Finance Apprentice

The Financial Management Team is responsible for providing a diverse range of functions to drive the Council to fulfil its transformational journey. We deliver the full range of financial management and accounting services to facilitate effective delivery of services to support the people of Coventry and deliver projects which are redefining the infrastructure of the city.

Working flexibly with internal officers and external partners we aim to ensure finance is at the heart of everything that the Council does.

The organisation has a high expectation of our service, and we will continue to support and develop our staff to have the skills to deliver a quality service.

We value diverse perspectives and experiences and are striving to create a workplace culture that is inclusive, is accepting of all and is free from discrimination and bias.
Our ValuesIn line with our One Coventry Values we strive to have a workforce that reflects our local communities and welcome applicants from all sections of the community. We particularly welcome applicants from minority ethnic backgrounds, applicants who have a disability and applicants who are from the LGBTQ+ community to apply for our senior leadership roles. 

Our Values are:

Open and fair: We are fair, open, and transparent.
Nurture and develop: We help and encourage everyone to be their best and do their best.
Engage and empower: We talk and listen to others, working together as one.
Create and innovate: We embrace new ways of working to continuously improve.
Own and be accountable: We work together to deliver the best services for our residents.
Value and respect: We put diversity and inclusion at the heart of all we do.

What is the job role?The apprentice role is an opportunity to start a career in Public Sector Finance and begin your journey to become a qualified Accounting Technician by completing the AAT qualification. Your role will provide support across the different areas of Financial Management.

The successful applicant will:

Support with the posting of transactions into the financial system and learning how these fit into the production of the statement of accounts and management information. 
Get involved in specific work relating to financial year end accounting requirements.
Undertake a variety of data analysis tasks to support the provision of financial information to our service users across the Council. 
Gain experience of working on the Council’s Finance and Procurement system.
Undertake a Level 2 Finance Assistant Apprenticeship Standard

The initial contract for this apprenticeship will be for Level 2 Finance Assistant Apprenticeship Standard for 15 months. Whilst we cannot guarantee at this time, we are hoping to be able to offer the successful candidate the chance to undertake the Level 3 apprenticeship upon completion of Level 2.

Further information for this apprenticeship can be found on: 

https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/accounts-or-finance-assistant-v1-3

This apprenticeship role is a fixed term contract for 15 months in line with the length of the apprenticeship training.
Who are we looking for?We are looking for applicants that have:

An interest in starting a career in Finance
Excellent numeracy skills
Excellent communication skills
A flexible approach to working to meet the needs of the service
A customer-focussed approach to their work
Good IT skills
An understanding of the range of services provided by the council.

If you need help or support to complete your application, please visit our accessibility page to see how we can assist you.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme - As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role and identify with one of the below criteria:

Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
Are currently in care or have previously been in care
If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

For full details on the application process please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'. If there is any evidence of a candidate using AI to complete their application, then the application will be rejected unless the candidate can provide a justification which the Council considers to be reasonable.

Closing date: 7th July 2024
Pre-interview and assessment date (via Microsoft Teams)*: 23rd July 2024
Interview date(s) (Face-to-face): 29th July 2024

Did you know that there is support available to help you with your application?

If you would like support in completing your application or have any questions about our recruitment and selection processes, help is available at The Job Shop.

We would recommend that all applicants take advantage of this service in order to maximise the chances of being shortlisted.

Address: 1 Bull Yard, Coventry, CV1 1LH 
Phone: 024 7678 5740
Email: jobshop@coventry.gov.uk     
Website: http://www.coventry.gov.uk/jobshop
About CoventryCoventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change.

We are cutting-edge, challenging, youthful, vibrant and diverse.

At Coventry we are committed to excellence in everything we do. With around 5100 staff from a range of different backgrounds, our aim is to recruit and develop talented people who will focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things.

To deliver the best services to our residents, we need the best people working for us to make a difference to our communities.

If you join us, we will provide a fantastic rewards & benefits package which includes:

Flexible working arrangements
An outstanding local government pension scheme
Great opportunities to develop with access to accredited courses.
Access to an award-winning Occupational Health Service
Salary Sacrifice Scheme