Associate Jobs in Chicago, IL

Associate

We are the better way to work in finance. As private equity's value creation partner, we sit at the heart of PEwhere sponsors and CFOs meet. Through financial consulting rooted in data, technology, and AI, we help clients drive valuesupporting the office of the CFO to drive end-to-end value creation.

If you crave challenging work and are looking to grow, come solve complex issues alongside 1,400+ finance & technology experts in a supportive, collaborative environment.

Backed by premier private equity firms and headquartered in New York with 10 offices around the globe, we are a high-growth, entrepreneurial firm looking for people who want to be part of building something great. Come make your mark.

Strategic Finance

Accordion's Strategic Finance Practice helps finance teams build capabilities to enhance performance visibility, planning activities, data analytics, and business partnering to enable and accelerate value creation.

By combining extensive operational FP&A experience, data and technology skills, and a proprietary engagement model, we develop and implement tools and processes and deliver solutions that meet the rigor and pace required in a private equity-backed environment.

This role can be based in our Boston, Chicago, Dallas, or New York City office locations and is a hybrid role with the flexibility to work remotely 2 days a week. Ideal candidates should be local to the desired location.

This position is not eligible for immigration sponsorship.

What You'll Do:

As an Associate on a lean, cross-functional team, you will work collaboratively with a diverse set of colleagues with backgrounds in private equity, investment banking, FP&A, Big 4, and financial controllership, to identify and rectify issues across a broad range of scenarios. The following representative engagements are emblematic of the type of work you will do as an Associate at Accordion.

• A financial services company recently emerged from bankruptcy and underwent changes in ownership. They need additional visibility into company-wide financial and operational performance. You are brought in to:
  • Determine data availability and reliability and design a structured process to aggregate relevant data sets that will serve as the foundation of all future reporting
  • Work with the CFO, PE sponsor, and operating team to understand business drivers, verify KPIs, and establish a single source of numerical truth via monthly reporting packages
  • Develop a reporting cadence and automated processes that combine sound data flows and insightful KPIs to generate monthly Board and management reporting packages
  • Train the existing FP&A team to run and own process flows and forecast analysis tools
• A higher education enterprise that scaled up through a series of acquisitions requires a budget plan, better forecasting tools, and insightful analytics to guide decision-making. You are brought in to:
  • Complete a diagnostic deep dive to identify anecdotes, root causes, and key corrective themes in the existing budgeting and forecasting processes
  • Quarterback a comprehensive budget plan and process in partnership with FP&A, sales, operations, and senior leadership teams
  • Build out and maintain 13-week cash flow forecasts by coordinating with the relevant departments within the company
  • Leverage PowerQuery and PowerPivot for structuring, analyzing, and modeling data within Excel; despite back-end complexity, deliver reports that remain user friendly for the CFO, FP&A team, and other relevant stakeholders
• Following the acquisition of three stand-alone businesses, a PE sponsor has identified the need to consolidate operations and establish a singular finance function that will own budgeting, financial reporting, bank reporting, and new CFO onboarding, in order to realize the synergies identified in their investment thesis. Get ready to:
  • Design a singular finance function that can serve all three businesses; including headcount, budget, and specific roles and responsibilities for each member of the team
  • Assist in developing highly detailed, week-by-week training plans for each team member
  • Select and implement a robust ERP solution which meets the needs of the newly combined business
  • Build analytical tools and create template reporting

You Have:

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, or Economics; MBA is a plus
• Minimum 3 years of experience at a top tier private equity firm, investment bank, and/or consulting firm
• High attention to detail and advanced quantitative skills, especially as it relates to financial modeling and corporate valuation
• Proven ability to leverage Excel and other tools (e.g. PowerBI) to manage, simplify, analyze, and present large and complex datasets
• Transactional finance experience, as well as an understanding of operational finance
• Prior experience preparing reports, presentations, and memos; ability to present data-driven insights in a clear, succinct, and comprehensive manner
• Strong drive and motivation, adhering to the highest professional standards in working with clients and colleagues
• An ability to work collaboratively and independently in a team-oriented environment, understanding how to take initiative and seek guidance when needed in order to advance your projects

You Are:

• Excited to be part of a growing team, with a focus on driving future growth
• Passionate about delivering exceptional client service
• Knowledgeable about the relationship between private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, particularly within the office of the CFO
• Willing to get your hands dirty in the details of a project while simultaneously seeing the whole picture
• Comfortable managing projects with multiple complex workstreams while also focused on your single workstream (you are managing and doing)
• A self-starter with a strong work ethic
• Full of entrepreneurial spirit and comfortable in a fluid, flat organization
• Able to effectively communicate complex issues and solutions, and raise issues to senior team members when necessary
• A team player, able to work with team members across all levels
• Someone who enjoys mentoring others and doing meaningful work
• A leader of others; you lead by example

The annual salary for this role ranges from: $112,500 to $160,000 + benefits + bonus.

Actual compensation packages are determined by evaluating a wide array of factors unique to each candidate, including but not limited to geographic location, skill set, years and depth of experience, education, certifications, cost of labor and internal equity.

Accordion is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

Please note that as per Accordion policy, we do not accept unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters unless such recruiters are engaged to provide candidates for a specified opening and in alignment with our inclusive diversity values. Any employment agency, person or entity that submits an unsolicited resume does so with the understanding that Accordion will have the right to hire that applicant at its discretion without any fee owed to the submitting employment agency, person or entity.