Associate, Accounting Advisory

Associate, Accounting Advisory
About the position:
Palm Tree’s Consulting group provides our clients with Transaction Advisory Services, Strategic Finance/FP&A, Accounting Advisory, Data & Analytics, and other Office of the CFO initiatives. Palm Tree's Accounting Advisory team is bolstering its internal resources in response to growth and demand.

Who we are seeking:

• An accounting professional with knowledge of US GAAP, including purchase accounting, debt and equity securities, stock-based compensation, revenue recognition, and lease accounting, who enjoys client services/consulting
• An accounting advisory professional from a consulting firm, seeking to help grow a service line in an entrepreneurial environment
• A high-performing Senior Associate or Manager in Audit seeking to pivot their expertise into a career in Accounting Advisory and grow a practice in an entrepreneurial environment
• An accounting professional with industry experience, seeking to draw from those experiences and get into a client-facing role

Responsibilities & Duties:

• General management of Accounting Advisory engagements, providing guidance, direction, and assignment of tasks to colleagues, and leading communication with clients throughout the process
  
  • Lead the day-to-day execution of Accounting Advisory assignments, with primary responsibility for review and preparation of client deliverables
  • Client deliverables can range from internal and external financial reporting packages, accounting memoranda, accounting policies, external audit requests, supporting schedules, purchase price accounting work, and journal entries
  • Review and analyze current accounting/finance processes to identify improvement opportunities related to month-end close processes, reporting and automation. This includes assessing root causes, providing solutions, and supporting the implementation of recommendations
  • Provide final quality control of client deliverables (including reporting packages, models, KPI reports, etc.)
  • Manage variance analysis process on critical areas of the income statement, balance sheet, and other reports, leading to operational insights and improvement opportunities.
  • Guide junior team members’ analysis of financials, including review of their work; help to bridge financial analysis to operational challenges/changes
  • Lead calls with clients to review and explain financial results
• Support incorporation of our reports, processes, and other deliverables into the client’s ongoing business operations
  
  • Lead meetings and conference calls in financial and business discovery, as well as change management activities
  • Perform detailed analyses on and synthesize actionable insights from data sets and unstructured information sources
  • Consult with clients on changes to team structure, business processes, and information needs
• Effectively and efficiently communicate engagement status updates to senior team members
• Leverage client relationships in planning and executing project deliverables and business development-related activities.
• Train, develop, and manage junior team members
• Begin to participate in developing new client relationships and other business development functions
  
  • Be actively involved in building and maintaining client relationships and other business development opportunities

Qualifications & Requirements:
Associate candidates should have an undergraduate degree in Accounting; any post-graduate degrees, including MAC or MBA, are helpful but not required. An active CPA is highly preferred.
Ideal Associate candidates will have begun their career in public accounting within the audit practice and have 4-5+ total years of relevant professional experience. A combination of audit/assurance experience and accounting advisory or corporate/industry experience is preferred. An ideal candidate should have experience managing multiple team members across different engagements in their prior work experience.
The ideal candidate will be familiar with all aspects of Financial Reporting, both internal and external, with the ability to lead engagements. In addition to demonstrating a strong work ethic, and a capability to lead teams and manage multiple engagements, candidates should have sound technical skills and proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint. 
Other qualities we look for in a candidate:

• Is dedicated to delivering high-quality work products and always pushing themselves to do their best
• Is committed to a “team first” atmosphere and has the will to support their teammates and learn from those around them in each engagement
• Is flexible given client demands and requirements – engagements can vary from traditional audit/month-end close
• Is proactive, motivated, and has a self-starter attitude with a desire to improve continuously
• Has an inquisitive personality that enjoys puzzles, combining strong analytical and critical thinking skills with attention to detail
• Has an ability to “stay cool” under pressure and thrive in demanding work environments
• Has excellent written, presentation, leadership, and interpersonal communication skills
• Is highly organized with strong project management skills

Compensation:
The base salary for this position ranges from $100k-$125k with a performance-based bonus. The final title and compensation will be based on the candidate's experience and day-1 capabilities, as determined in the interview process. In addition, Palm Tree offers medical, dental, and vision premium coverage, a competitive 401k program, an unlimited paid time off (PTO) policy (no formalized limits; take as needed), a robust maternity/paternity leave program, and many other fringe benefits.
*Palm Tree is a "Hybrid" work environment; this position requires 2+ days per week in the office. Palm Tree engagements can also require 5% - 35+% travel with the ability to work remotely and with offices in the L.A., Chicago, Detroit, and Dallas markets.*