Finance Services Apprentice
Advert Reference Number: 621
Job Location: Milton Keynes
Department: Accounting Services
Salary: £31,387
Closing Date: 3 March 2025
Weekly Working Hours: 37
Contract Type: Permanent
Fixed Term Contract: End Date:
Welsh Language: Not Applicable
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About the Role
The Finance Services Apprentice is a Level 7 apprenticeship offering a varied role working across The Open University financial services teams, whilst studying for a professional accountancy qualification (CIMA, ACCA or CIPFA), when you complete the apprenticeship, you will have acquired the necessary knowledge, skills and behaviours required to apply for membership of one or more of the UK professional bodies.
The role will give you the opportunity to contribute across the different finance functions, which provide a first class, customer focused finance and business support service to faculties/units across the university.
Key Responsibilities
The successful candidate will gain a vast range of useful experiences and skills whilst working towards the professional qualification at Level 7 apprenticeship standard. As a working student your focus is to complete your studies in the 20% off the job time learning and developing your skills, knowledge and behaviours to work towards successful graduation. Goals will be set by the training provider (BPP) and manager to support studies.
As a Finance Services Apprentice, the opportunity to explore. Finance a diverse and dynamic field that touches every aspect of business. On the job experience will be provided in the following areas:
- Assist with processing invoices, payments, and expenses
- Support bank reconciliations and financial reporting
- Help prepare budgets, forecasts, statutory financial statements and corporation tax returns
- Maintain accurate financial records and data entry
- Work with internal teams to ensure compliance with financial policies
- Assist with month-end and year-end financial closing tasks
- Support in financial audits and internal reviews
- Liaise with external auditors, prepare client assistance schedules and other analyses for the annual financial audit
- Work closely with internal staff to ensure year end timetables are met and under guidance provide appropriate financial advice
- Support producing and submitting institutional financial returns
- Learn and apply accounting principles in a practical setting
- Partner with stakeholders and assist units with decision making.
- Support with Management Accounts preparation
- Assisting with maintenance of financial reporting software
- Support the payroll and pensions teams, assisting with cost allocation and reconciliation of control accounts
Skills and Experience
- Have a least 5 GCSEs grade C (Grade 4) or above including English and Mathematics
- 3 A levels BBC or AAT qualified and or degree and or significant relevant work experience
- Competent Microsoft Office especially Excel.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Have attention to detail and the ability to multitask
- Good organisational and time-management skills
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- A keen interest in finance, accounting, and business
Essential Requirements
Work location: It is anticipated that a hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role, where you can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Milton Keynes office it is expected that some attendance in the office will be required when necessary and in response to business needs. We’d expect this to be three times per week.
Eligibility Criteria: To apply for this opportunity, you must;
- Meet the criteria listed under 'Skills & Experience'
- Be 16 years of age or older
- Not be in full-time education, i.e. school, college or university, that you are planning to continue
- Not hold a prior qualification at the same or higher level in a subject similar to the apprenticeship.
- Hold the right to live and work in England
- Spend at least 50% of your working hours in England
- You must not be undertaking another apprenticeship or be in receipt of any other government learning funding during the apprenticeship programme Meet the residency requirements as outlined in the Apprenticeship Funding Rules.
Planned assessments: You may be required to complete a selection of aptitude tests, in-tray/Excel tests and an on-site interview.
How to apply: To apply for this role please submit the following as two separate documents;
- CV
- Supporting statement, up to 1,000 words, you should set out in your statement why you’re interested in this role and provide examples of where your skills and experience meet the required competencies for this role as detailed in the job and person specification.
By applying for this apprenticeship, you are agreeing to share your information with BPP, our apprenticeship training provider.
We may close this job advert earlier than the published closing date where a satisfactory number of applications are received. We would therefore encourage early applications.
