Finance Apprentice

This job is with Ogilvy, an inclusive employer and a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community. Please do not contact the recruiter directly.

About Ogilvy

Ogilvy has been creating impact for brands through iconic, culture-changing, value-driving ideas since the company was founded by David Ogilvy 75 years ago. It builds on that rich legacy through Borderless Creativity – innovating at the intersections of its advertising, public relations, relationship design, consulting, and health capabilities with experts collaborating seamlessly across over 120 offices in nearly 90 countries. Ogilvy currently ranks as the #1 global agency network for creative excellence and effectiveness by WARC, signifying its ability to deliver creative solutions that drive unreasonable impact for clients and communities. Ogilvy is a WPP company (NYSE: WPP). For more information, visit Ogilvy.com, and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook.

Apprenticeship program: Professional Accounting Apprenticeship, Level 3 (Delivered by Kaplan)

Department: Finance
Location: London (Sea Containers)
Contract type: 24 months
Full Time/Part time: Full Time
Reporting to: Senior WIP Manager / Staff Costs Manager

About Ogilvy: 

Ogilvy UK has been creating iconic ideas that deliver impact at scale for clients ever since David Ogilvy founded the company in 1948. Ogilvy UK specialises in bringing together brand advertising, customer experience marketing, PR, influence and consulting, all fuelled by Behavioural Science. Our world-class award-winning creative campaigns deliver solutions for clients including Sainsbury’s, Argos, , Mondelēz International, Unilever, TK Maxx and Pernod Ricard.  

In 2023, Ogilvy UK celebrated their 75th anniversary and was the most awarded agency in Europe. Ogilvy is home to the largest influencer marketing practice globally, and hosts the world’s biggest festival of behavioural science and creativity, Nudgestock – now in its 12th year. 

The Role:

The Ogilvy UK Finance Team is an integral part of Ogilvy UK. The Ogilvy UK Finance Team are responsible for ensuring that the finances for the advertising agency are processed and maintained on a timely basis. The team includes sub teams that are responsible for the management accounts, vendors and payments, staff costs, revenue and work in progress, and group reporting to the parent company, WPP.

Ogilvy UK are looking for three finance apprentices to support the Ogilvy UK Finance Team. The apprentices will spend 12 months in two of the following three departments during the two-year apprenticeship program:

• Commercial Finance Team (revenue & work in progress)


• Vendor & Payments Team


• Staff Costs Team

20% of the apprentices’ working week will be allocated to their Professional Accounting Apprenticeship training.

Key Responsibilities:

Commercial Team (revenue & work in progress)

• Work closely with the Commercial WIP Managers to ensure all jobs are opened, maintained and closed efficiently and effectively.


• Assist in the month end cycle, particularly in relation to revenue recognition and working capital management.


• Support with ensuring compliance to internal controls and audit sampling.


• Prepare ad hoc client analysis

Vendor & Payments Team

• Review the traffic light report showing invoices in query for all suppliers (both trade and intercompany creditors) on at least a weekly basis and following up on actions that are required to resolve the queries


• Follow up with staff on queries with their expense claims


• Liaise with the shared service center (Finance Plus) on supplier and payment queries


• Assist with the new vendor creation process, including ensuring that the new vendor request forms have been completed accurately


• Assist with email queries sent to the vendor & payments team inbox


• Assist with Job Management, including the creation of new non-billable job numbers, reviewing and clearing existing job numbers and closing non-billable jobs that are no longer needed

Staff Costs Team

• Review freelancer Purchase Orders: compare and check the accuracy of freelancer purchase orders with freelancer profiles on Ogilvy’s system so that they can be approved


• Variance analysis of staff cost balance sheet and profit and loss codes to identify common and non-routine mis-postings


• Review and analyse the staff costs for employees related to the Europe division by business unit.

Skills:

• A can-do attitude and a proactive and inquisitive approach


• Positive and polite behaviour and good communication skills


• Excellent attention to detail


• Strong Excel skills


• Effective time management skills


• Be a team-player


• Capable of working autonomously

How we help you Thrive:

•  25 days annual leave + 1 Volunteer Day 

• Bupa Healthcare

• Enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Shared Parental Leave

• We have a Flexible Working Model with core working hours: 10am – 4pm

• A 1.5:1 Matching Pension Structure

• Wellbeing and Health: Up to £25.00 per month towards physical or online exercise class membership, Unmind membership, LifeWorks tool and annual eye tests and development budgets and Wellbeing incentives and activities throughout the year 

• Season Ticket Loan and Cycle to Work Scheme

• Life Assurance

Our ambition is to attract the very best diverse talent to Ogilvy, and to be the employer of choice in the UK. We want everyone to feel welcome when they join us, and once they’re here, for them to want to stay with us, grow their career, and to feel they belong with us. 

We are an equal opportunity employer and we’re committed to creating an inclusive, welcoming environment for anyone who wants to work at Ogilvy. We believe that for creativity to flourish, everything about how we work must have diversity at its core. Your race, colour, ancestry, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, or veteran status have no bearing on our hiring decisions. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know and we will do everything we can to accommodate. 

At Ogilvy, our people are at the heart of what we do: a creative agency that sparks game-changing ideas across culture and business through collaboration, integrity, and a celebration of self-expression. 

We believe in building powerful teams with purpose. This means hiring and nurturing talent across all races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, sexual orientation, and gender identities – and we relentlessly curate transformative initiatives that make our commitment to fairness, and equity a reality. 

Our ultimate mission is to leave a positive impact on the world, creating a better future for all, while supporting and uplifting the global communities we serve.  This is central to our mantra of Borderless Creativity.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

At Ogilvy, our people are at the heart of what we do: a creative agency that sparks game-changing ideas across culture and business through collaboration, integrity, and a celebration of self-expression.

We believe in building powerful teams with purpose. This means hiring and nurturing talent across all races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, sexual orientation, and gender identities – and we relentlessly curate transformative initiatives that make our commitment to fairness, and equity a reality.

Our ultimate mission is to leave a positive impact on the world, creating a better future for all, while supporting and uplifting the global communities we serve. This is central to our mantra of Borderless Creativity.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

If you require reasonable accommodation to complete a job application, pre-employment testing, or a job interview or to otherwise participate in the hiring process, please do not hesitate to let your recruiter know.