School Leaver Programme, Business Tax - Manchester (Sept 2027)

  • Full-time
  • Office Location: Manchester (Princess Street)

Job Description

Why Start Your Career at S&W?

Starting your career is about more than just a job. It's about the people you learn from, the relationships you build and the experiences that shape you. Whether that's passing an exam, achieving a personal milestone or celebrating success with your colleagues, you'll be part of a team that's invested in your growth, celebrates your achievements and supports you to be yourself.

At S&W, you'll be given meaningful responsibility from the start, alongside the support and guidance needed to help you succeed. You'll learn from experienced colleagues, develop valuable professional skills and build confidence as your career progresses.

As one of the UK's fastest-growing accountancy and advisory firms, we offer a balance of opportunity and support. You'll learn from people at every level of the business, gain exposure to a variety of clients, industries and experiences, and develop the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to build a successful career.

No previous experience in accountancy, finance or professional services is required. We're looking for people with the right attitude and potential to succeed. If you're curious, eager to learn and ready to challenge yourself, we'll provide the training, support and opportunities to help you make the most of your potential.

The Business Tax team at S&W

Our Business Tax Services team supports a wide range of organisations, from entrepreneurial and family-owned businesses to large and international organisations across a variety of industries.

What sets Business Tax Services at S&W apart is the breadth of experience you'll gain early in your career. You'll work with a variety of organisations, industries and tax matters, giving you exposure to a range of business challenges and opportunities. This breadth of experience will help you develop both technical expertise and commercial awareness, while building a strong foundation for a long-term career in tax.

What Will You Be Doing?

As part of our Business Tax Services team, you'll help clients navigate an increasingly complex tax landscape. You'll learn how tax legislation applies in real-world situations and how businesses manage their tax obligations while pursuing their commercial objectives.

Alongside your role, you'll study towards the Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA) qualification, a prestigious qualification equivalent to a Level 7 Master's degree. Through a combination of professional training and practical experience, you'll build a strong foundation in tax, accountancy and wider business advisory services.

Your work will include:

  • Preparing tax computations, returns and other client deliverables
  • Assisting with research and technical assignments
  • Supporting advisory projects and more complex client engagements
  • Building relationships with clients and colleagues across the business
  • Contributing to high-quality client service and wider team initiatives

Whether you're supporting compliance work or advisory projects, you'll develop problem-solving, communication and analytical skills while building a deeper understanding of how businesses make decisions.

To Be Successful in This Role

You'll be someone who:

  • Is curious, eager to learn and open to new challenges
  • Enjoys working with others and building positive relationships
  • Has a keen eye for detail and enjoys solving problems
  • Is proactive and looks for ways to make a positive contribution
  • Takes ownership of their development and is motivated to achieve their goals

You'll also need to:

  • Committed to working towards the ACA Level 7 professional qualification
  • A Level: Predicted or obtained minimum 112 UCAS points in top three A Levels (or equivalent), excluding General Studies
  • GCSE: Minimum Grade 5 (or equivalent), in English Language and Maths

No previous experience in accountancy, finance or professional services is required.

Your Learning & Development

We'll support you throughout your qualification journey with a leading UK training provider, dedicated study time and practical experience that complements your learning.

You'll join as part of a cohort and benefit from a strong support network that includes experienced colleagues, a buddy and our Learning & Development team. From your first day, you'll have people around you to guide you, answer questions and help you make the most of every opportunity.

As a Colleague at S&W, You'll Have Access to Benefits That Include

  • Fully funded training towards professional qualifications
  • Competitive salary
  • Private medical insurance
  • Life assurance
  • Pension contribution
  • Generous holiday package
  • Option to purchase additional holiday
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • Season ticket loan
  • Eye care support
  • Shared parental leave

Our Commitment to Inclusion

We are proud to value the differences that a diverse workforce brings, representative of society and our clients. At S&W we have a wide range of highly active employee resource groups and we’re delivering multiple diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the organisation. It is our commitment to provide a workspace where all colleagues, regardless of identity, background, or circumstance, feel respected as individuals and feel that they can achieve their full potential and work in a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment.

We are happy to make any reasonable adjustments to accommodate for your needs throughout the application process. Please let your Recruiter know.

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR COMPLETING YOUR APPLICATION

When you click on the 'I'm interested' button, you'll be taken to your profile page. We're currently updating it, but in the meantime:

  • We can only accept one application to any of our programmes in a recruitment season. If you're unsuccessful, you'll need to wait until the following recruitment season to reapply.
  • Under the Resume (CV) section, uploading a document is mandatory; however, it will not be formally reviewed.

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