Advice, Audit & Accounts Graduate ACA Programme (September 2025)

Advice, Audit & Accounts Graduate ACA Programme (September 2025)

Advice, Audit & Accounts Graduate ACA Programme (September 2025)

Application Deadline: 18 April 2025

Department: Advice, Audit & Accounts

Employment Type: Apprentice

Location: Godalming, Surrey

Compensation: GBP 30,000 / year

Description

You'll get your career off to a great start by joining a Moore Kingston Smith training programme, enabling you to study toward a professional qualification while gaining valuable experience on the job. Through our Level 7 apprenticeship, you will gain the ACA qualification and become an ICAEW Chartered Accountant while working with a variety of businesses.

This role will sit in our Godalming office, following our merger with Shipleys LLP last year: Shipleys joins the growing Moore Kingston Smith team.

We're an accredited training firm, committed to giving everyone who joins us first-class training in a personal and friendly working environment. Completing our comprehensive apprenticeship training programme over three years will equip you with the knowledge and skills required to excel in the role and deliver our stellar client service.

Our Advice, Audit & Accounts team are trained to have broad experience across a range of disciplines, from audit and accounts through to tax and other advisory services, so we can support our clients with cross-discipline solutions. These teams work with clients who vary in size, from sole traders to medium and large businesses, across a wide range of sectors.

Key Responsibilities

From the get-go, you'll work with our clients, who choose us because we understand them so well. You'll get to know their businesses, uncover the obstacles they face, and become familiar with their sectors. The experience is varied. Some projects last a few days, others a few weeks. We encourage you to take responsibility early on, and you'll get to grips with all aspects of the role. While you'll predominantly work with our Advice, Audit & Accounts team, you'll also benefit from exposure across other teams, sectors, and services.

In addition to internal and external training, you will be learning on the job through a range of key responsibilities including, but not limited to:

• Preparing a basic set of unincorporated, membership or limited company accounts in accordance with the relevant Financial Reporting Standards/Statement of Recommended Practice and legal requirements.
• Drafting basic corporation tax computations.
• Assisting with managing client expectations and deadlines.
• Drafting recommendations for improvements to clients' systems during audit fieldwork completion.
• Attending client site with the wider team, whilst representing yourself and the firm with professional acumen.
• Building an understanding and carrying out audit testing as part of a wider audit team.
• Supporting with drafting of close out audit meeting agenda and points for discussion.
• Accurately and efficiently processing client accounting information using relevant software.
• Using initiative to come up with innovative ideas to improve systems currently in place with regards to client or staff matters.
• Maintaining knowledge of all relevant ISA requirements and MKS internal policies in producing audit files.
• Demonstrating a solid understanding of double entry accounting/bookkeeping.
• Working with other trainees to deliver assignments and assisting them with their personal development.
• Attending client gatherings or seminars on an ad hoc basis and pursuing specific areas of interest.

Your third year will bring the opportunity to add more strings to your bow with other experience through secondments. Trainees have moved into our data analytics, tax, corporate finance, and digital transformation teams, while some choose to stay generalist.

Whatever path you choose, we have clear progression routes, and there's plenty of opportunity to take your career in the direction you desire at Moore Kingston Smith. In fact, many of our partners started out as trainees here and through hard work, commitment, and drive have gone on to leadership roles.

Who are we looking for?

The ACA training programme is open to graduates from any degree discipline, whether straight out of university or someone looking for a career change or return to work.

Skills this role requires:

• Enthusiasm for building strong relationships and collaborating with clients and colleagues, with close support from your manager.
• A proactive, results-driven attitude that ensures excellent client service.
• Strong commitment and reliability, enabling you to balance your studies and exams (with paid study leave) alongside your full-time role and responsibilities.
• A growth mindset and adaptable approach, with a willingness to continuously acquire new skills and knowledge, supported by your manager, apprenticeship coach, and dedicated early talent team.

In order to be eligible for the programme, you will also need:

• Have obtained at least 112 UCAS points from three A-Levels, or equivalent qualifications.
• Have achieved a 2:2 or above, from a degree in any discipline.
• Be available and permitted to work in the UK, from the start date of the programme.

Recruitment process

We recruit on a rolling basis, so would encourage you to apply at your earliest convenience to avoid missing out. The application process is made up of four stages:

1. Application
2. Interactive assessment
3. Virtual interview with one of the Early Talent team
4. Final interview in the office which you're being considered for

The Early Talent team are here to support you throughout the recruitment process and on the training contract. In confidence, we can discuss the individual support and adjustments you may need. A few examples of the support we can provide include, but are not limited to: providing extra time in our interactive assessment or sharing interview questions ahead of time. If successful in securing a place on our training contract, we will organise a confidential call to discuss how we can work with you on the training contract to enable you to perform at your best. To have a confidential conversation with the Early Talent team before applying, please contact earlytalent@mks.co.uk