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In a nutshell

Join our ACA trainee programme and launch your career as a Chartered Accountant. This full-time, permanent role starts with three years of structured training and qualification support, offering hands-on experience, a salary, and a clear path to long-term growth. We’ll cover your training costs and support you every step of the way. As a certified Great Place to Work, we’re the perfect place to start your audit career.

What you'll be doing

As a trainee accountant, you’ll learn to become a trusted advisor to clients.

You will:

• Help clients prepare year-end accounts, management accounts, forecasts, and projections
• Get involved with company and business taxation, company secretarial matters and VAT returns
• Gain a breadth of commercial, tax and general accountancy experience

You'll have the opportunity to join a specialist team, each focused on distinct areas of client work.

Our Business Advisory team works with a range of clients including sole traders, family-owned businesses, partnerships, LLPs and private individuals. They are known as the general practice team and offer an extensive range of client services.

Our Agriculture and Landed Estates team works with a variety of clients from historic country estates to modern farming businesses. These clients care for the countryside and are also leading the way in rural innovation. As well as the general day to day work you’ll get a chance to network at county shows, farm walks or local cattle markets.

Please indicate on your application form if you have a particular preference for any of the above departments.

About you

You’ll enjoy this job if you like….

• Taking initiative and achieving goals
• Communicating effectively, both verbally and in writing
• Building strong relationships and working collaboratively
• Working with numbers and solving problems
• Being analytical and methodical in your approach

Studying alongside working is demanding. As an ACA trainee, you’ll need to do regular independent study and revision for your professional exams. It typically takes around three years to qualify as a chartered accountant. The following 1-2 years are key in consolidating your knowledge and leading more complex projects with the opportunity to progress to manager roles and beyond.

Your development

We recognise that personal development training is essential in helping you to become an accountant, so alongside your ACA, you’ll receive personal development training to help you grow the skills and behaviours needed to become a successful accountant.

You’ll be supported every step of the way:

• A buddy before you start, to help you settle in
• A line manager and student counsellor will help you stay on track with your professional qualification and career goals
• Ongoing learning and development opportunities beyond qualifications, helping you progress into manager roles and beyond

What we're looking for

Bright, motivated graduates who want to build a meaningful career in accountancy. This programme offers structured development, early responsibility, and long-term progression.

Entry requirements:

• On track for, or have achieved, a 2.2 degree or above in any discipline
• Minimum of 112 UCAS points (obtained from three A Levels or equivalent excluding general studies and EPQ)
• GCSE Maths and English at grade 4 (C) or above

How to apply

We review applications on a rolling basis, so apply early. We may close the vacancy once we’ve received enough applications. You can only submit one application per recruitment cycle, and we’re unable to accept multiple applications for different roles.

We’re committed to creating an inclusive and positive experience for all candidates. If you require any adjustments during the recruitment process, whether related to a disability, neurodiversity, or any other need, please let us know, and we ’ll do our best to support you.

Why work at PKF Francis Clark

As the largest firm of independent chartered accountants and business advisers in South West England, PKF Francis Clark offers a wide range of opportunities to develop your career in the way that’s right for you.

Established in 1919, we’ve grown to nearly 1,000 people across offices in Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Poole, Salisbury, Southampton, Taunton, Torquay and Truro. Our size means we can offer ambitious work with exciting clients and a friendly, supportive culture.

We want you to belong, be yourself and do your best work as part of a forward-thinking team, with a flexible approach to hybrid working and a strong focus on wellbeing, learning and development.

For the past four years, PKF Francis Clark has been certified as a Great Place to Work and ranked among the UK’s Best Workplaces, rising to 6th out of 100 large organisations.

We’re a top 10 Best Workplace for Women, as well as being ranked for Wellbeing, Development, and Consulting and Professional Services. These rankings are compiled by Great Place to Work, based on confidential, independent feedback from our people. In addition, we’re one of The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers.

Being a Certified B Corp means we’re held to high standards for environmental and social performance. We’re independently assessed to ensure we support our people, act responsibly and make long-term decisions that balance people and planet.

We’re proudly independent, while collaborating internationally through the PKF Global family of firms. Together we’re the 13th largest provider of accountancy services in the UK, with connections to like-minded advisers in 150 countries.

Your core benefits

Financial wellbeing

• Group personal pension to help you build your future savings through employer and employee contributions
• Group life assurance providing cover up to four times your basic annual salary
• Group income protection available after six months’ service
• Health cash plan giving money back on everyday health costs, with free cover for up to four dependent children (up to age 24 in full‑time education) and the option to add a partner or spouse

Mental wellbeing

• Counselling and emotional support for you and your immediate family
• Virtual GP and second opinion services for you and your immediate family
• Access to trained Mental Health First Aiders for confidential, peer to peer support

Physical wellbeing

• Cycle to work scheme, with the option to purchase a bike and accessories up to £4,000*
• Discounted membership at gyms, pools and studios across the UK
• Digital health and wellbeing tools available through the employee health cash plan
• Support for colleagues experiencing menopause, as part of our Menopause Workplace Pledge, including webinars and a dedicated Microsoft Teams channel for ongoing support

Additional benefits

• Family friendly benefits, including enhanced pay, family leave coaching sessions and a parent network
• The option to buy up to five extra days of holiday (pro rata for part‑time colleagues) *
• One paid volunteering day each year to support local organisations
• Electric vehicle lease scheme (grade and pay criteria apply) *
• Gifts to mark key career and family milestones
• Expert led webinars on mental, physical and financial wellbeing
• Francis Clark Charitable Foundation, offering support for current and former employees experiencing financial hardship
• These benefits are provided via a salary exchange and are subject to employee’s post exchange hourly rate remaining above the national minimum wage

Additional information

• Job title used internally may not align exactly with the title displayed in this advert