Financial Reporting Associate

Equity Methods; Scottsdale (AZ); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Equity Methods seeks an Associate in Scottsdale to join our Financial Reporting Group. You will begin by completing our new-hire training, learning our internal algorithms and client report categories, and supporting ongoing financial reporting engagements by understanding client processes and needs.

As you progress, you will interact with clients, lead reengineering efforts, contribute to new client implementations, and help design and document data handling to ensure compliance with accounting

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's in accounting, finance, economics, or related discipline. Please be sure your GPA is listed on your resume.
• 0 – 4 years experience in a financial reporting, finance, advisory or audit role. Candidates at a more senior level may be considered for a different position within the practice.
• Expertise and experience in theoretical accounting subjects: capability to interpret complex accounting theory and translate into a process-based understanding of how data should flow and be manipulated.
• Ability and willingness to think critically and solve “out-of-the-box” problems independently.
• Creativity in engineering processes from both a controls and efficiency perspective.
• Maturity in internal/external communication and time management.
• Desirable: Exposure to database design principles.
• Desirable: Exposure to SAS or another programming language for high-volume data handling.
• Desirable: CPA license or CPA candidacy; CFA or other similar pursuits also welcomed.

Responsibilities

• Completing our new-hire training program. The training covers our internal algorithms, programming tools, and client report categories.
• Supporting ongoing financial reporting engagements, by learning the inner workings of client processes, what purposes they serve, and how they address client needs.
• Executing client processes, thereby demonstrating excellent attention to detail, drafting client emails, and collaborating with more experienced team members to ensure client expectations are met.
• Designing, implementing, and documenting the underlying data handling processes, ensuring that solutions are consistent with the terms of the client’s compensation plans and adhere to accounting standards.
• Participating in client delivery meetings and external audit review sessions, ensuring that clients understand the work product delivered and can utilize the reports in their financial reporting, and their external auditors grasp all essential features of the solution.
• Support in various practice initiatives related to risk management, process reengineering, and technical research.
• Implementing and enhancing control measures within the practice to ensure risk is being properly managed in client engagements. Developing specific control tests, performing end-to-end analyses of processes to understand where there is risk, and assisting in compilation of high-quality work papers for future reference and re-performance.

Skills

Problem solving

Analytical thinking

Effective communication

Time management

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in accounting, finance, economics, or related discipline

Tools

SAS

Database design principles

Job description

Open positions: typical hiring occurs for December, February and June start dates, however, we welcome the opportunity to meet and hire exceptional candidates at any point during the year.

We are looking for an energetic professional who enjoys problem solving, aspires to create genuine impact to clients, and appreciates working through technical finance and accounting issues.

About The Successful Candidate

You built a reputation as someone who loves problem-solving and learning. You learn quickly, and you enjoy the challenge of doing so. You think about your career and hope to find a home where you can make a genuine impact and see a link between your effort and the firm’s performance. Teammates view you as someone who moves quickly and follows through on your commitments.

You enjoyed your finance and accounting course work. While perhaps you were not exposed to programming languages, the idea of taking a manual, multi-step process and automating it sounds interesting to you. Learning how to interact with clients and communicate complex technical issues clearly is something you think you would enjoy.

In short, you’re analytical, low on politics, and high on impact.

Typical Qualifications

• Bachelors or Masters in accounting, finance, economics, or related discipline. Please be sure your GPA is listed on your resume.
• 0 – 4 years experience in a financial reporting, finance, advisory or audit role. Candidates at a more senior level may be considered for a different position within the practice.
• Expertise and experience in theoretical accounting subjects: capability to interpret complex accounting theory and translate into a process-based understanding of how data should flow and be manipulated.
• Ability and willingness to think critically and solve “out-of-the-box” problems independently.
• Creativity in engineering processes from both a controls and efficiency perspective.
• Maturity in internal/external communication and time management.
• Desirable: Exposure to database design principles.
• Desirable: Exposure to SAS or another programming language for high-volume data handling.
• Desirable: CPA license or CPA candidacy; CFA or other similar pursuits also welcomed.

The Financial Reporting Group at EM:

Our award-winning Financial Reporting team specializes in developing controlled processes to manage the external and internal reporting for publicly traded companies’ share-based payment programs.

• External reporting needs span compensation expense, diluted EPS, and deferred tax (ASC 718, 260, and 740, respectively). We also assist clients with ASC 805, 820, 470, and 480 matters.
• Internal reporting needs span forecasting and budgeting, international tax management, and related varieties of management accounting.
• You can read more about our Financial Reporting Service offerings here: http://www.equitymethods.com/reporting/

The Associate Role:

As a new associate at Equity Methods, you will have an immediate opportunity to begin applying the skills you acquire in training to client work. You will then gain exposure to client processes, engagement structures, project deliverables, and how we engineer well-controlled algorithms to reduce risk and drive automation. As your career progresses, you will begin interacting with clients, mastering the theory behind our reporting areas, leading reengineering efforts, supporting new client implementations, and more.

More specific roles and responsibilities include:

• Completing our new-hire training program. The training covers our internal algorithms, programming tools, and client report categories.
• Supporting ongoing financial reporting engagements, by learning the inner workings of client processes, what purposes they serve, and how they address client needs.
• Executing client processes, thereby demonstrating excellent attention to detail, drafting client emails, and collaborating with more experienced team members to ensure client expectations are met.
• Designing, implementing, and documenting the underlying data handling processes, ensuring that solutions are consistent with the terms of the client’s compensation plans and adhere to accounting standards.
• Participating in client delivery meetings and external audit review sessions, ensuring that clients understand the work product delivered and can utilize the reports in their financial reporting, and their external auditors grasp all essential features of the solution.
• Support in various practice initiatives related to risk management, process reengineering, and technical research.
• Implementing and enhancing control measures within the practice to ensure risk is being properly managed in client engagements. Developing specific control tests, performing end-to-end analyses of processes to understand where there is risk, and assisting in compilation of high-quality work papers for future reference and re-performance.

Consulting associates will be supported by leaders of the practice in an effort to train and develop skills related to engagement management early in their careers.

More About Equity Methods:

Equity Methods serves a diverse clientele from dozens of Fortune 500 firms to early-stage pre-IPO firms. We have served more than 50 Fortune 100 firms all the way to early-stage venture-backed organizations. Our clients span the entire United States, in addition to some in Canada, South America, and Europe. We offer a diverse array of services that solve mission-critical priorities within corporate accounting and human resources functions.

At our size of 180+ professionals and countless brand-name clients, we combine the best of a large professional services firm with the best of an entrepreneurial growth venture. The culture fosters excellence in client service, innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement. We have a bias toward promoting from within and we celebrate the diverse strengths of our colleagues. We made Inc. 5000’s list of America’s fastest-growing private companies and are consistently rated a Top Company to Work for in Arizona.