Associate

Chicago, IL, United States

Company Overview

There’s a better way to work in finance—and more specifically, a better way to unlock value potential in private equity-backed portfolio companies. Working at the intersection of sponsors and management teams across every stage of the investment lifecycle, our team provides hands-on, execution-oriented support to elevate the office of the CFO.

So, what does it mean to work at Accordion? It means joining 1,000+ finance & technology experts in a high-growth, agile, and entrepreneurial environment while changing the way portfolio companies drive value. It also means making your mark on Accordion’s future—by embracing a culture rooted in collaboration and a firm-wide commitment to building something great, together.

Accordion is headquartered in New York City with 11 offices around the globe. Join us!

Strategic Finance

Accordion’s Strategic FP&A 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 PE-backed environment.

This position must be based in our Chicago office and is a hybrid role. Candidates will need to be local to the area, with opportunities for remote work 2-3 days per week.

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 Controllers, to identify and rectify issues across a broad range of scenarios. The following representative engagements are emblematic of the type of work you’ll 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, 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 a 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 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, you 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 on-boarding 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 a 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, create template reporting.

Ideally, You Have:

You have a bachelor's degree in business, finance or economics. A Master’s degree (MBA, MA in Finance etc.) is even better.

Minimum 3 years+ experience at a top tier private equity firm,investmentbankand/or consulting firm.

Strong quantitative skills are highly organized and pay extreme attention to detail.

Strong ability to leverage Excel to manage, simplify, analyze and present large and complex datasets.

Strong financial modeling and corporate valuation skills.

Prior experience preparing reports, presentations and memos put your thoughts into writing in a clear, succinct, and comprehensive manner.

Demonstrated good judgement, take initiative and seek guidance when needed in order to advance your projects.

Strong drive and motivation and adhere to the highest professional standards in working with clients and colleagues.

Ideally, 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 leader of others; you lead by example

A strong team player, able to work with team members across all levels

Someone who enjoys mentoring others and doing meaningful work

Willing to travel according to client needs

Salary: $130,000 to $170,000 + benefits + bonus

Actual compensation packages are determined by evaluating a wide array of factors unique to each candidate, including but not limited to 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.

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