Business Services & Outsourcing Apprentice

We’re BDO. An accountancy and business advisory firm, providing the advice and solutions businesses need to navigate today’s changing world.

We’ll broaden your horizons

The Business Services and Outsourcing (BS&O) team are essential to meeting our clients' changing needs. As well as delivering long-term, sustainable value to businesses by providing solutions such as accounting, payroll and compliance services, they also play a key role in helping our teams around the world collaborate. The team helps international clients manage their accounting needs by drawing on BDO’s expertise and investing in processes, systems and people to solve a huge range of challenges. The graduate programme offers the opportunity to develop in one of the industry’s most exciting and varied roles. If you can show initiative and the potential for exceptional problem-solving skills, you’ll gain a unique insight into how business works across the world.

We’ll help you succeed

The BS&O Apprenticeship Programme is your opportunity to combine work experience with achieving your professional qualifications. We’ll provide the training in skills, behaviours and professional knowledge you’ll need not just to pass your exams, but also to become an exceptional BDO advisor. Our pass results are often up to 10% above the national average. This is a unique opportunity to qualify in a working environment with a network of exceptional colleagues who will be invested in helping you achieve your full potential.

Programme & Qualification

BDO offer the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) qualification on the Level 4 apprenticeship programme. The AAT qualification offers practical, real-world experience to meet the demands of finance roles across all industries, at all levels and provides you with all the skills you need. The duration of this programme is around 24 months. Following the successful completion of the AAT, you will be given the opportunity to study towards the ACCA (Association of Certified Chartered Accountants) qualification, becoming a fully qualified chartered certified accountant within 4-5 years.

The purpose of this role is to take responsibility for your own cases as well as assist senior staff in performing larger and more complex cases. This role is responsible to a designated senior group member on specific cases and ultimately to a dedicated counselling manager.

You will gain a detailed understanding of:

• Pre-packaged administrations
• Accelerated Mergers & Acquisition (AMA) processes
• Insolvency Rules and managing company administrations and liquidations
• Trading administrations
• Independent Business Review (IBR)
• Investigations
• Contentious insolvency and litigation

Responsibilities

• Assume day to day responsibility for cases
• Support the managers of the team to deliver on assignment
• Prepare statutory and technical compliance documents
• Deal with correspondence effectively and efficiently
• Liaise with relevant agents / solicitors to obtain appropriate advice
• Undertake basic investigations into debtor's / directors' / company's affairs
• Basic office admin, including filing, copying, casting and reviewing documents
• Assisting at meetings with debtor / company directors
• Review and compile documents received by directors of a company
• Research and analyse company information using a variety of tools, such as, company searches and Land Registry searches
• Behave in a professional manner when attending client sites
• This is a client facing role and so confidence and communication are key
• Highlight potential problems to senior staff quickly (with supporting information)
• Be involved in the marketing of the firm's services to potential clients and work providers
• Prepare statutory reports which comply with regulations and ensure relevant data is captured
• Ensure compliance and reporting deadlines are adhered to
• Assist in the preparation of simple reports, including VAT & Tax returns (liaising as necessary with the tax department), and clean returns to DTI in respect of directors' conduct
• Familiarise and gain working knowledge of all regulatory and statutory requirements, including SIP and best practice, Risk Management and Money Laundering
• Assist managers by preparing conflict searches and certain sections of the client acceptance documentation, such as anti-money laundering, as appropriate
• Accurately prepare schedules and receipts and payments accounts, for review by senior staff
• Undertake all bank reconciliations on own caseload and on colleagues’ caseloads as required
• Assist in the sale of the business and the Companies assets
• Perform other relevant duties and responsibilities as delegated
• Successfully study towards your professional qualification and, where relevant, corresponding apprenticeship
• Contingency planning
• Options reviews

When you join us

When you join us, we’ll make your growth our priority. If you’re right for us, you’ll thrive in an environment built to help you succeed. We’re looking for someone with:

• A 2:2 degree in any discipline (obtained or predicted)
• Three A-levels or equivalent at A* to C excluding General Studies and Extended Projects (obtained or predicted)
• A* to C in Maths and English at GCSE/Scottish Standards or equivalent (non-UK qualifications also considered)

We’re in it together

At BDO, we believe that when our people feel valued and rewarded, their potential is unlimited. We offer highly competitive starting salaries and review remuneration packages regularly to ensure that our pay always positively reflects performance. As well as offering support with tuition and professional qualifications, we also provide the following benefits, as standard:

• 25 days’ holiday;
• access to a personal pension scheme, with matched employer contributions;
• life assurance cover;
• and income protection insurance.

For further information, and to apply, please visit our website via the “Apply” button below.