Trainee financial accountant

Band 5 · Financial accountant · 367 job evaluation points

Trainee financial accountants prepare balance sheet reconciliations, journals, and working papers for the accounts while working towards a recognised accountancy qualification.

Responsibilities

Prepare balance sheet reconciliations and clear reconciling items.
Post month-end and year-end journals, such as accruals, prepayments, and depreciation.
Maintain the fixed asset register, including software and hardware assets.
Prepare working papers and evidence for the annual accounts and audit.
Prepare cash flow information and bank reconciliations.
Work towards a recognised accountancy qualification.

Skills

Skill	Expected level	What this level means
Financial reporting and statutory accountsThis reference	Working (2)	You can: prepare month-end and year-end entries, such as accruals, prepayments, and provisions prepare sections of the annual accounts and supporting notes apply accounting standards to routine transactions, such as capitalising software and hardware
Financial transactions and ledgersThis reference	Working (2)	You can: process a range of transactions, including credit notes, refunds, and journals reconcile supplier statements, bank accounts, and control accounts resolve routine queries from suppliers, customers, and budget holders spot duplicate, unusual, or unauthorised transactions and raise them
Treasury and cash managementThis reference	Working (2)	You can: prepare daily cash positions and short-term cash forecasts prepare payment runs and check they are properly authorised reconcile bank accounts and clear unmatched items
Financial controls and auditThis reference	Working (2)	You can: operate key controls, such as separation of duties and supplier bank detail checks provide evidence to auditors and answer their questions check that spending is approved at the right level
TaxThis reference	Awareness (1)	You can: recognise sales tax on invoices and code it correctly explain when to ask a tax specialist for advice
Public sector financeThis reference	Working (2)	You can: apply the organisation's capital and revenue rules to everyday spending explain how funding allocations and spending limits affect your area recognise spending that needs approval from a funder or spending control
Finance systemsThis reference	Working (2)	You can: use spreadsheets well, including formulas, lookups, and pivot tables maintain finance system data, such as cost centres, suppliers, and approvers report and help fix system problems
Financial managementUK GDaD PCF	Awareness (1)	You can: understand the financial impact of the work you do and how cost and budgets are created

Typical qualifications and experience

A degree or intermediate accounting qualification, and working towards a recognised accountancy qualification, or equivalent experience.

Band 5 outline

Knowledge: Professional or technical knowledge, typically from a degree or equivalent experience.
Autonomy: Works to broad objectives within professional standards; plans own work.
Scope: Own professional work within a team or product.
Leadership: May guide and check the work of support staff and apprentices.
Accountability: Quality of own professional work.

Job evaluation (illustrative)

Factor	Level	Level summary	Points
Communication and relationship skills	4	Gives complex, sensitive, or contentious information needing persuasion, negotiation, or training skills, or highly complex information.	32
Knowledge, training, and experience	5	Expertise in a specialism, underpinned by theory or practical experience (degree level or equivalent).	120
Analytical and judgemental skills	3	Judgements on a range of facts or situations needing analysis or comparison of options.	27
Planning and organisational skills	2	Plans straightforward tasks or activities, some ongoing.	15
Physical skills	3	Developed skills needing speed or accuracy, such as advanced keyboard use.	27
Responsibility for patient and client care	1	Helps patients, clients, or relatives during incidental contact.	4
Responsibility for policy and service development	3	Implements policies for own area and proposes changes that affect other areas.	21
Responsibility for financial and physical resources	3	Authorises payments, buys some assets or supplies, monitors or holds a delegated budget, or maintains assets.	21
Responsibility for people	2	Supervises or coordinates staff day to day, trains others regularly, or gives basic HR advice.	12
Responsibility for information resources	4	Adapts or designs information systems to others' specifications, or runs information systems for a department as the main duty.	24
Responsibility for research and development	2	Regularly does research, development, trials, or equipment and system testing as part of the job.	12
Freedom to act	3	Follows defined policies and procedures; work is managed rather than supervised.	21
Physical effort	2	Frequent sitting or standing in a restricted position, or occasional light to moderate effort.	7
Mental effort	3	Frequent concentration on unpredictable work, or occasional prolonged concentration.	12
Emotional effort	1	Rare exposure, or occasional indirect exposure, to distressing circumstances.	5
Working conditions	2	Occasional unpleasant conditions, frequent travel or outdoor work, or near-continuous screen use on most days.	7
Total (Band 5: 326 to 395)			367

Knowledge is scored at the level the job needs once training is far enough along to do the work.