Audit Assistant Manager

In a nutshell

Are you a newly qualified ACA/ACCA audit professional looking to step into a leadership role? At PKF Francis Clark, we offer the opportunity to lead high-profile audit engagements, mentor junior staff, and work with a diverse client base - all while enjoying a fantastic work life balance.

We've been recognised as one of the Top UK Employers for Development within the Workplace by Great Place to Work, highlighting our dedication to career progression and employee wellbeing.

As an Audit Assistant Manager, you'll play a key role in managing audit assignments, building client relationships, and contributing to the development of our growing team. You'll be supported by a network of over 200 audit professionals and have access to tailored training programmes designed to help you progress to Manager, Director, and even Partner level.

As our Southampton office continues to grow, colleagues are expected to travel on a semi frequent basis to our established Poole office to deepen their knowledge, strengthen relationships, and align with existing processes. Expenses for this travel are covered, and flexible working arrangements are available to ensure it remains practical and manageable.

What you'll be doing day to day

• Planning and delivering statutory audits for corporate clients, both on site and in office
• Leading larger and more complex audit assignments
• Managing the audit team on site, ensuring procedures are followed and quality is maintained
• Supporting managers and partners on ad hoc projects and technical assignments
• Supervising and mentoring junior team members
• Building and maintaining strong client relationships
• Liaising with clients to ensure a smooth and professional audit experience
• Preparing audit work for manager and/or partner review
• Identifying technical or client specific issues and proposing solutions
• Potentially managing a small portfolio of clients

About you

• ACA or ACCA qualified
• Proven statutory audit experience in a professional practice environment
• Ideally experienced in group audits and consolidated financial statements (UK FRS 102 and/or IFRS)
• Full clean driving licence and access to a car
• Organised and able to manage your own workload effectively
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build rapport quickly
• Professional, discreet, and client focused
• Comfortable using automated audit software and digital accounting tools

Why work at PKF Francis Clark

As the largest firm of independent chartered accountants and business advisers in South West England, PKF Francis Clark offers a breadth of opportunities to develop your career in the way that's right for you.

Established in 1919, we've grown to a team of nearly 1,000 people, based across our offices in Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Poole, Salisbury, Southampton, Taunton, Torquay and Truro. This means we're big enough to do challenging work for exciting clients, but small enough to maintain our friendly and supportive culture.

We work hard to ensure you can belong, be yourself and be brilliant as part of a forward thinking team. This includes a flexible approach to hybrid working. And our focus on wellbeing and learning and development has been recognised nationally.

For the past five years, PKF Francis Clark has been certified as a Great Place to Work and ranked among the UK's Best Workplaces. In 2025, we climbed four places to 20 out of 100 large organisations on this prestigious list.

We're also in the UK's top 10 Best Workplaces for Women, as well as being ranked among the Best Workplaces for Wellbeing, Development, and Consulting and Professional Services.

All these lists are compiled by workplace culture experts Great Place to Work. Our rankings are a direct result of feedback from our people in a confidential, independent annual survey.

The success rates of our trainees mean we're also ranked 33rd in The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers 2025.

While we're proudly independent, we collaborate with colleagues around the world to enable our clients to succeed. PKF Francis Clark is a member of the PKF Global family of firms - together we're the 12th largest provider of accountancy services in the UK. Being part of this international network provides opportunities to connect with like minded accountants and business advisers in 150 countries.

Your core benefits

Financial wellbeing

• Group personal pension to help you build your future savings through employer and employee contributions
• Group life assurance providing cover up to four times your basic annual salary
• Group income protection available after six months' service
• Health cash plan giving money back on everyday health costs, with free cover for up to four dependent children (up to age 24 in full time education) and the option to add a partner or spouse

Mental wellbeing

• Counselling and emotional support for you and your immediate family
• Virtual GP and second opinion services for you and your immediate family
• Access to trained Mental Health First Aiders for confidential, peer to peer support

Physical wellbeing

• Cycle to work scheme, with the option to purchase a bike and accessories up to £4,000
• Discounted membership at gyms, pools and studios across the UK
• Digital health and wellbeing tools available through the employee health cash plan
• Support for colleagues experiencing menopause, as part of our Menopause Workplace Pledge, including webinars and a dedicated Microsoft Teams channel for ongoing support

Additional benefits

• Family friendly benefits, including enhanced pay, family leave coaching sessions and a parent network
• The option to buy up to five extra days of holiday (pro rata for part time colleagues)
• One paid volunteering day each year to support local organisations
• Electric vehicle lease scheme (grade and pay criteria apply)
• Gifts to mark key career and family milestones
• Expert led webinars on mental, physical and financial wellbeing
• Francis Clark Charitable Foundation, offering support for current and former employees experiencing financial hardship

These benefits are provided via a salary exchange and are subject to employee's post exchange hourly rate remaining above the national minimum wage

Additional information

• Job title used internally may not align exactly with the title displayed in this advert