Grant Thornton UK

Public Sector Audit 12 Month Placement Programme (Summer 2027) - Leeds

Grant Thornton UK  •  Leeds, GB (Onsite)  •  3 days ago
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Job Description

Go one better than Four.

The industry is set to change. It's time to get with a new kind of placement. One that leaves traditional placements behind. From day one, you'll see a future you want to stay for. Because we don't just take on placement students. We turn them into future leaders. We're talking real responsibility, faster growth, and an experience designed to accelerate your career from the start.

Take the purple path

What investing in talent actually looks like

  • A market-leading salary of £29,000 and full benefits package
  • Access to the latest leading AI tools and digital solutions from day one, building skills that will shape the future of your career
  • Meaningful client interaction outside of the day-to-day - understanding how businesses operate and driving results which matter
  • Structured learning built around the capabilities of a future Partner - taking you beyond the technical
  • In-person experiences with your cohort of future leaders. One pathway, one cohort, and a network for life
  • Access to additional opportunities as you reach your potential - from working with our Senior Leadership Team to shaping new initiatives
  • Hands-on opportunities to win work and support our growth ambitions

Powered by AI, driven by you

We are investing £500m in digital transformation.

Our leading AI tools drive efficiencies, handling time-consuming manual tasks, which means you can focus on higher-value work, faster. You'll get experience and training to progress rapidly, earlier than placement students ever have before.

Powered by AI, you will spend more time on detailed analysis, professional judgement and the insights that genuinely add value for clients. You'll be the one in control, reviewing and challenging the quality of AI inputs and outputs to ensure our clients continue to receive an exceptional service.

We're in the business of people, not just numbers. AI helps us work more efficiently, but it's our people who bring judgement, curiosity and care to every client relationship. As a trainee, you'll learn to use these tools while developing the human skills that will set you apart throughout your career.

A look into the role

Public Sector Audit: Audit is about giving people confidence in the numbers behind public services. As an auditor, you'll look closely at the financial records of public bodies to check they're accurate and complete - work that taxpayers, regulators, and the public all rely on. You'll get exposure to a wide range of clients, from central government to local authorities and the NHS, building the insight to understand how public sector organisations really operate.

As an auditor in our Public Sector team you will:

  • Work with a variety of clients, from central government departments to local authorities and NHS bodies. Build strong client relationships, understand how each organisation delivers for the public, and develop your technical expertise in audit and financial reporting.
  • Get hands-on from day one, working with real data sets, selecting samples, gathering evidence from clients, and testing it to assess the real-world impact of any errors on the business
  • Apply professional judgement to assess the policies and estimates clients adopt
  • Analyse financial statements and review internal controls, learning how companies manage money, risk and operations

Did you know: We are the market-leader for Public Sector Audit, holding a 35% share of NHS Audits and partnering with over half of all UK councils. In addition to this, Audit was our strongest growing service line in 2025 with 11% revenue growth.

Get to know our Head of Audit, Wendy Russell here

Who we're looking for

We want people with the ambition to contribute to our high-performance culture, who see a real future with us beyond their placement year, following the purple path.

We're looking for people who bring:

  • Commercial curiosity - genuine interest in our clients' businesses and an eye for spotting opportunities to add value, from the start.
  • A digital explorer's mindset - curiosity for digital tools and data, and a drive to find smarter solutions early on.
  • Adaptability - embracing change, asking good questions, and picking things up quickly when thrown in at the deep end.
  • Strong problem-solving skills - critical thinking, sound judgement, and attention to detail from your first live piece of work.
  • Collaborative communication - listening well, adapting your approach, and building trust with clients and colleagues alike.
  • A proactive approach to your career - taking ownership of your growth and seeking out opportunities rather than waiting for them to come to you.

We've got a flexible approach to academic entry requirements, and we'll consider these alongside your strengths and motivations.

We're growing fast, and we want you to grow with us. With digital-first innovation and a firm that's investing in its future leaders, this is your chance to shape what's next.

Follow the purple path.

It's the start of something bigger.

Grant Thornton UK

About Grant Thornton UK

When choosing an advisor, you could accept the usual compromises.

Alternatively, you can find people that aren’t afraid to break with the norms to provide a more rewarding experience. With people that leave you feeling smart, not smarting.

The UK member firms of Grant Thornton are part of a global network that employs over 76,000 people in 150 countries. We combine global scale with local insight and understanding to give you the assurance, tax, and advisory services you need to realise your ambitions.

We go beyond business as usual, so you can too. We make business more personal by investing in building relationships. Whether you’re growing in one market or many, you consistently get a great service you can trust. We work at a pace that matters – yours – bringing both flexibility and rigour. We celebrate fresh thinking and diverse perspectives to bring you proactive insights and positive progress.

Ready to go beyond? Visit our website for insight on what we can offer you.

© 2025 Grant Thornton UK LLP and Grant Thornton UK Advisory & Tax LLP. All rights reserved.

‘Grant Thornton’ refers to the brand under which the Grant Thornton member firms provide assurance, tax and advisory services to their clients and/or refers to one or more member firms, as the context requires. Grant Thornton UK LLP and Grant Thornton Advisory & Tax LLP are member firms of Grant Thornton International Ltd (GTIL). GTIL and the member firms are not a worldwide partnership. GTIL and each member firm is a separate legal entity. Services are delivered by the member firms. GTIL does not provide services to clients. GTIL and its member firms are not agents of, and do not obligate, one another and are not liable for one another’s acts or omissions. This publication has been prepared only as a guide. No responsibility is accepted by us for loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of any material in this publication.

Industry
Accounting & Tax
Company Size
5,001-10,000 employees
Headquarters
London, GB
Year Founded
Unknown
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