Finance Assistant Apprentice
SOUTH BUCKS TREE SURGEONS LTD
Oxfordshire (OX9 3QT)
Closes in 14 days (Tuesday 22 September 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 8 September 2026
Contents
Summary
South Bucks Tree Surgeons is a leading arboriculture company delivering expert tree care services across Buckinghamshire. With a strong reputation for quality, safety and professionalism, the team works on a wide range of commercial and domestic projects.
- Wage
-
£24,000 a year
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Annual Salary
- Training course
- Professional accounting technician (level 4)
- Hours
-
Monday - Friday 8.30am - 5.00pm (1 hour for lunch).
37 hours 30 minutes a week
- Start date
-
Monday 12 October 2026
- Duration
-
1 year 6 months
- Positions available
-
1
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
Finance Assistant (max 4,000 characters). This section gives the candidates a clear picture of what they’ll do day-to-day. Use bullet points to outline the main duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Be specific enough to show what makes the role interesting and what skills they’ll develop. Key Responsibilities: This is not just any accountants job, this is an opportunity to have involvement in the financial management of a small business.
Working alongside the Directors and the Operations Manager you will form part of an exciting team where you gain a wealth of experience and be fully involved in seeing the output of your own work and projects:
- Processing purchase and sales invoices accurately and efficiently
- Assisting with accounts payable and accounts receivable activities
- Reconciling bank statements and financial records
- Supporting payroll administration and expense processing
- Maintaining accurate financial data using accounting software
- Preparing financial reports and management information
- Assisting with budgeting and forecasting activities
- Supporting month-end and year-end accounting processes
- Liaising with suppliers, customers and internal stakeholders regarding financial queries
- Ensuring compliance with financial policies and procedures
- SBTS use software packages - Xero and Bright Pay
- Please note: The key dates are to be used as a guide only. Should the right candidate be found, this vacancy may close early
Where you'll work
Brookfield Barns
Manor Road
Towersey
Oxfordshire
OX9 3QT
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
MILTON KEYNES COLLEGE
Training course
Professional accounting technician (level 4)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Collate and analyse financial information, and show how that information can be used most effectively to support value creation within an organisation.
- Apply accounting principles and adhere to legislation to ensure records are accurate and compliant with law or company policy when delivering accounting activities, such as the financial accounting of single entities, limited companies or partnerships or management accounting activities for an organisation.
- Apply professional scepticism when undertaking accounting activities to inform and evaluate decision making on the content of true and fair accounts, being alert to conditions that may indicate possible misstatement of financial information due to error or fraud, establishing the facts sensitively and being aware of unconscious bias.
- Interpret financial information for accounting purposes, such as using judgement to determine the correct way to report or account for transaction or undertaking ratio analysis.
- Participate in or support others with quality improvement activities, for example the improvement of personal working practices.
- Use software packages to assist with accounting tasks in line with cyber and data security requirements, using data securely and safely, including backing up data.
- Deliver accounting tasks with a critical eye to transactions and trends, demonstrating a ‘right first time approach’.
- Use workload management principles to plan, organise and prioritise own tasks, and manage time effectively.
- Use accounting information to add value to the organisation through use of data visualisations, analysis and interpretation, and communicate financial information in a way that facilitates understanding for non-finance stakeholders.
- Communicate accounting information through a variety of media to enable key stakeholders to understand what is required, considering the risks and benefits to the organisation of social media and other digital applications.
- Build and maintain collaborative, professional relationships with internal and external stakeholders to deliver accounting tasks, recognising the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion.
- Collate and analyse financial information, and show how that information can be used most effectively to support value creation within an organisation.
- Apply accounting principles and adhere to legislation to ensure records are accurate and compliant with law or company policy when delivering accounting activities, such as the financial accounting of single entities, limited companies or partnerships or management accounting activities for an organisation.
- Apply professional scepticism when undertaking accounting activities to inform and evaluate decision making on the content of true and fair accounts, being alert to conditions that may indicate possible misstatement of financial information due to error or fraud, establishing the facts sensitively and being aware of unconscious bias.
- Interpret financial information for accounting purposes, such as using judgement to determine the correct way to report or account for transaction or undertaking ratio analysis.
- Participate in or support others with quality improvement activities, for example the improvement of personal working practices.
- Use software packages to assist with accounting tasks in line with cyber and data security requirements, using data securely and safely, including backing up data.
- Deliver accounting tasks with a critical eye to transactions and trends, demonstrating a ‘right first time approach’.
- Use workload management principles to plan, organise and prioritise own tasks, and manage time effectively.
- Use accounting information to add value to the organisation through use of data visualisations, analysis and interpretation, and communicate financial information in a way that facilitates understanding for non-finance stakeholders.
- Communicate accounting information through a variety of media to enable key stakeholders to understand what is required, considering the risks and benefits to the organisation of social media and other digital applications.
- Build and maintain collaborative, professional relationships with internal and external stakeholders to deliver accounting tasks, recognising the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion.
Training schedule
Professional Accounting Technician Level 4.
Attendance at Milton Keynes College.
Support from the employer for your learning, development and personal growth.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- Maths (grade 6)
- English (grade 4)
A Level in:
Desirable qualifications
A Level in:
- Maths (grade C-A*)
- Any (grade C-A*)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Drivers license
- Maths skills
- Excel skills
- Attention to detail
- Communication skills
- Positive attitude
- Teamwork
Other requirements
Please note that wage will be up to £24,000.
About this employer
We're a family-run tree surgery company, since 1976, that provides expert tree services for homes and businesses across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. We are dedicated to delivering high-quality tree care and exceptional customer service. We'd love to work with you and support your arboricultural needs
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
Opportunity to develop within an exciting and proactive team. This role will give the post holder full insight into the finance function of a small business. You will also work alongside an excellent external local accountancy firm who can provide further support and guidance. In addition to the accounts duties, there will be exposure to all business functions to allow for further personal growth and development.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
MILTON KEYNES COLLEGE
Cat Brown
Apprenticeships@mkcollege.ac.uk
01908 637056
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000052379.
Apply now
Closes in 14 days (Tuesday 22 September 2026 at 11:59pm)