Trainee Accountant Graduate Programme

Posted on: 02/10/2025 – Application Deadline: 14/11/2025

St. James\’s Place (SJP) is a leading Wealth Management company which works in partnership to plan, grow and protect our clients’ financial futures. We deliver personalised, face-to-face financial advice to our clients, who trust us to manage their money to reach their goals.

The Trainee Accountant Graduate Programme:

Assessment Centre: Monday 8th December 2025

The Trainee Accountant Graduate Programme within our Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Function is a three-year programme and offers an excellent grounding in the fundamental principles of Finance and Accounting whilst studying for your Accountancy qualification (either ACA or ACCA).

Based in our offices in Cirencester, you will rotate across the Function supporting our qualified Accountants and experienced Finance professionals having exposure to multiple core areas within the Division. Including with working with our Expense Business Partners, assisting in the delivery of the Group’s financial position and many other exciting areas of the Function. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain exposure to the breadth of all aspects of Finance in one of the UK’s largest wealth management organisations before specialising later in your career.

All graduate positions are offered on a permanent contract. Upon successful completion of the programme, individuals continue in their roles within the organisation, equipped with the experience and insight gained throughout the Graduate Programme.

Key responsibilities:

• Rotation across Finance including Financial Insights (FP&A), Reporting, Expense Business Partnering, Group Tax, Treasury and Partner Finance.
• Preparation of complex working papers
• Involvement In key projects for the Division
• Involvement in preparation and delivery of core deliveries for the Division, including budget considerations, business partnering, management and financial accounts, tax returns
• Partake in relevant monthly entity review meetings (“pre RtN”) and preparation of numbers as required
• Understanding and appreciation of financial controls
• Identifies efficiencies in processes and assists in implementing change
• Supports in ad-hoc projects and investigations as required
• Assisting in the timely and accurate delivery of reporting, directly impacting the SJP Group and reporting to external regulators.
• Challenging and developing of key processes and delivering Improvements driving efficiencies.

What we’re looking for:

• Recent graduate in a finance or accounting-related degree subject with a strong desire to become a qualified accountant
• Strong awareness of finance terminology and application
• Ability to communicate accounting principles/judgements to a non-accountant
• Interest In external environment relevant to the company
• Competent in Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint
• Demonstrates good understanding of each relevant entity and how it interacts with the wider Group.
• Challenges processes and outcomes and suggests improvements and remedies, taking a lead In Implementation
• Applies judgement and escalates/questions as appropriate
• Stong communication and written skills
• Good time management and organisational skills
• Develops relationships across departments/3rd third parties
• Works independently on assigned tasks
• Manages own workload and deliverables
• Proactively seeks out opportunities/development
• Ability to self-review work

Special Requirements:

You will be required in the office a minimum of three days per week and may be required to travel to our other offices around the UK or to our third party outsource provider offices also in the UK. The majority of our Finance Function is based in Cirencester, Gloucestershire where you will be expected to be based for the bulk of your time.

To be eligible for this vacancy, all candidates must havethe right to work in the UK.

This programme is due to last for three years. Ifyour right to work is based on a Visa that will expire before the end of theprogramme, it may not be possible to employ you in the role as at present, thisprogramme does not meet the minimum salary thresholds required for skilledworker visa sponsorship under the UK Home Office guidelines. As a result, we’reunable to accept applications from those requiring visa sponsorship in order tocomplete the programme.

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