United Utilities
Finance Internship - (12M Placement)
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About Us
Every day, we deliver one of life's most essential services to millions of people across the North West. From providing safe, high-quality drinking water to protecting the environment and supporting thriving communities, the work we do matters. We're now in the second year of our £16.5 billion investment programme, one of the largest transformation programmes in our history. It's an exciting time to join us as we improve our services, enhance environmental performance, embrace innovation and create a more sustainable future for generations to come.
There's more to us than just great water. We are where purpose flows.
What can you expect as an Intern within our Finance Team?
On our 12-month Finance Placement, you'll gain valuable hands-on experience while developing both your technical expertise and professional skills. Working within a high-performing finance team of over 120 colleagues, you'll take on graduate-level responsibilities and build your understanding of how finance supports United Utilities in delivering essential services to seven million customers across the North West. You'll gain exposure to areas such as financial accounting, management accounting and business decision-making, with increasing responsibility as your confidence and experience grow. Throughout your placement, you'll be supported by experienced mentors and managers who will help you achieve your development goals and build a strong foundation for your future career.
What you’ll be getting stuck into day to day:
Performance measurement & reporting
- Reporting: Preparing business unit financial statements, management reports and regulatory reports. Providing commentary on actual and forecasted financial performance against budget.
- Performance measurement: Collaborating with business units to develop financial plans, budgets, and forecasts. This includes analysing historical financial data, identifying trends, and making projections to support strategic decision-making.
- Financial analysis: Monitoring and investigating variances in actuals / forecast (LBE) against budget and financial KPIs.
- Spend control reporting: Refresh report and conduct variance analysis on key discretionary spend areas ahead of Executive Performance Meetings.
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Record to Report
- Financial recordkeeping: Maintaining accurate financial records, including posting journal entries, updating ledgers and reconciling accounts.
- Period-end close: Performing various period-end close activities including posting journals, performing reconciliations, adjusting accruals and preparing control accounts.
- Audit support: Supporting external audits by providing necessary financial information and assisting auditors in their review.
Planning, Budget, Forecasting
- Budgeting (CBP) / Forecasting (LBE): Engaging with budget holders, consolidation of ZBB templates, central review and challenge of cost driver assumptions and efficiency plans and ensuring alignment with overall organisational goals and strategies.
- Stakeholder collaboration: Working closely with budget holders to gather financial information and align with business strategies.
General
- Work collaboratively with the Business Partnering Team to achieve common goals.
- To ensure continuous improvement by generating imaginative ideas for better ways of working.
- Ad-hoc requests as necessary.
What you’ll bring to the team:
- You will be on track for a minimum of a 2:1 in your degree and undertaking a placement year during your studies at university.
- You should possess excellent written and interpersonal skills and have the ability to communicate and influence across multiple stakeholder groups.
- You must be highly computer literate and be proficient in Microsoft Office applications.
- You should be able to be comfortable working flexibly across a range of tasks and activities to deadlines, be able to prioritise your time.
- You should possess the resilience and willpower to succeed in a commercial environment.
Why join United Utilities as an intern?
By joining us on our internship programme, you'll not only get first-class training and support, but we'll also provide you with an in-depth understanding of your business area so you can develop the skills you need to progress your career, while making a real contribution to the communities we serve.
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You might enter our organisation as an intern, but one thing's for sure: if you perform well, you may well be leaving with a graduate offer before you've even returned to university.
We know that delivering a great service starts with supporting you, our people. That's why we offer a range of benefits designed to help you thrive both at work and outside of it.
- Salary of at least £25,950 per annum (pro rata)
- 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata)
Want to learn more about life at United Utilities? Take a look at our Flexa profile:
[United Utilities | Verified Employers | Flexa Careers](United Utilities | Verified Employers | Flexa Careers)
Our commitment to opportunity for all
We're committed to creating a workplace where you feel you can belong and can succeed. Our colleague networks play an important role in this, these are;
- GeneQ – supporting gender equality, parents and carers
- Multi-Cultural & Faith
- LGBTQ+
- Armed Forces
- Ability – supporting colleagues with disabilities and long-term health conditions
We recommend that you are open and honest with us throughout the process and make us aware of any reasonable adjustments you may require.
To ensure a fair recruitment process, we ask that you apply for only one internship role per recruitment year. Take a look at all our opportunities and apply for the one that interests you most.
Additional Information
Our recruitment process requires you to complete:
- An Online application form
- Online tests
- An in-person interview and presentation
Please note that you must be available to attend an in-person recruitment stage during the period 17th November – 11th December.
Application deadline: 21st October 2026 – please apply early as deadlines are subject to change.
Based on current immigration guidelines this role is not eligible for visa sponsorship.
Due to the length of the programme being 12 months maximum you will be engaged on a fixed term contract.
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