Financial Management / Internal Audit Associate

Job description

Established for over 30 years, the Cambridgeshire County Council Training Scheme offers graduates an extraordinary opportunity for a rewarding career in public finance and internal audit, allowing you to influence key local authority decisions that matter to communities.

We are looking to recruit a number of enthusiastic and determined individuals to join our two schemes, specialising in either Financial Management or Internal Audit.

What will you be doing?

Financial Management stream

Over three and a half years, you will undertake different placements in Service Finance, Corporate Finance and Internal Audit, on a 12-month rotation cycle. This gives you a breadth of experience across the whole council and teaches you a wide range of technical and managerial skills, so you can learn where your interests lie and have the ability to pursue a career in your chosen area. Each placement will provide you with real responsibility from the start. You will have a varied mix of monthly tasks and high-level projects, supporting the needs of your CIPFA studies and your development as a public sector finance professional.

Internal Audit stream

Over the three and a half years, you will undertake two year long placements in the Audit team and one in Finance. While working in the Audit team you will be supporting the service in providing independent assurance on the effectiveness of the organisation’s risk management, governance and internal control processes. You will work closely with management to recommend and agree improvements to systems based on your own work, which will include a wide range of assignments across financial audit, contract audit, project management, IT audit and work in social care and fraud investigations. You will also have opportunities to develop your own areas of specialisation; this may include undertaking placements in other services, and/or expanding your skillset by undertaking audit work with external partners, including schools.

All trainees will study for the CIPFA Professional Accountancy Qualification at the CIPFA Education Training Centre in London and at the end of the three and a half years qualify as a Chartered Public Finance Accountant. Find about more about the qualification.

Our benefits

We value our colleagues in Cambridgeshire County Council and have developed a number of benefits in addition to the basics like annual leave, sick pay, pension and mileage…

• A comprehensive wellbeing package to cover all aspects of wellbeing, both in and out of work, which can also be accessed by your family
• Buy up to four weeks additional annual leave (pro-rata) through our salary sacrifice scheme
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings
• Access to development opportunities, apprenticeships and qualified coaches 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 Peer Support Groups through our IDEAL staff equality, diversity and inclusion network
• Opportunities to nominate and receive Employee Recognition Awards
• An Our Cambs Rewards account, giving you access to in-store and online discounts as well as our Car Lease and Cycle to Work schemes

For the 2025 intake we have three-four vacancies across the two streams. Expected start date is August 2025.

What we are looking for

Successful applicants will have strong communication and analytical skills and be able to think creatively. You are not required to have any previous finance or accountancy experience.

Successful applicants will have, or will be expecting to achieve, a 2:1 degree or higher in any discipline and 3 Bs (or equivalent in UCAS points) at A-Level or equivalent recognised qualification. Please include details of all these qualifications with the grades or predicted grades in your application as they are the essential criteria.

Candidates should also demonstrate that they have the experience, knowledge, skills and behaviors - this detail can be found on the Person Specification.

This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship for candidates who do not already possess the Right to Work in the UK. Successful applicants must have the Right to Work for the entire duration of the programme (3.5 years).

Accepted degree subjects

Any

Additional job details

How to apply

The application process will take the form of assessment centre and final interview, to be held in February and March 2025. As part of this process, you will have the opportunity to indicate a preference for the Financial Management or Internal Audit specialism.

For enquiries about the scheme, please contact Catherine McAlpine ; 01223 706798).

Click Apply to start your application now. This job will be available on Prospects until 19 January 2025

Don't forget to mention Prospects to employers when you contact them.

Closing date:  19 January 2025