Location: Birmingham

Contract: Full-time (37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday)  

Salary: Competitive starting salary with increases at key milestones to qualification, with a transparent CF bonus scheme.

Reports to: Corporate Finance Manager 

If you are a graduate or soon-to-be graduate, our Corporate Finance Graduate Scheme is your gateway into a people-focused career with significant earning potential, bringing you new challenges and learning opportunities along the way. No prior experience in accounting or a specific degree is required! 

Our Corporate Finance Graduate Scheme could be the start of your journey to becoming an expert business strategist and dealmaker as part of one of the most active dealmaking teams in the UK.

Our Corporate Finance team specialises in mergers and acquisitions (M&A). We make an impact by advising our clients on buying, selling, and raising growth finance for their businesses. We are a market-leading firm, ranking as the 6th largest firm nationally in 2024 and completing c.150 deals annually worth over £2.0bn in value. Our deals range in value, typically from £1m to £50m. 

We are a highly experienced, award-winning team that provides high-intensity deal management. Corporate Finance is all about combining a wide range of advisory skills to achieve the right solution for our clients. To achieve this, your role will involve researching markets, deal marketing, people skills, commercial awareness, and financial analysis.

Your role will be in Birmingham, which we believe has the largest professional network/ community outside London that will be utilised to enhance your professional development.

Click here to learn more about our Corporate Finance services.

Responsibilities:

• Analysing financial performance 
• Undertaking valuation of private companies 
• Researching sectors to identify buyers or acquisition targets and communicating with them 
• Detailed investigation into client businesses to fully understand value drivers, risks, and opportunities 
• Writing Information Memoranda to solicit offers, and advising on business plans to raise funds 
• Assisting in the project management of transaction processes, including liaison with other financial advisers, solicitors, funders, and clients

You can expect to:

• Build your commercial acumen by working with clients from a variety of different sectors
• Enhance your network within the Midlands M&A professional community with regular interactions and marketing events
• Gain a high level of experience in dealing with clients from an early stage, whilst being actively involved in all aspects of a transaction from the initial pitch stage, and being a key member of the deal team to deliver a successful transaction for our clients
• Assisting the Corporate Finance leadership team on wider team initiatives
• Develop your skills through informal and formal training, including bespoke training courses

Training and development

Training with a firm like PKF Smith Cooper offers you depth and variety in your client assignments. Our graduates benefit from exposure to a wide range of work with businesses of all sizes, many of them local to our offices.

Our partners take a direct interest in the development and progression of our graduates. We aim to equip every graduate with the skills they need to become a future leader – our Managing Partner started out at PKF Smith Cooper as a graduate himself, so who knows what you could achieve through our graduate scheme!

As an ICAEW and ACCA Approved Training Employer, we are recognised for our high-quality training and development. As part of the graduate program, you have the opportunity to obtain your ACA qualification through a leading training provider. Additionally, you will have the benefit of studying alongside other trainees from different departments within the firm.

Your skills and qualities: 

• Any degree at 2:1 or above, with a strong academic record at A Level and GCSE. 
• A genuine interest in pursuing a career in Corporate Finance. 
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and critical-thinking abilities. 
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal. 
• Attention to detail and a commitment to delivering high-quality work. 
• Ability to work collaboratively within a team and adapt to changing priorities. 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office is beneficial. 
• Although a driving licence and a car aren’t a requirement, it will be highly beneficial as you will need to travel to our different client sites. 
• No prior experience required. 

Why PKF Smith Cooper? 

PKF Smith Cooper is the 12th largest accounting firm by UK fee income (Accountancy Age Top 50+50) and a member of the global network Global. Through PKF, we operate in unison with member firms in 150 countries to share ideas, expertise, and specialist resources for the benefit of our team and clients. 

Our team of award-winning accountants and business advisors plans to double the size of our company within the next 5 years. As a fast-growing firm and accredited ICAEW and ACCA Approved Training Employer, we are passionate about developing ‘homegrown talent’. We can help you achieve your potential through our comprehensive training, development, and progression programme. 

We aim to equip every graduate with the skills to become a future leader – our very own managing partner started at PKF Smith Cooper as a graduate, so who knows what you could achieve through our graduate scheme! 

Why Birmingham?

In the heart of the vibrant city, our new, state-of-the-art office boasts a contemporary open plan working area, on-site gym with lockers and shower facilities, and a large roof terrace perfect for taking in the views of the city. Our Birmingham office is easily accessible via train being adjacent to Snowhill Train Station and only a 10 minute walk from New Street Station.

What's in it for you? 

Our benefits package has been shaped by our values and our people. Here are some of the perks you can expect as part of Team PKF Smith Cooper: 

• A working environment that empowers you to perform at your best through our flexible working policy (subject to manager discretion) and dress for your diary scheme. 
• Time to do what matters to you – 25 days annual leave plus statutory bank holidays, the chance to purchase additional annual leave and your birthday off, on us.  
• Prize draws 4 times a year to reward those who embrace our company values – win a spa day, AirPods or even a trip to Paris! 
• A busy social calendar of team events, office activities and committees. From our monthly book club and Mental Health Committee to our legendary summer parties, there are lots of opportunities to get to know people away from your desk. 
• Life doesn’t stop at the end of the working day and neither do our benefits. We offer life assurance, healthcare cashback and discounts on gym memberships and popular retailers including Tesco, River Island and Expedia. 
• Free personal finance and mortgage advice from our financial planning experts. 
• Travel the world with PKF One Week More, which allows you to extend your holiday with a week of working abroad, and secondment opportunities in PKF offices worldwide. 

How to apply 

Apply now if you believe you have what we are looking for! Even if you do not tick 100% of the boxes, we encourage you to apply. 

If you have any questions, please contact a member of the People team by emailing careers@pkfsmithcooper.com or calling 01332 332021.  

Work in recruitment? We only accept CVs from our partnered agencies and any unsolicited CVs will be ignored. If you would like to partner with us in the future, get in touch with our People team via the contact details above.