2025 Finance Apprentice - Level 2 Accountant Assistant
Start Date: 01 September 2025
Salary: £16,000 (age 16-19), £21,000 (age 19+) per annum
Location: Cheadle
Employee type: Permanent
Working Schedule: Monday – Friday, 37 hours a week (8 hours Monday – Thursday, 5 hours Friday)
Are you an individual who is proactive with a passion for getting into the detail? We have an exciting opportunity to join our corporate team based in Cheadle. This role is a rare chance for a highly motivated individual to take on a role that has excellent career progression opportunities within Thales.
What the role has to offer:
Earn while you learn
Job specific training experience
Recognised qualifications
Permanent role from day one
Great opportunity to gain experience and further your career in Finance
Operate in a visible role with an opportunity to add value from the early stages
We have an exciting opportunity to join a Finance Apprenticeship within our UK business. We have opportunities within Corporate and our Thales UK business lines.
You can expect to be involved in a wide range of activities, gaining significant exposure to the business and building a broad professional network. Key responsibilities will vary depending on which team you are sitting within, but may include:
Opportunity to learn through experience, working on meaningful activities, implement best practice and shape the role
Opportunity to engage with multiple stakeholders across the team
Opportunity to work in a fast paced, exciting and dynamic environment
Ability to drive continuous improvement
Liaising with various stakeholders to understand, challenge and report the overheads and headcount of the business
Providing accurate, timely and reliable overhead and cost information, and analysis to senior management
Utilizing Thales tools to develop internal reporting and ensure consistency across the UK
Supporting cost centre reviews
Assisting in the budgeting cycle where required
Managing data cleanse activities including balance sheet reconciliation
Supporting projects in maintaining forecast invoicing dates and improving cash forecasting
Supporting Project Managers and Business Controllers in timely cost transfers
Assisting in Project Closure activities
Ad hoc tasks, reporting and analysis as required by Financial Controller/Director
Supporting preparation and distribution of monthly financial results, ensuring tight deadlines are achieved
Supporting monthly overhead, headcount and DLU (Direct Labour Utilisation) reviews
Supporting the preparation and review of monthly Cost By Nature (CBN) and Functional Cost Report (FCR) reports, including commentary and analysis as may be requested by Group, UK or business management
Support the overhead multi-year budget (MYB) process
Support the overhead reforecasting process
Provide information on headcount evolution
Provide specific analytical reports to cost centre managers
Support the preparation and posting of journal vouchers, including accruals, prepayments, corrections etc
Apprentice Programme
You will start by enrolling onto a Level 2 Accountant Assistant Apprenticeship with our award winning training partner. Delivered via a virtual delivery model over 15 months, the apprenticeship will introduce you to day-to-day accounting activities and will help you to build the competence to deliver these successfully. On completion of the programme, you will achieve an AAT Level 2 Diploma in Accounting.
For this level of role it is expected that you will progress onto higher level learning including the Level 3 Assistant Accountant Apprenticeship (18 months) and the Level 4 Professional Accountant Apprenticeship (17 months) to achieve your AAT qualifications.
Requirements:
5 GCSE’s 9-4 (A-C), including English and Maths.
Right to Work in the UK for the duration of the programme.
Benefits
201 hours annual leave (plus a company day and bank holidays)
Company Pension
Health Care Cash Plan
Life Insurance
Discount Portal
Performance-related pay uplifts
80 Hours Volunteering (first two years)
Closing date: Our applications will close at 11.59pm on Sunday 16 February 2025, this is the only time we will be accepting applications this year. Please note, we will be in contact by the end of February 2025 with details of next steps.
Please note, assessment centres for shortlisted candidates will be held between February and May 2025 Induction week for all Graduate and Apprentices will take place from Monday 01 September until Friday 05 September 2025.
