Ethics & Independence Apprentice (Financial Reporting Council)

THE FINANCIAL REPORTING COUNCIL LIMITED

Birmingham (B1 2AX)

Closes in 25 days (Tuesday 30 September 2025 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 4 September 2025


Summary

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) mission is to serve the public interest by setting high standards of corporate governance, reporting and audit and holding to account those responsible for delivering them. We are the UK Competent Authority for audit.

Training course
Senior compliance and risk specialist (level 6)
Hours
Monday to Friday. Shifts to be confirmed.

35 hours a week

Start date

Monday 13 October 2025

Duration

2 years

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

We also set the UK Corporate Governance and Stewardship Codes as well as UK standards for accounting, auditing and actuarial work, and monitor and take action to promote the quality of corporate reporting and operate independent enforcement arrangements for accountants and actuaries. Further information about our role can be found at www.frc.org.uk.

importance to audit quality and firm resilience, assessing the effectiveness of the audit firms’ arrangements in the following areas:

  • System of quality management arrangements, including Ethics & Independence
  • Culture & Conduct
  • Risk & Resilience
  • Operational Separation

Staff have a range of backgrounds (governance, ethics, culture, risk management, internal audit, regulation and statutory audit) representing the broad subject matter within the team’s remit.

The role involves:

  • Assessing the design of audit firms’ processes and controls, including benchmarking against their peers to promote continuous improvement and identify good practice
  • Performing compliance testing on the operation of key policies and controls e.g. sample testing. This will include reviewing confidential information and summarising the fact pattern of ethical scenarios
  • Contributing to the team’s conversations about the significance of the findings and learning to identify key findings
  • Assisting with the reporting of findings, both orally and in writing.
  • Helping prepare the assessment of the firm’s self-reported breaches
  • Building constructive relationships with the firms’ Ethics functions and the wider FRC teams, including helping prepare for key meetings
  • Supporting both internal and external Ethics and Independence training events/meetings
  • Working towards a Level 6 Apprenticeship qualification in compliance

Where you'll work

3 Arena Central
Bridge Street
Birmingham
B1 2AX

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

BPP PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION LIMITED

Training course

Senior compliance and risk specialist (level 6)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Think laterally, take a wide perspective of the issue at hand, consider aspects of a problem to formulate an operational or strategic plan.
  • Build reports to suit the requirement of the audience, for example departmental plans, key performance indicators (KPIs) and project reports.
  • Plan and organise own work to meet legal, regulatory, organisational deadlines
  • Analyse and interpret information to assess whether it meets legal, regulatory, process or policy requirements
  • Analyse information to identify key issues, draw conclusions and make recommendations
  • Demonstrate different communication methods and adapt communication style to their audience, being clear on purpose of communication and outputs required, for example; verbal, written, virtual communication, presentations
  • Demonstrate different communication styles such as, active listening, team communications, business storytelling, negotiation techniques, conflict management, cross-cultural communications, equality and inclusivity considerations
  • Maintain documents in line with current regulation and policy
  • Challenge and influence managers and colleagues on desired course of action
  • Build and maintain working relationships with stakeholders, contracting and managing stakeholder expectations.
  • Build trust with colleagues, collaborating to achieve results
  • Manage conflict, demonstrating empathy and a desire to work towards win-win outcomes
  • Lead others to achieve desired outcomes
  • Apply continuous improvement techniques to deliver improved compliance and risk outcomes for the organisation, for example seek feedback and respond to improve performance
  • Develop strategies to implement change
  • Network with others in the profession to keep up to date with changes in the industry, best practice and potential opportunities
  • Use digital tools for research, analysis, and to present data using visualisation techniques.
  • Demonstrate technology to others and keeps up to date with developments in IT relative to their role
  • Handle data safely and securely and share information in compliance with data protection legislation and organisation’s policy
  • Think laterally, take a wide perspective of the issue at hand, consider aspects of a problem to formulate an operational or strategic plan.
  • Build reports to suit the requirement of the audience, for example departmental plans, key performance indicators (KPIs) and project reports.
  • Plan and organise own work to meet legal, regulatory, organisational deadlines
  • Analyse and interpret information to assess whether it meets legal, regulatory, process or policy requirements
  • Analyse information to identify key issues, draw conclusions and make recommendations
  • Demonstrate different communication methods and adapt communication style to their audience, being clear on purpose of communication and outputs required, for example; verbal, written, virtual communication, presentations
  • Demonstrate different communication styles such as, active listening, team communications, business storytelling, negotiation techniques, conflict management, cross-cultural communications, equality and inclusivity considerations
  • Maintain documents in line with current regulation and policy
  • Challenge and influence managers and colleagues on desired course of action
  • Build and maintain working relationships with stakeholders, contracting and managing stakeholder expectations.
  • Build trust with colleagues, collaborating to achieve results
  • Manage conflict, demonstrating empathy and a desire to work towards win-win outcomes
  • Lead others to achieve desired outcomes
  • Apply continuous improvement techniques to deliver improved compliance and risk outcomes for the organisation, for example seek feedback and respond to improve performance
  • Develop strategies to implement change
  • Network with others in the profession to keep up to date with changes in the industry, best practice and potential opportunities
  • Use digital tools for research, analysis, and to present data using visualisation techniques.
  • Demonstrate technology to others and keeps up to date with developments in IT relative to their role
  • Handle data safely and securely and share information in compliance with data protection legislation and organisation’s policy

Training schedule

This training schedule has not been finalised. Check with this employer if you’ll need to travel to a college or training location for this apprenticeship.

More training information

BPP apprenticeship training programmes are delivered virtually by our fully qualified and industry-experienced training team. Using their expert knowledge, we’ve purposefully built our programmes around the real-world use of modern technology, so that the skills we create can be directly applied in the workplace.

Throughout the apprenticeship, learners receive coaching, help and guidance from a dedicated team who are there to ensure they get the most from their work experience.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

A Level in:

English and Maths (grade Grade 5 or above)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Team working
  • Excel, word, PowerPoint
  • Good with Software's
  • Punctuality
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Resilience
  • Diligent
  • Time management
  • Enthusiasm
  • Commitment to complete tasks
  • Critical thinking skills

Other requirements

· Office attendance is 40% in the office and the remaining at home • 2 Volunteering days per year to support FRC CSR commitment. • Up to 6 learning and development days. • Generous employer pension contribution of 10%. • Unum Help@hand Staff Employee Assistance Programme, including confidential counselling and work-life services. • The FRC offers staff the opportunity to save at least 25% on the purchase of a new bike through the Cycle to Work scheme • The FRC has a strong work/life balance ethos

About this employer

The Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC’s) purpose is to serve the public interest and support UK economic growth by upholding high standards of corporate governance, corporate reporting, audit and actuarial work. We are the UK Competent Authority for audit. We also set the UK Corporate Governance and Stewardship Codes as well as UK standards for accounting, auditing, and actuarial work. We monitor and take enforcement action to promote the quality of corporate reporting and operate independent enforcement arrangements for accountants and actuaries. Further information about our work can be found at www.frc.org.uk.

After this apprenticeship

The opportunity may offer a permanent role upon completion of the apprenticeship if available.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

BPP PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION LIMITED

Nabila Lotfy

Nabilalotfy@bpp.com

01133500333

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000340366.

Apply now

Closes in 25 days (Tuesday 30 September 2025 at 11:59pm)

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