Accounting & Finance Associate

Job Description

Accounting & Finance Associate | Planet Networks

The Tone:
This is a full-time role at Planet Networks, located in Newton, NJ. Planet Networks is a well-capitalized technology and telecommunications company with over 100 employees, committed to improving lives by providing high-speed internet. This position offers a unique opportunity to join the finance organization during a critical growth period, helping to build and scale accounting processes, financial reporting capabilities, systems, and internal controls from the ground up. You will be entrusted with meaningful responsibilities from day one, contributing directly to the company’s financial insights and operational backbone.

The TL;DR
• Role: Early Career
• Type: Full-time
• Location: In-person, Newton, NJ
• Pay: $80000–$100000 yearly
• Team: Finance organization, reporting to the VP of Finance & Procurement
• Mission: Take ownership of recurring accounting and financial processes to support the company’s continued growth and ensure robust financial operations.
• Tech Stack: NetSuite, QuickBooks, Power BI, SQL, Python, Microsoft Excel

What You’ll Actually Do
• Accounting Operations: Support comprehensive accounts payable and accounts receivable activities, including invoice review, payment recording, expense coding, and reconciliation of financial systems. Prepare bank and balance-sheet account reconciliations, investigate reconciling items, and post journal entries to ensure accurate and timely transaction processing for month-end close.
• Financial Reporting: Assist with the preparation of monthly management reporting packages, analyze key financial and operational performance indicators, and support critical cash-flow and liquidity reporting, including short-term forecasting and analysis of expected receipts and disbursements.
• Process Improvement: Take ownership of assigned recurring processes, actively help design and implement automated accounting workflows, reconciliations, and reports, while identifying opportunities to reduce manual effort, improve data quality, and strengthen controls. Support the continued implementation and optimization of NetSuite and related financial systems.
• Financial Analysis: Analyze actual financial performance against budget, forecast, and prior periods, identifying unusual trends, variances, risks, and opportunities, and clearly communicating these findings. Assist with the preparation of financial models and schedules used to support strategic business decisions.
• Compliance & Documentation: Maintain accurate accounting schedules and supporting workpapers, review transactions for appropriate classification under U.S. GAAP and company accounting policies, and support the development and documentation of robust accounting procedures and internal controls.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Possess a Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a closely related field, coupled with a strong understanding of fundamental accounting concepts and U.S. GAAP principles.
• Experience: Demonstrate zero to two years of relevant professional experience, which must include prior internship or professional experience in public accounting, corporate accounting, financial planning and analysis, or audit functions.
• Skills: Exhibit advanced Microsoft Excel proficiency, including the ability to organize, analyze, reconcile, and interpret large datasets, alongside strong analytical and problem-solving skills, excellent attention to detail, and effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Bonus: Experience using NetSuite or another enterprise resource planning system, familiarity with QuickBooks or Power BI for data visualization, exposure to SQL or Python, experience building or maintaining financial models, or practical involvement in system implementations and accounting-process improvements, particularly in fixed assets or capital-project accounting.