide range of services, whilst specialising in audit, and assurance. This allows you to develop a broad range of experience, ensuring you gain both the professional and practical skills to deliver quality client support and business advice throughout your career. whilst meeting all statutory reporting requirements.

On completion of this training your role will primarily build on the audit experience, ensuring that all statutory reporting requirements are met. You will work towards leadership role in managing the trainee-chartered accountants, helping them in delivering high-quality business advice, and fostering strong client relationships. This position is critical to the firm’s success, focusing on the accuracy and efficiency of account preparation, financial statement reviews, and maintaining compliance with accounting standards.

The pathway could provide you with the opportunity to become involved in assisting and nurturing the next generation of trainee and newly qualified chartered accountants and working towards Senior Management or Partner level.

Key Responsibilities:

• Account Preparation: Learn how to prepare annual statutory accounts, financial statements, and management accounts for a range of clients, including sole traders, partnerships and limited companies ranging from micro to medium sized entities.
• Audit Planning: Assisting the audit team leaders to plan and design audit procedures tailored to the client’s business and industry.
• Conducting Fieldwork: Visiting client sites to gather information, observe processes, and communicate with client staff to understand the business operations.
• Examining Financial Reports: Reviewing financial statements, accounts, and other documentation to ensure accuracy and compliance with relevant standards.
• Documenting Findings: Working within a team supporting the audit seniors & managers in preparing detailed working papers and documentation to support audit findings and conclusions.
• Client Relationships: Build and maintain strong client relationships by supporting the team and partners in all financial reporting matters, ensuring client satisfaction and service excellence.
• Financial Reporting: Understanding and staying updated with changes in auditing standards,  learn how to produce financial reports, whilst ensuring they comply with accounting standards (e.g., FRS 105, FRS 102) and regulatory requirements.
• Process: adhere to efficient processes for conducting audits & preparing accounts, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and cost-effectiveness in service delivery.
• Business Advisory: Learn how to provide guidance and advice to clients, particularly around financial reporting, budgeting, and cash flow management.

Key Requirements:

• Qualifications: Must have at least a 2:1 degree (obtained or predicted) in any discipline or the full AAT qualification.
• Client-Focused: The ability to make client relationships and meeting client expectations.
• Communication: Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to interact with clients and colleagues.
• Attention to Detail: Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with high attention to detail and accuracy.
• IT Skills: Proficient in MS Office Suite, particularly Excel. (Desirable: proficient in accounting software (e.g., CCH, Xero, Sage, QuickBooks)

Why Join Us?

• Professional Development: Access to continuous learning and clear career progression opportunities.
• Collaborative Environment: Be part of a supportive and high-performing team in a thriving firm.
• Diverse Client Base: Opportunity to work with a variety of clients across different industries.
• Work-Life Balance: We offer a flexible working environment, ensuring a healthy work-life balance for our employees.
• Competitive Package: Competitive salary with an enhanced overtime rate, pension scheme, death in service and other benefits.

A role at GWA will enable you to achieve the lifestyle and career ambitions you are looking for.

How to Apply: If you are a driven and experienced Chartered Accountant looking to take the next step in your career, we would love to hear from you. Please submit your CV and a cover letter detailing your suitability for the role to arb@gwayre.co.uk.

Closing date: 6 January 2025

Closing date: Wednesday 15 January 2025