Associate Finance Specialist (SAP) – 2027

IBM; Baton Rouge (LA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

IBM Consulting is seeking an Associate Finance Specialist to support SAP-enabled financial processes and drive transformation for diverse client engagements. You will collaborate with SAP consultants and finance professionals to modernize financial reporting and operations while gaining hands-on client experience.

We look for candidates with a strong finance foundation, curiosity, and a desire to learn SAP finance, analytics, and automation within a consulting context.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing or recently completed Bachelor's or Master's in Finance, Accounting, or related field.
• Strong foundation in financial reporting, general ledger, budgeting, forecasting, and cost management.
• Ability to analyze financial information, identify trends, and develop structured recommendations.
• Interest in SAP, analytics, automation, and AI within enterprise finance.

Responsibilities

• Apply finance and accounting knowledge to support SAP-enabled processes.
• Collaborate with SAP consultants and finance professionals on client projects.
• Assist in financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting activities.
• Help translate business requirements into SAP-enabled finance solutions.
• Participate in data validation, testing, and documentation for SAP configurations.
• Support process improvement and transformation initiatives.

Skills

Finance concepts

Financial analysis

Accounting

Communication

Problem-solving

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Finance/Accounting/Business

Tools

SAP

Excel

ERP concepts

Job description

Introduction

In this role, you'll work in one of our IBM Consulting FutureNow Centers, where we deliver deep technical and industry expertise to a wide range of public and private sector clients around the world. Our delivery centers offer our clients locally based skills and technical expertise to drive innovation and adoption of new technology.

In this role, you'll work in one of our IBM Consulting FutureNow Centers, where we deliver deep technical and industry expertise to a wide range of public and private sector clients around the world. Our delivery centers offer our clients locally based skills and technical expertise to drive innovation and adoption of new technology. As an Associate at IBM, you'll work with clients to help solve real-world business challenges through technology, innovation, and consulting. From day one, you'll gain hands-on experience on real client projects while receiving professional and technical mentorship, career coaching, and access to certification opportunities. At IBM, AI is part of how we deliver solutions, accelerate development, analyze data, automate business processes, and help clients solve complex business challenges. You'll also develop the consulting, communication, and collaboration skills needed to work effectively with clients and multidisciplinary teams throughout your career.

Your Role And Responsibilities

As an Associate Finance Specialist at IBM, you'll apply your knowledge of finance, accounting, and business operations while developing expertise in SAP, one of the world's leading enterprise technology platforms. You'll help organizations modernize financial processes, improve financial performance and reporting, and use technology, data, automation, and Artificial Intelligence to transform how finance operates. As part of our SAP practice, you'll work alongside experienced SAP consultants, finance professionals, and technology specialists to help clients solve real-world financial and business challenges through SAP-enabled solutions. This opportunity is designed for individuals with a strong foundation in finance or accounting who are interested in developing technology and consulting expertise. Prior SAP experience is not required. IBM will provide structured learning, mentorship, IBM SkillsBuild, certification opportunities, and hands-on client experiences to help you develop specialized SAP capabilities. Depending on business needs, your skills, academic background, and career interests, you may support SAP solutions across areas such as financial accounting, management accounting, financial reporting, general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, budgeting, forecasting, cost management, controlling, and other finance-related business processes. No two projects are exactly alike, you could support clients across industries including manufacturing, consumer products, retail, healthcare, financial services, energy, automotive, industrial, public sector, and more. Throughout your experience, you'll strengthen your understanding of end-to-end financial processes while learning how SAP technologies enable those processes across large organizations. You'll gain exposure to how financial requirements are translated into enterprise solutions and how technology, data, automation, analytics, and AI can improve financial operations and decision-making.

You May Have Opportunities To

• Work with finance, accounting, business, and technology teams to understand financial processes, requirements, challenges, and opportunities for improvement.
• Support SAP-enabled finance processes including financial accounting, general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, reporting, budgeting, forecasting, cost management, controlling, and related financial activities.
• Analyze financial and business requirements and help translate them into SAP-enabled process and technology solutions.
• Apply finance and accounting knowledge to understand how transactions and business processes flow through an organization and contribute to financial reporting, controls, analysis, and decision-making.
• Participate in SAP configuration, testing, data validation, documentation, issue resolution, and solution implementation activities under the guidance of experienced team members.
• Analyze financial, operational, and business data to identify trends, evaluate performance, and support business decision-making.
• Support finance process improvement and transformation initiatives designed to improve efficiency, accuracy, visibility, controls, and financial performance.
• Collaborate with experienced SAP consultants, finance professionals, technology specialists, and client stakeholders while developing consulting, communication, analytical, and technology skills.
• Gain exposure to how Artificial Intelligence, automation, analytics, cloud technologies, and enterprise platforms are transforming the finance function.

We're not looking for SAP experts. We're looking for individuals with strong finance and accounting capabilities, analytical thinking, curiosity, and a desire to learn. Through structured development and hands-on experience, you'll build the SAP and consulting capabilities needed to complement your financial expertise.

Preferred Education

Bachelor's Degree

Required Technical And Professional Expertise

• Currently completing or recently completed a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration with a concentration in Finance or Accounting, or a closely related business field. MBA candidates with relevant finance, accounting, or financial business-process experience are also encouraged to apply.
• Strong foundational understanding of finance and accounting concepts, including areas such as financial reporting, general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, budgeting, forecasting, cost management, financial analysis, controlling, or related financial processes.
• Understanding of how financial transactions and business processes contribute to financial statements, reporting, internal controls, performance analysis, and business decision-making.
• Ability to analyze financial and business information, identify trends and problems, evaluate processes, and develop structured recommendations.
• Demonstrated application of finance, accounting, analytical, or business problem-solving skills through coursework, academic projects, internships, case competitions, research, student organizations, IBM SkillsBuild, certifications, or other practical experiences.
• Interest in developing expertise in SAP, enterprise finance technologies, analytics, automation, Artificial Intelligence, and digital transformation.
• Ability to communicate financial information, analysis, and recommendations clearly to business and technical audiences.
• Curiosity and willingness to learn how enterprise technology supports complex finance and accounting operations.

Prior SAP experience is not required. We’re looking for individuals with a strong financial foundation and the desire to develop expertise at the intersection of finance, SAP technology, and consulting.

Bring your curiosity. Grow your skills. Build what's next - like an IBMer.

Preferred Technical And Professional Experience

• Experience applying finance or accounting concepts through internships, academic projects, case competitions, research, student organizations, or other practical experiences.
• Exposure to financial analysis, financial reporting, budgeting and forecasting, cost accounting, management accounting, financial modeling, business analytics, or process improvement.
• Familiarity with financial systems, ERP concepts, spreadsheets, business intelligence, data visualization, or other business technologies.
• Exposure to SAP or other ERP platforms is welcomed but not required.
• Interest in SAP Finance, finance transformation, Artificial Intelligence, automation, analytics, enterprise technology, and consulting.