Intern – Public Sector Accounting/Finance

Job Description

2027 Governmental Accounting Practice Summer Intern | Plante Moran

The Tone:
This is a hybrid internship with Plante Moran, available across various office regions including Colorado, Illinois, Ohio, and Massachusetts. Plante Moran operates as one of the nation’s largest audit, tax, consulting, and wealth management firms, distinguished by its unique “we-care” culture and consistent recognition as a Fortune Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.” This internship provides a crucial opportunity to contribute meaningful financial and accounting support to public sector clients, such as cities, schools, and libraries. Interns play a direct role in assuring the financial health of these organizations, making a tangible impact from day one and contributing to their long-term success. The firm prioritizes intern growth, well-being, and professional development within a supportive, world-class environment where you can count on robust career journey support.

The TL;DR
• Role: Internship
• Type: Summer
• Location: Hybrid – across CO, IL, OH, MA regions
• Pay: $28 hourly
• Mission: Instill confidence in public sector organizations by assuring their financial health and providing essential accounting and finance support.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Client Support: Provide essential financial staffing and related consulting support to a diverse range of public sector clients, including cities, villages, libraries, and K-12 school districts.
• Financial Operations: Assist public clients with critical accounting and finance functions, which encompasses performing bank reconciliations, aiding in budget development, and supporting the year-end close of financial records.
• Transaction Processing: Accurately verify, allocate, and post details of client transactions to subsidiary accounts in journals or computer files, utilizing documents such as bank statements, invoices, and receipts.
• Financial Analysis: Compile and analyze complex financial information to prepare necessary entries to accounts, including general ledger accounts, ensuring meticulous documentation of client transactions.
• Process Improvement: Work either independently or as part of a team to identify and implement improvements in client accounting operations, including the development and drafting of new policies and procedures.
• Reporting: Analyze detailed financial information concerning assets, liabilities, and equity, subsequently preparing key financial statements such as balance sheets, statements of revenues and expenditures, and other reports to summarize current and projected financial positions.
• Collaboration: Engage collaboratively with other consultants and clients to generate and implement recommendations for continuous improvement within their financial processes.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Pursuing a Bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in accounting, or a Master’s degree in accounting or tax, with a clear intention to return to school following the internship.
• Experience: Demonstrated academic success, maintaining a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
• Skills: Possesses a detail-oriented mindset combined with strong leadership qualities, problem-solving capabilities, effective communication skills, organizational proficiency, technical aptitude, and analytical abilities.
• Bonus: On track to complete the necessary degree and supporting credits required to sit for the CPA or CIA exam, with the ultimate goal of successfully obtaining either the CIA or CPA license.