ACA Audit and Accounts Apprenticeship London 2023

Wilson Wright is an independent accounting, tax and business advisory firm based in the City of London. Our origins go back over 125 years and many of our client partnerships span decades. We are proud to be a people-led professional advisory firm, where heritage, trust and partnership are at the heart of what we believe in.

Over the last decade the firm has undergone a transformation to become the dynamic and highly respected advisory firm it is today.

Central to our core belief is that client relationships and great service are critical to our success and that by promoting a personal, precise, supportive, innovative and proactive environment we create a market leading practice. We are a trusted adviser delivering valuable advice of the highest standard.

We act for a diverse range of clients who operate in a multitude of sectors both in the UK and internationally including, but not limited to, property, fintech, sports, entertainment and media.

What we value

• We deliver exceptional client service
• We take great personal pride in helping our clients to achieve their goals.
• We are one team, together we make it count
• People are our greatest asset and together we all work as one team.
• We do the Wright thing
• Integrity is central to everything we do. Clients depend on us and trust us to do the right thing
• We all strive to be the best we can be

We set high standards in everything that we do and hold ourselves accountable for achieving them.

The Position

Our successful graduate (or school leaver) trainee will gain experience, qualifications and knowledge in many areas including, audit, accountancy, corporate reporting and tax.

You will be part of the wider Audit & Accounts team from the moment you start with us and with the right level of support you will be carrying out audits,accounts and corporation tax work both independently and as part of a team.

Full study support to qualify as a chartered accountant (studying for the ACA with the ICAEW) will be provided.

You will join as part of an annual cohort of new starters and will find a group around you of like-minded professionals charting their route through to qualification. Within this cohort, and through interacting with previous intakes a year or two further along their journeys, we expect you will find a friendly, supportive network within which you can share experiences, drive each other forwards and grow technically and professionally.

Responsibilities

Within your first year we would expect you to be able to:

• Perform work on accounts jobs, audit engagements and corporation tax assignments with appropriate senior guidance, supervision and review. You will start actual work very shortly after the induction programme
• Complete the internal induction programme including technical training
• Commence study for the ACA examinations completing as many exams as possible (taking into account any exemptions from prior learning/accreditation)
• Provide support on audit assignments and fulfilling tasks allocated by senior staff and partners
• Begin to understand the different classes of transactions and balances within financial statements and the different ways these amounts can be verified and tested
• Start developing skills at documenting systems, procedures and controls in place at our clients
• Undertake stock taking and understand how this procedure fits into the audit approach.
• Understand and be able to discuss the concept of audit risk (and how it differs to business risk)
• Use MyWorkpapers audit programme based on the HAT audit methodology
• Use Xero Workpapers to record work on accounts only engagements
• Get to grips with CCH our accounts preparation tool
• Develop skills at using Excel, Word and other aspects of the MS Office package
• Begin to learn about the application of double entry accounting plus other basic accounting skills and concepts and observing how these are used in the real world of business. This will be supported by your exam studies and training
• Begin to develop skills and experience at preparing accounts starting from a cash book analysis
• Begin to understand VAT and payroll records and how foreign currency transactions are accounted for
• Learn to deal with problems as they arise including the communication of issues, solutions and recommendations both internally and externally
• Begin to understand the different accounting frameworks under UK GAAP for example FRS 105 vs FRS 102 (S1A). In future years there are opportunities to learn and develop skills with IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards)
• Prepare accounts files of a high quality in line with the Wilson Wright methodology and approach
• Prepare tax computations of increasing complexity throughout the year getting to grips with items such as the treatment of non-deductible expenditure

Qualifications, Experience & Skills required

• Strong academic background. The entry requirements for this training contract are a 2:1 at Degree level (or equivalent qualification) preferably but not necessarily in an academic subject related to accountancy/finance and a minimum of 3 B’s at A Level (or equivalent qualification). School leavers will be considered based on A-Levels and any work experience so far obtained
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office and a willingness to develop skills at using different IT software
• Ability to take ownership of assigned tasks
• Ability to organise and prioritise workload clearly communicating current status of work on a job and expected timeline to completion
• Ability to produce accurate work in an efficient manner
• Ability to work as part of a team both as a team member and team leader
• Ability to build and sustain relationships internally within the department and the wider firm and externally with clients
• Actively seeks to enhance own expertise and knowledge
• Demonstrates drive and commitment to develop oneself
• Professional approach to work and clients including understanding the importance of ethical conduct
• Adopts a pro-active approach to work

In addition to the responsibilities listed above, you will be required to undertake GDPR training in order to fully understand the regulations and ensure all work is carried out in a compliant manner. As part of any recruitment process, the Firm collects and processes personal data relating to job applicants. The Firm is committed to being transparent about how it collects and uses that data and to meeting its data protection obligations. Wilson Wright is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified candidates eligible to work in the UK.