Powered by Water, Driven by Purpose

South West Water keeps the South West flowing with safe, reliable drinking water and wastewater services across some of the UK’s most stunning landscapes.

We’re proud to be part of Pennon Group, a leader in the UK water sector, working towards a greener future. Our goals? As well as lowering our carbon footprint, we’re working with partners to plant 300,000 trees, restore peatlands and supporting farmers and landowners to improve water quality and wildlife.

Whether you’re starting out or seeking a new challenge, our scale and ambition create opportunities for you to shape your own career.

Ready to make a splash? Join our team today.

Finance Apprentice

Location: Exeter
Salary: £18,500, rising to a maximum of £24,300 in Year 2 and £25,900 in Year 3

Who we are…

At Pennon, we literally bring water to life. We keep taps running, protect the environment, and support the communities we serve across the Southwest. Delivering this means taking smart financial decisions, investing responsibly, and ensuring every pound spent creates long‑term value.

Our finance teams provide the insight, analysis, and governance that help the organisation operate effectively today while preparing for the challenges of tomorrow. We care about doing things safely, responsibly, and we’ll welcome your ideas from day one.

If you're analytical, curious, numerate, and motivated to understand how financial decisions shape real‑world outcomes, you’ll thrive here.

Within our apprenticeship programme, you will train alongside skilled professionals, taking on their expertise to apply in your own career whilst also achieving nationally recognised qualifications.

We offer an excellent range of benefits, ongoing development, and fully funded training for a long-term career.

What you’d be doing…

As a Finance Apprentice on a full-time contract, you’ll have the opportunity to work within key areas of the Finance function as part of a series of 6-month rotational posts alongside existing apprentices. The areas you’ll rotate through are:

Internal Audit

· Ensuring we’re doing things in the right way, every time

Financial Control

• Producing the company’s financial results and monthly statements

Capital Finance

• Managing the governance and reporting of our planned future spending

Business Performance & Insight

• Responsible for monitoring expenditure within our business functions

Transactional Services – consisting of:

Payables

• Ensuring invoices are processed and payments made in a timely and accurate fashion

Sales Ledger

• Raising invoices and allocating income appropriately

Procure to Pay (P2P)

· Ensuring business rules are followed and financial control is appropriate

Learn & Develop

• Train alongside skilled professionals, taking on their expertise to apply in your own career

• Achieve nationally recognised qualifications with a chance to complete the AAT levels 2-4 (foundation degree equivalent) with a guaranteed one day a week to study the qualifications

• Support from management with opportunities to showcase what you’ve learnt

Who you are…

Are you looking to start a career with significant opportunity for long-term development? We’re looking for apprentices who want to understand how a business works, who enjoy analytical problem‑solving, and who care about making thoughtful, evidence‑based recommendations.

You don’t need to arrive as a fully formed finance professional curiosity, and a proactive attitude will take you a long way.

You might be a great match if you:

• 5 GCSEs at grade 6 / grade B or above, including Maths and English (essential) and 3 A Levels (or equivalent) with minimum grades of BBB

• Good general IT skills, including Microsoft Office

• Methodical and consistent approach to work

• Good problem-solving skills

• Enthusiasm and desire to learn new skills

• Eager to study and develop, both personally and professionally

If this sounds like you — or if the role appeals but you’re unsure whether you tick every box — we’d still like to hear from you. The most important thing is your drive to learn, contribute, and grow.

What’s in it for you…

• A structured apprentice programme that builds core finance and commercial skills

• Mentoring and support, including a dedicated buddy and access to experienced finance leaders

• Competitive salary with further increases as you progress through the programme

• Generous holiday allowance plus bank holidays

• Comprehensive benefits package including:

  • A discretionary bonus scheme

  • Competitive contributory pension

  • Company Sharesave scheme

  • Various health benefits

  • Wellbeing support programmes

  • A range of Group Discounts via Pennon Perks

  • Cycle to Work scheme

  • Financial support services

• Work with meaning, supporting essential public services, environmental protection, and long‑term regional value

• A culture shaped by values: safety, integrity, collaboration, innovation, and customer care

• Support toward professional finance accreditation (AAT levels 2-4)

Closing Date: 1st June 2026

We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Please note that the successful candidate will be subject to a mandatory DBS check as part of the onboarding process.

Be yourself, we like it that way. Together, we will build a culture of belonging, where inclusion is instinctive. Diversity is our strength and a reflection of our communities. We care, we value everyone, we celebrate uniqueness.

Our core values, which are essential to our success, are:

Be Rock Solid - Build trust and be trusted. Be the one we all look to and can depend on.

Be You - We want you to bring your best everyday. Be yourself and make your mark in your individual way.

Be the Future - Embrace change. Drive Progress. Own the challenge.