Audit Associate (ACA) - Institutional Donor Grant Audit – April 2025 - London (0370)

PKF is the 12th largest accountancy brand and the 12th largest audit practice in the UK. We are also an active member of PKF Global, an international network of legally independent accounting firms that gives us an on the ground presence in 150 countries around the world with access to more than 20,000 people across 440 offices globally.

We provide a full range of audit, accountancy, tax and advisory services, and are experts at simplifying complexity. We are particularly well-known for working with complex clients with challenging issues in fast-moving and highly technical areas, such as the insurance industry, the global capital markets and the not for profit sector. Our aim is to understand people, the organisations they run, and what matters to them, so we can simplify complexity and help them achieve their ambitions.

Click here to learn more about us.

We are part of the Not-For-Profit division at PKF Littlejohn, but our work is quite different to the work undertaken by the NFP statutory audit team.

Our clients are the likes of the UN, the European Commission, private grant-giving foundations and the UK government. We provide advisory and audit services to them to help them monitor the money they grant to a huge variety of recipients, such as large NGOs, universities, private companies, medical clinics serving refugees and democracy-supporting start-ups.

These grantees are working on projects all over the world, and the best way for us to deliver our services to our clients is to go where the money is being spent. So our team travel everywhere, up to 50% of the time. We speak 15 languages and last year we worked in 70 different countries. We also work remotely from the UK with our global network of PKF firms.

The role

This role is for graduates who want to work for a huge variety of international clients; who want to see and understand more about the world and our role in it; and who want to learn invaluable skills and gain a qualification doing it.

The graduate trainee programme will provide you with an opportunity to learn everything about our sector and our clients, get on-site experience within your first few months in the job, and achieve the internationally recognised ACA qualification. You’ll start as an assistant, working with a senior on expense verifications, internal control reviews, and financial audits. We’ll teach you how to plan assignments, assess risks and manage logistical challenges. You will soon lead teams yourself and work with our team of PKF auditors all over the world, and write detailed, comprehensive reports.

The travel can take you anywhere in the world, for 1-2 weeks at a time. This is slightly more limited in your first year due to training and exams, but in the final two years of your qualification you can expect to be on the road 40-60% of the time. The people who join our team tend to have a love of travel and exploring new places; they are independent, resilient and adaptable.

To develop a knowledge of accounting and auditing techniques and pass the professional examinations first time

• Undertake audit work as allocated by the assignment leader/manager
• Be prepared to travel as needed to client sites in locations all over the globe, security and risk assessments permitting
• Keep the assignment leader informed about progress at daily meetings when on site
• Take on board feedback from assignment leaders and managers
• Ensure attendance at briefing meetings and understand the assignment plan
• Complete the work assigned efficiently and to a high quality
• Adopt high professional standards with a business-like approach to work
• Develop an understanding and application of current accounting and auditing standards a necessary
• Develop an understanding of applicable grant framework and concepts, such as eligibility criteria and what constitutes a finding
• Be aware of Institute, Financial Reporting Council and internal ethical guidelines
• Advise clients on technical matters and craft reasonable appropriate recommendations for systems improvements
• Accept responsibility for all work performed
• Engage with a wide range of institutional donors and their beneficiaries
• Contribute to the growth and success of the division

• Minimum of a 2.2 degree, attained or expected. Please note if you have a Master's in Accounting or Finance you will not be eligible for this position.
• Minimum of 112 UCAS points (2017 tariff), from three A Levels A-C (excluding general studies), or equivalent.
• GCSEs Grade 5/B in Maths and English Language.

Please include all results (or equivalent) in your CV. Without this information your application may be delayed. 

• A keen interest in and empathy with the Not for Profit sector; an understanding of geopolitics and international aid
• Proficiency (B2 level minimum) in at least one language in addition to English is desirable; further languages are considered a bonus

Personal Attributes 

• Commercially aware;
• Geopolitically aware;
• An interest in travel and learning about other cultures;
• Team player;
• Good communication skills;
• Report writing skills;
• Flexibility;
• Strong organisational skills;
• Systematic;
• Enthusiastic;
• Able to work on own initiative;
• Good attention to detail;
• Able to prioritise workload;
• Works to deadlines;
• Able to provide solutions;
• Committed;
• Takes ownership of tasks assigned;
• Persuasive;
• Diplomatic;
• Resilient;

#LI-AF1