Graduate / Chartered Accountant in London

Armstrong Watson are a trusted and leading independent Accountancy and Business Advisory firm based in the North of England and Scotland. Our services and advice are all centred around our Quest to support our clients to achieve prosperity, a secure future and peace of mind, which cannot be achieved without the expertise of our dedicated and valued colleagues. With approximately 800 colleagues situated across 19 offices, our people and our culture are at the heart of what we do. We recognise the unique impact we have on not only our clients, but also our colleagues, and the communities in which we operate.

When you are with Armstrong Watson, you will be welcomed with rewarding work and a supportive learning environment to reach your full potential. We are proud to have been placed 29th amongst the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers in the UK and also recognised in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2025. Our success is dependent on every colleague embracing all four of our core values: Honesty, Humanity, Trust and Passion. We have plans for growth that are not only ambitious but well within our reach. We are looking for motivated individuals to join our growing team to help us get there!

The Role: We are currently looking for our next promising cohort of Chartered Accountants to start with us on Monday 3 August 2026. We have positions available across our Carlisle, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Skipton offices. We have designed our three-year programme to guide you towards becoming a professionally qualified business adviser. You will help us provide top-tier business advice and service to support our clients' growth. It’s a busy 3 years with many exciting challenges and rewarding career development opportunities.

With full study support for the ACA qualification, you will gain a wealth of learning and new experiences alongside your formal study and exam preparation. You will be part of our Audit and Assurance team, working with our diverse portfolio of clients. You will interact with our clients face to face, building strong relationships with them. This is a fantastic opportunity to kick-start a promising career and gain invaluable experience from industry experts.

Having the ability to think commercially about how a business operates, whether to increase market share and/or increase profit, will give you an advantage. Additionally, considering how a business can manage its risk through its systems, controls, and processes is equally important; business owners don’t want to be susceptible to fraud!

Upon successful completion of your training programme, you may find doors opening to exciting opportunities across various service lines. This could include areas such as Restructuring & Insolvency, where you could progress to become an Insolvency Practitioner, as well as Corporate Finance and Business Services, amongst others.

The Candidate: We seek candidates who are team players, motivated to succeed with a positive attitude and strong work ethic. Candidates must possess either a 2:1 degree or above (achieved or predicted) in any discipline or the full AAT Level 4 qualification. A 2:2 degree may be considered depending on degree subject. Candidates must also hold at least 7 GCSEs at Grade 5 (C) or above (including Maths, English, and at least one Science) or a minimum of 6 National Fives (including Maths, English, and at least one Science) at Grade C or above. Possess a minimum of 96 UCAS points (obtained at A Level or BTEC Level 3+). You must also possess a full and valid UK Drivers Licence before 3 August 2026 and own a vehicle which can be used for business travel to client sites. There will be a short grace period permitted for acquiring a vehicle, if required.

Recruitment Process & How to Apply: If you think this is the right opportunity for you and your career, apply online with our simple application form, where you will also be asked to upload a copy of your current CV. Please ensure that you clearly list subjects studied and grades achieved for all GCSEs and A Levels on your CV, as well as ensuring that you provide confirmation of your achieved or predicted degree result. All questions on our application form must be answered fully or this could affect your application being progressed. We ask that you apply for one vacancy only (as there are different vacancies listed due to multiple office options). If you are willing to work in more than one location, this can be discussed at the interview.

If we shortlist your application, you will be invited to complete online assessments in order for us to assess your numerical and problem-solving ability as well as personality and behaviours. Following successful completion of the online assessments, we will invite you to attend a group video interview (using Microsoft Teams). During this interview, you will meet with one of our Partners and will be given the opportunity to ask any questions that you have about the firm and role itself. Should you then be successful, you will be invited to attend an Assessment Centre, which will include a competency-based interview, a presentation, a general discussion and a group task. You will need to prepare a presentation in advance, details of which will be provided when invited to the Assessment Centre. Assessment Centres for these vacancies are expected to take place during January, March and April. Confirmation of exact dates and full arrangements will be provided at the earliest opportunity if you are successful in reaching this stage in the process.

All successful candidates will be expected to commence their employment on Monday 3 August 2026. There will be a structured training programme during the first 3 weeks of the role which will require travel outside of the location that you have applied to. Please note that due to the structured training programme, no holidays can be authorised during this time.

The Benefits: In return for your hard work helping us shape our future growth and development; we will provide a competitive salary and a positive benefits package which includes:

• Annual Leave entitlement of 21 days, plus Bank Holidays, accruing a day after each year (up to 26 days)
• Annual Leave Purchase Scheme allowing you to buy up to 5 additional days annual leave each year
• Health Shield Cash Plan (cash back on a range of Health benefits and discounts on holidays, fashion and entertainment)
• Employee Assistance Programme (24/7 confidential support for wellbeing and health)
• Paid flu jabs and eye tests
• Introductory Commission Scheme (financial reward if you refer a new client)
• Employee Referral Scheme (financial reward if you refer new AW colleagues) enabling you to claim up to £2,500 for each referral
• Ongoing access to online training courses and materials
• Paid professional membership fees
• Charity of the Month
• Colleague of the Month
• Subsidised social events throughout the year

In addition to all the benefits you would expect from an award winning employer, you will be given the utmost encouragement and support to develop your career further.