Jobs

Are you a Graduate, or will be graduating in 2025? Do you have an interest in Finance and looking to start a career in this sector? Would you like to become a crucial part of a friendly and high achieving team? This could be the opportunity you are looking for!

This is a permanent role. If a suitable opportunity isn’t available upon qualification you will continue to rotate to different Finance teams to build on your experience.

Benefits:

• Competitive starting salary with incremental salary increases and a pay review due in April 2025

• Healthy work life balance; flexible and hybrid working options

• Flexible working (location and time) as standard so that you can achieve the right work/life balance. Please note, there will sometimes be days that you are required to attend in person, such as team office days and away days.

• Wide range of learning and development opportunities

• IT equipment and home-working equipment supplied

• 26 days annual leave + bank holidays + ability to buy further annual leave days should you wish to (subject to approval)

• Generous Local Government Salary related pension scheme

• Access to hundreds of discounts and benefits through Essex Rewards

• Access to our health and wellbeing support platform with Vita Health Group

• Disability Confident Leader: we are committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job

• Up to 4 days per annum volunteering leave

• Full training & Level 7 CIPFA professional qualification paid for

• Professional memberships (CPFA designation) and expenses paid for

In addition:

• A mentor/study buddy to guide you through the scheme and your studies.

• Employee support networks, to ensure everyone in treated with dignity and respect

• Our People Plan 2021-2025 seeks to invest in our people, with a focus on diversity, equality and inclusion, collaboration and continuously understanding how to upskill our workforce

• The opportunity to contribute to the Essex community and be proud of the impact of your work.

What our Graduate say:

“I joined Essex County Council on the Finance Graduate Scheme in July 2022 after completing my Accounting and Finance degree at the University of Essex. As my first job in finance since university, I couldn’t have asked for a more welcoming, accommodating and supportive workplace to begin my career in! I have gained experience in Financial Accounting, Management Accounting and Internal Audit and it is nice to put the theory I am learning in the CIPFA modules into my work at the Council.” – Tom Mott

"I joined Essex County Council in 2022 after earning my degree in Economics, Politics, and International Relations. Since I didn’t have an accounting background, I didn’t qualify for any exemptions in my CIPFA studies, but I’ve received incredible support over the past two years. This support comes not only from the allocated study leave and tutor-led study days but also from colleagues and senior management, who have shared valuable advice based on their own experiences, both professionally and as former students. I am currently gaining experience in Management Accounting, putting the theory from my CIPFA studies into practice." – Ines Cano

The Role:

Essex County Council has a turnover of over £2 billion, with a £1 billion supply chain comprising of 100 major procurements a year, and the involvement of over 4,000 suppliers and 35,000 employees. We are responsible for the financial administration of these substantial budgets, and we do so with a strong customer focused approach in an increasingly complex supplier and market landscape.

As a Finance Graduate Trainee, you will join our graduate programme, which will equip you with a broad range of skills and tailored experiences, leading to the CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy) accountancy qualification and a fantastic platform to grow your finance career with a clear path to the most senior roles in the public sector.

The graduate programme involves targeted placements across different Finance Teams, gaining a broad base of financial experience, whilst studying for the CIPFA Level 7 Apprenticeship, which leads to the CIPFA professional qualification and CPFA designation. This is the key qualification for anyone pursuing a career in public finance. Further information can be found in our Graduate Brochure

At Essex County Council, our Graduate Finance Trainees can make a very real and valuable impact to local communities in Essex, playing a part in some of the most ambitious and innovative national programmes. As well as working for one of the biggest local authorities in the Country, you will help contribute to Everyone’s Essex – our plan for levelling up the county, which focuses on outcomes that really matter for our residents:

• The economy
• The environment
• Children and families
• Promoting health, care and wellbeing for all the parts of the population who need our support

About you:

• Ideally, we are seeking applicants with a degree in a discipline with a strong numeracy and/or analytical bias but we will consider strong applicants irrespective of the degree subject.

• Ability to communicate effectively with people at all levels.

• Ability to contribute to proposals and decisions.

• Ability to work cooperatively with others to successfully achieve tasks and deliver results.

• Willing to assist in developing solutions to tackle problems and achieving outcomes.

• Ability to build relationships with others, both internally and externally to the organisation.

• Working knowledge and understanding of Microsoft office packages.

• Willing to study toward CIPFA professional qualification and CPFA designation.

Essential Requirements for the role:

• Educated to RQF Level 6 (or expecting to graduate by Summer 2024) with a 2:2 in any subject AND

• A minimum of two A-Levels Grade A-C (or equivalent) AND

• Three GCSEs Grade A-C (4 and up) including English & Maths (or international equivalent) AND

• The right to work and study in England.

• Have been ordinarily resident in the UK or EEA for three years before the apprenticeship start date.

Please note that any offer made is conditional to you being able to provide all your qualification certificates. If you have international equivalent qualifications a NARIC Statement of Comparability must be provided; if you do not already hold one you can purchase online Statement of Comparability (enic.org.uk)

What will you be doing?

• Building a strong understanding of all financial management and reporting systems and processes, ensuring clarity on financial systems and processes to maximise efficiency ensuring proper reconciliation and control procedures are in place.

• Undertaking analysis of financial and performance data and providing financial advice in order to support effective decision making and meet financial governance requirements across ECC.

• Delivery of accurate financial estimates, forecasts and plans to ensure all identified risks are quantified and appropriately recorded.

• Supporting the timely delivery and preparation of information for business case submissions from a financial perspective, quality assuring the information provided, to ensure that customer requirements are met.

• Delivery of timely information in order to support the annual accounts closure programme in accordance with the agreed timetable.

• Building strong working relationships with finance colleagues and internal and external stakeholders to contribute to the delivery of a high performing customer focused finance service. This may include supporting front line services where your work contributes to improving the lives of residents across Essex.

For more information, please have a read through our Graduate Brochure.

Why Essex?

Essex County Council (ECC) is one of the largest and most dynamic local authorities in the UK and we look after a large and diverse geographical region of the country.

Essex covers over 1,420 square miles and has over 1.8 million residents in a range of coastal, rural and urban communities. ECC has a very successful track record of delivering transformational change in the public sector and has worked hard to deliver better quality at lower cost. We have an ambitious transformation agenda – one with the scope to reach every part of the council. We are changing the way we think, the way we work, and the ways in which we deliver our services to support our residents.

We are committed to becoming a place where individuals, partners and communities feel proud to play their role and genuinely want to belong. We’re immensely proud of our flexible working options. Read more about us.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We are committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you need any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We are also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

To read more about us please visit Corporate Services

Entry to Work: www.workingforessex.com/EntrytoWorkTeam

We are also recruiting for our Procurement Graduate Scheme so please do take a moment to review this opportunity too.

How to apply

Seize the day! Discover your future in the Finance Team by clicking the APPLY button now!

To be considered for this opportunity you must include a supporting statement as part of your application. Applications that are received without a supporting statement will be rejected immediately.

Please ensure your CV or cover letter includes details of your Degree, A Level and GCSEs (or equivalent) grades. We may not be able to consider your application if these details aren’t readily available.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

Additional Information:

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require further information, please email: work.placements@essex.gov.uk

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