Job Introduction
***This is a hybrid role, working from home and with regular days inthe office each week to collaborate with colleagues. So, you must live within a commutable distance of our Enbrook Park, Folkestone office***

Our people are everything to us. The way they deliver exceptional experiences every day for our customers, for their colleagues. The way they own what they do. Their 'Why's it like that?' curiosity. How they always think of others and work together to get things done. For us, for you, make do will never do. Good enough? Not even close. Come and do the best work of your life alongside lovely colleagues. Come to Saga.

We're excited to be welcoming applications from school leavers for our Finance Apprenticeship on an initial 12 - month Fixed Term Contract commencing September 2022, with a view to this being the start of a permanent and fulfilling finance career here at Saga. Initially, you'll be specialising in one of our core Finance teams, but you will have the opportunity to experience all aspects of finance - from accounts receivable, accounts payable, financial record keeping, external finance reporting, planning, analysis and more!

You will need strong academic results (realised or predicted), with an interest in a career in Finance through studying to become a qualified accountant. You will be working across wide business areas and will need excellent communication, presentation, and numeric skills with an attention to detail and strong commercial awareness.

You will have access to the following:

• Access to an apprenticeship scheme offering study towards an accountancy qualification such as ACCA or CIMA including 20% of time available to study.
• Stepped salary with exam progression. An expected fully qualified salary of £35k+ with opportunity to be remunerated well beyond this as your experience and career develops.
• Training in different areas to develop well-rounded accountants - systems/technical accounting knowledge and budgeting/forecasting/commercial awareness.

• Specific apprenticeship events and support network with guest speakers, career progression advice, training opportunities, and access to a mentoring scheme.
• Support from our c.100 strong Finance colleague community, many of whom have trained at Saga and reaping the benefits in their own careers.

So, if this is of interest to you then we would be keen to hear from you!

Role Responsibility

• Responsibility for the maintenance of accounting records and associated processes
• Month-end close including all aspects of general ledger accounting and reporting
• Active role in forecasting and budgeting process, heavily dependent upon building relationships with business stakeholders
• Monthly balance sheet account reconciliations, coordinating with colleagues
• External reporting including year-end/ interim audits and regulatoryreturns
• Development of the month-end close process, striving for process efficiencies

The Ideal Candidate

• Strong academics, both GCSEs and A-Levels or equivalents

• Keen IT skills, particularly with Microsoft Excel. We'll provide training on our accountancy applications - but Excel is an accountant's best friend!
• A desire to study towards ACCA, CIMAor ACA professional qualifications
• Excellent communication andpeople skillswith a range of colleague levels
• Analytically strong with the ability to challenge and interrogate,facilitatingthe ability tofindanomalies or inconsistencies and pursue these through to a resolution
• Ability to multi-task, be exceptionally well organised; strong level of accuracy; meet established deadlines and work under pressure with a proactive ethos.

• Curious, andautonomous desireto understand the "why" behind processestoperform them better andfindopportunities

Our values are:

• Precision Pace- Always owning and making things happen.

• Empathy- Always aware of others.

• Curiosity- Always asking why.

• Collaboration- Always one team, the Saga team!

Package Description
The standard benefits when you join Saga include:

• Remote working available where possible
  
• 25 days annual leaveplus bank holidays with the choice tobuya further 5 days annual leave per year
  
• Free private medical insurance after 1years' service
  
• Workplace Pension
  
• AXA Be Supported
  
• A range of reductions and offers from leading retailers, travel groups and entertainment companies
  

About the Company
Having spent our first 30 years focused on travel, Saga launched Saga Magazine and developed home and motor insurance and financial services in the 1980s. Private medical and pet insurance followed in the 1990s, along with the launch of our own cruise ship operation. The strength of the Saga brand provides the Group with the ability to develop in-house or partner with suppliers to offer our customers and members highly differentiated, competitively priced products which meet their evolving needs.

Saga exists to help our customers and members lead the life they want to lead. To succeed in this, we know that the most important thing to do is to listen to our customers and members. At the heart of our business model is our drive to know more about our customers' wants and needs so we are best placed to serve them.

Applying this approach over the past 70years has enabled us to become the UK's specialist provider of products and services to people aged over 50 in the UK. The Saga brand has become one of the most recognised and trusted brands amongst UK consumers in this demographic and is recognised for its high quality products and exceptional standards of service. These include cruises and holidays, insurance, personal finance andthe Saga Magazine.

When you join Saga you will see that we are committed to treating all employees fairly and to offering equal opportunities in all aspects of employment and advancement.

We value diversity not just because it is the right thing to do, but because diverse teams perform better. Creating a culture in which everyone feels welcome and offering equal opportunities in all aspects of employment and advancement is incredibly important to us. Fair consideration is given to applications from all applicants, including those with disabilities and those over who are over 50as we are champions of age inclusivity.

We are an official Disability Confident Committed employer and ensure that our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible and we will make reasonable adjustments as required.

We are a member of the 30% Club and partner with Women Ahead which offers us a fantastic opportunity to take part in a leading, global, cross-company, leadership mentoring scheme to champion female talent.

We are a signatory of the Armed Services Covenant and have received a Silver Award from the Employer Recognition Scheme.

To all recruitment agencies: Saga does not accept agency CVs unless specifically engaged on the role by the HR Recruitment Team. Please do not forward CVs to our recruiters, employees or any other company location. Saga is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited CVs.

#L1-Remote