Trainee Accountant - AAT

Are you passionate about figures, budgets and problem-solving? Do spreadsheets excite you?  Ready to gain hands-on experience while working towards an accounting qualification? Peterborough City Council is offering an exciting opportunity to join our  finance team as a Trainee Accountant - AAT!

The closing date for this role is 12th September 2025.  Interviews will be held week commencing 22nd September. To be shortlisted for interview, applicants should evidence how they meet the essential & desirable criteria in their application.

All about the Role

We are looking for a motivated and detail-oriented Trainee Accountant to join our finance team. In this role, you will assist finance colleagues and managers with various aspects of budget monitoring and other financial tasks. Your responsibilities will include:

• Financial Reporting: Assisting in the preparation of clear and detailed financial reports that can be easily interpreted by users for monitoring expenditure and forecasting future requirements.
• Accounting Records: Helping to maintain the completeness and accuracy of the council's accounting records in line with best professional practices.
• Grant Claims: Assisting in the production of grant claims.
• Income Recording: Ensuring that income received is correctly recorded in the accounts with the appropriate VAT code, and taking corrective action when necessary.
• Closure of Accounts: Supporting the closure of accounts, including preparing working papers and financial information.
• Taxation: Assisting with aspects of taxation, particularly VAT.
• Capital Accounting: Supporting capital accounting tasks, including monitoring external capital funding and capital receipt income.
• Treasury Management: Assisting with treasury management activities, such as cash flow monitoring, interest rate tracking, and loan administration.

What the role can offer you

• Earn while you learn – Fully funded training towards a recognised accounting qualification (Association of Accounting Technicians).
•  A great opportunity to develop your finance skills in a professional environment
•  Hands-on experience with budgets, invoices, and financial reporting
• A supportive and collaborative team to help you grow
  

All about You

• You hold 5 GCSEs, grades A-C (or grades 4 and up), or accepted equivalent (subjects must include Maths and English)
• You are a detail-oriented and well-organised individual
• You have strong numerical and problem-solving skills
• You are a team player who is eager to learn and develop in public sector finance

All about our Benefits 
We value our colleagues and have developed a number of benefits in addition to our generous annual leave starting at 25 days + bank holidays, sick pay and local government pension scheme… 

• Access to a range of benefits via Vivup, including in-store and online discounts as well as our Cycle to Work and Home & Electronics schemes 
• Buy up to 10 days additional annual leave (pro-rata)  
• Access to car lease scheme 
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances 
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared Cost AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings 
• Access to development opportunities including apprenticeships to support your personal and professional growth 
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day 
• Access to our equality, diversity and inclusion network 
• Opportunities to receive Employee Recognition Awards 

All about our Commitments 
We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to fostering diversity, advancing equity, and building an inclusive workplace for everyone. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and particularly encourage those from underrepresented groups, including disabled people, care leavers, and individuals from minority ethnic communities. Your unique perspectives and experiences are encouraged and valued and will play a vital role in our success. 

We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible. If you are disabled and require any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview process, please contact pccrecruitment@peterborough.gov.uk  we will work with you to meet your needs.