Trainee Accountant

Salary: £37,614 – £ 38,577 plus generous Civil Service defined benefit pension

Fixedterm: 3 years

Location: Bristol

Build a finance career that makes a difference

Whatever your route into finance, if you're looking for a career where you can develop professionally, maintain a healthy work-life balance and do work that matters, we'd like to hear from you.

About us

The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of higher education in England. We regulate higher education on behalf of all students, ensuring that every student, regardless of their background, has a fulfilling experience that enriches their lives and careers. We have high ambitions and offer great opportunities to get involved in bringing that vision to life.

About the role

We're looking for a trainee accountant to join our Finance and Procurement team. This is an opportunity to build a professional finance career while contributing to work that has a real impact on people's lives.

What you'll get:

Funded study towards a CCAB-recognised accounting qualification dedicated study support and practical experience across multiple areas of finance
Flexible and hybrid working arrangements that support a healthy work-life balance
Early responsibility and exposure to senior stakeholders
A supportive team environment focused on learning and development
The opportunity to do work that helps improve outcomes for students across England
Generous annual leave and access to the Civil Service Pension Scheme

Learn, develop and grow

As a trainee accountant, you'll gain experience across the full finance function through duties in Financial Accounting and Business Partnering. You'll work on a wide range of activities, from financial transactions and month-end processes to budgeting, forecasting and supporting decision-making across the organisation.

Alongside your day-to-day role, we'll support you to study towards a CCAB -recognised professional accounting qualification (ACCA, CIMA - others considered). You'll receive practical experience, professional development and dedicated support to help you succeed.

Our Finance and Procurement team is small, supportive and highly regarded. You'll work closely with experienced colleagues, take on meaningful responsibilities from an early stage and gain exposure to senior stakeholders across the organisation.

About you

You'll be a recent accountancy graduate or have previous finance experience, including being part-qualified with a CCAB body or AAT qualified. You'll also have:

Good analytical and data processing skills
Strong Excel skills
Excellent organisation and attention to detail
The confidence to communicate with colleagues and stakeholders at all levels
A proactive approach and a willingness to learn

For the purposes of recruitment to the role, we are measuring the following core competencies:

Collaborating and partnering

Collaborating and partnership is about building strategic, inclusive relationships, built on mutual respect, confidence and trust, that enable us to deliver our priorities. Internally, it includes effective teamwork.

Communicating and influencing

Whether verbal or written, communication should carry clarity, conviction and enthusiasm. It should respect the needs, responses and opinions of others, and anticipate concerns. The OfS should provide information that is easily understood by everyone.

Managing a quality service

Managing a quality service means being set up to deliver the activity in our business plan. It is about all staff contributing to setting the standards that lead to a high-quality service, considering different stakeholder needs and requirements. We want a culture that encourages continuous improvement, efficiency and value for money, to fulfil the OfS’s regulatory role and mission. Motivated staff who are well-led, clear about the OfS’s purpose, engaged in their work, and well-supported will produce high quality, and cost-efficient services.

Developing self and others

Developing self and others is about a focus on continuous professional development and learning for ourselves, our colleagues, and the wider organisation, by ensuring there is an effective mix of behaviours, knowledge, and skills to meet the OfS’s evolving needs.

Application process

There are 3 online application questions to complete, alongside providing a copy of your CV, which will allow you to demonstrate your relevant experience.

Reasonable adjustments

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you through the application stage, please contact us atrecruitmentteam@officeforstudents.org.uk and we will be happy to help.

Working for us

The OfS regulates the higher education sector on behalf of all students. We value diversity and the wealth of perspectives, experience and ideas that it brings to our work, and we strive to embed equality of opportunity in everything we do.

We recruit based on fair and open competition and welcome applications from candidates regardless of age, disability, race and ethnicity, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Flexibility is important to the OfS, as we recognise that it can enable people to work more effectively. A set of organisation-wide principles shape our approach to flexible and hybrid working, which our teams use as guidance on how they deliver their business goals. In a typical week, we expect colleagues to spend several days working from the office, balancing business needs, team collaboration and individual responsibilities.

To attract the widest possible field of qualified applicants, flexible working, for example job share and part time working, apply to this role.

Closing date for applications: 25 August 2026 at noon

Please note: In the event of a high volume of applications, we reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the advertised closing date. Once a vacancy has closed, it will no longer be possible to submit or complete an application. We therefore encourage interested candidates to apply as early as possible.

Interviews: From w/c 7th September

For information: the OfS does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence.

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Trainee Accountant