Accounting Intern

Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.; Fairfield (IA); On-site; USD 23,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

Life insurance

Long-term disability insurance

401K with company matching

Eleven paid holidays

Job summary

Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. is offering an Accounting Intern role designed to support the Accounting Department across commissions, fee billing, and payroll.

The 11-week paid summer internship runs May 17–July 30 and provides mentorship, professional development, and exposure to financial services operations. Location options include Fairfield, IA or Phoenix, AZ with on-site work and housing available for Fairfield candidates.

Qualifications

• Current undergraduate student pursuing Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Data Analytics, Information Systems, Management, or related field.
• Strong attention to detail, analytical thinking, organization, accountability, and communication skills.
• Comfort working with data, learning new technology, and managing multiple priorities.

Responsibilities

• Assist with month-end close activities, bi-weekly compensation processing, reconciliations, reporting, data validation, and documentation updates.
• Support strategic initiatives involving Workday and Cadency transitions, process cleanup, system testing, and related implementation work.
• Review existing procedures and processes, identify opportunities for greater efficiency, and provide practical feedback.
• Collaborate with product companies, distributors, internal customers, external partners, and other interns to obtain test data and complete project deliverables.
• Review data in accounting systems, verify data integrity, and support the transition of payments or compensation processes.
• Gain hands-on exposure to the daily operations of the Accounting and Commissions teams while completing a major improvement project.
• Use Microsoft 365, Workday, Cadency, compensation systems, SharePoint, internal accounting systems, and approved AI tools such as Copilot.

Skills

Attention to detail

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Data handling

Time management

Collaboration

Education

Undergraduate student in Accounting/Finance/Business

Tools

Workday

Cadency

Microsoft 365

SharePoint

Job description

The Accounting Intern will support Cambridge's Accounting Department, which includes teams focused on commissions, fee billing and processing, accounting systems, financial reporting, and payroll. This internship provides hands-on experience in accounting operations, compensation processing, financial systems, data validation, and process improvement while contributing to strategic projects that affect the department.

Key Deliverables and Responsibilities

• Assist with month-end close activities, bi-weekly compensation processing, reconciliations, reporting, data validation, and documentation updates.
• Support strategic initiatives involving Workday and Cadency transitions, process cleanup, system testing, and related implementation work.
• Review existing procedures and processes, identify opportunities for greater efficiency, and provide practical feedback.
• Collaborate with product companies, distributors, internal customers, external partners, and other interns to obtain test data and complete project deliverables.
• Review data in accounting systems, verify data integrity, and support the transition of payments or compensation processes.
• Gain hands‑on exposure to the daily operations of the Accounting and Commissions teams while completing a major improvement project.
• Use Microsoft 365, Workday, Cadency, compensation systems, SharePoint, internal accounting systems, and approved AI tools such as Copilot.

What We Are Looking For

• Current undergraduate student pursuing Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Data Analytics, Information Systems, Management, or a related field.
• Strong attention to detail, analytical thinking, organization, accountability, and communication skills.
• Comfort working with data, learning new technology, and managing multiple priorities.
• Ability to collaborate effectively, meet deadlines, and provide strong customer service.
• Curiosity, adaptability during change, initiative, and interest in process improvement.
• An accounting background is helpful but not required.

Program Summary:

Cambridge's Next Step 11-week paid summer internship program (May 17 - July 30) gives students the opportunity to gain valuable insight into both their chosen field and the financial service industry while working on meaningful projects that contribute to business outcomes. Each intern is partnered with a professional mentor and participates in our professional development program, which includes industry education, career workshops, leadership panels, and networking events. Nearly 30% of interns return to Cambridge as full-time associates.

Location:

All internships are on-site, operating out of our Phoenix, AZ or Fairfield, IA offices. Apartment-style housing is available for Fairfield candidates, and some positions may be eligible to work out of our West Des Moines satellite office.

Work Authorization:

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States. We are unable to accommodate temporary student work authorizations, including initial Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT).

Posting Window:

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning in November. Internships are expected to remain posted until January 15, but may close earlier if filled. Candidates are encouraged to apply early for greatest consideration.

Compensation:

$17-$26 per hour depending upon location, role, and year in school. Interns also receive 2 paid holidays and 2 days of paid time off across the summer.

Why Cambridge?

Cambridge has competitive benefits and promotes a work/life balance to encourage individual success.

• Premium benefit package including medical, vision, dental, life and long-term disability insurance
• Vacation/sick time
• 401K retirement plan with company matching program
• Eleven paid holidays

You can find more details about our comprehensive benefits package here.

Cambridge Overview:

Cambridge is a financial solutions firm that provides business support services to thousands of independent financial advisors. These advisors offer personalized investment services including wealth management, financial planning, and retirement services to individuals and families across the country. Cambridge provides significant compliance, technology, and transaction processing support to these financial advisors and their offices.