Associate

Company Overview

In 2009, Accordion set out to prove that there was a better way to work in finance – and more specifically, a better way to unlock value potential in private equity portfolio companies. In the years since, our firm has grown into a nationwide team of 350+ finance and technology professionals, serving the world’s leading private equity firms from ten offices and remote locations across the U.S. (Accordion’s headquarters are in New York, with offices in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and South Florida.)

Working at the intersection of sponsors and management teams, Accordion partners with clients at every stage of the investment lifecycle to elevate the finance function. Our services span the Office of the CFO – providing hands-on, results-oriented execution and technology-enablement.

So, what does it mean to work at Accordion? It means thriving in a high-growth, agile, and entrepreneurial environment. It means changing the way private equity firms create value at their portfolio companies. And ultimately, it means making your mark on the firm’s future – by embracing a culture rooted in humility and a firm-wide commitment to building something great, together. 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 one of our office locations as listed above and is a hybrid role. Candidates will need to be local to the areas, 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:

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance or economics. A Master’s degree (MBA, MA in Finance etc.) is even better.
• 2 years+ experience at a top tier private equity firm, investment bank and/or consulting firm.
• Strong quantitative skills, are highly organized and pay extreme attention to detail.
• Very strong financial modeling and corporate valuation skills.
• Ability to leverage Excel to manage, simplify, analyze and present large and complex datasets.
• Ability to prepare reports, presentations and memos put your thoughts into writing in a clear, succinct and comprehensive manner.
• Eagerness to put together a powerful PowerPoint deck on Tuesday and present it to senior management on Wednesday.
• A moral compass; high integrity is non-negotiable.

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 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
• Willing to travel according to client needs

Salary: $130,000 to $165,000 + 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.

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