| Job description | Type of role: 3-year graduate trainee scheme
Location & Salary: London: £34,914 p.a. (rising to over £61,000 post-qualification) / Newcastle: £28,207 p.a. (rising to over £53,000 post-qualification)
Proposed Start Date: Tuesday 1 September 2026
Our highly successful ACA professional training scheme is now live. Launch your career with a prestigious ACA qualification in a collaborative and inclusive environment. This is an opportunity to:
• Start a fantastic, purpose driven career in an inclusive and supportive environment
• Get involved in challenging, inspiring work that makes a difference to the nation
• Undertake varied work with an unrivalled network of high-profile government departments, public sector bodies and non-departmental government bodies
• Achieve the prestigious Chartered Accountancy qualification and membership of the Institute of the Chartered Accountants in England Wales (ICAEW)
• Learn more about yourself and your ambitions as you develop skills as a professional, a manager and a leader
• Enjoy a supportive and social peer network and work with teams and colleagues who are excited to support your development
• Gain full funding for the ACA qualification and ICAEW membership
Benefits:
• Highly competitive starting salary, and annual salary increases and additional raises upon passing exams
• 35 days’ holiday (including public holidays)
• 36 hour work week
• 25 weeks fully paid study leave
• Civil Service pension scheme – add in employer contribution 28.97%
• Early responsibility and career progression opportunities
Work Arrangements:
• Based in London or Newcastle (relocation or commuting required)
• Initial three-month induction with office and college-based learning (no holidays can be taken during induction)
• Hybrid working post-induction, including office, client sites and remote work
Application Deadline:
We recruit on a rolling basis and may close applications early if positions are filled. Early application is therefore encouraged. Applications are shortlisted at each stage of the process. |
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| Responsibilities | As you navigate your path towards Chartered Accountancy as an Audit Associate, you will work with a diverse range of clients including central and local government. You will start out supporting our core financial audits and you will gradually get to work on bigger audits and more complex projects, taking the lead as you develop your skills and confidence. While primarily focused on financial audits, you will also have the opportunity to participate in a breadth of other work including support for Parliament, investigations and our high impact value for money studies that frequently make headlines.
You can find out a lot more about us and our work from our website https://naoaccountancyscheme.co.uk/ and our main website https://www.nao.org.uk/ |
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| Skills required | • Analytical thinking and problem-solving.
• Sound judgement and effective communication.
• Initiative, teamwork and relationship management.
• Strong organisational and time management skills.
• Understanding of broader business and economic contexts. |
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| Educational requirements | • 120 UCAS points (or 300 under the pre-2017 tariff) from your top 3 A-Levels (excluding General Studies)
• Applications considered with 104 UCAS points (or 260 pre-2017) based on socio-economic background
• 2:1 undergraduate degree (achieved or expected) in any discipline
• Not currently under a training contract or part-qualified with another accountancy firm
• Accredited degrees in Accountancy & Finance may offer exemptions but all trainees follow the same pathway
• Evidence of academic qualifications required; international qualifications will be assessed for UK equivalency
Eligibility Requirements:
• UK nationals, Commonwealth citizens with UK work rights, or EU/EEA/Swiss nationals eligible under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• Must have the right to work full-time in the UK for the full 3-year programme. Sponsorship is not available
For queries about your eligibility, visit the UK government website or contact us at HRServiceDesk@nao.org.uk. |
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