Associate Finance Specialist (SAP)

IBM
IBM

Accounting & Finance

Baton Rouge, LA, USA

Posted on Aug 22, 2026
Introduction

In this role, you'll work in one of our IBM Consulting FutureNow Centers, where we deliver deep technical and industry expertise to a wide range of public and private sector clients around the world. Our delivery centers offer our clients locally based skills and technical expertise to drive innovation and adoption of new technology.

As an Associate at IBM, you'll work with clients to help solve real-world business challenges through technology, innovation, and consulting.

From day one, you'll gain hands-on experience on real client projects while receiving professional and technical mentorship, career coaching, and access to certification opportunities.

At IBM, AI is part of how we deliver solutions, accelerate development, analyze data, automate business processes, and help clients solve complex business challenges. You'll also develop the consulting, communication, and collaboration skills needed to work effectively with clients and multidisciplinary teams throughout your career.

In this role, you'll work in one of our IBM Consulting FutureNow Centers, where we deliver deep technical and industry expertise to a wide range of public and private sector clients around the world. Our delivery centers offer our clients locally based skills and technical expertise to drive innovation and adoption of new technology.

Your role and responsibilities

As an Associate Finance Specialist at IBM, you'll apply your knowledge of finance, accounting, and business operations while developing expertise in SAP, one of the world's leading enterprise technology platforms. You'll help organizations modernize financial processes, improve financial performance and reporting, and use technology, data, automation, and Artificial Intelligence to transform how finance operates.

As part of our SAP practice, you'll work alongside experienced SAP consultants, finance professionals, and technology specialists to help clients solve real-world financial and business challenges through SAP-enabled solutions.

This opportunity is designed for individuals with a strong foundation in finance or accounting who are interested in developing technology and consulting expertise. Prior SAP experience is not required. IBM will provide structured learning, mentorship, IBM SkillsBuild, certification opportunities, and hands-on client experiences to help you develop specialized SAP capabilities.

Depending on business needs, your skills, academic background, and career interests, you may support SAP solutions across areas such as financial accounting, management accounting, financial reporting, general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, budgeting, forecasting, cost management, controlling, and other finance-related business processes.

No two projects are exactly alike, you could support clients across industries including manufacturing, consumer products, retail, healthcare, financial services, energy, automotive, industrial, public sector, and more.

Throughout your experience, you'll strengthen your understanding of end-to-end financial processes while learning how SAP technologies enable those processes across large organizations. You'll gain exposure to how financial requirements are translated into enterprise solutions and how technology, data, automation, analytics, and AI can improve financial operations and decision-making.

You may have opportunities to:

  • Work with finance, accounting, business, and technology teams to understand financial processes, requirements, challenges, and opportunities for improvement.
  • Support SAP-enabled finance processes including financial accounting, general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, reporting, budgeting, forecasting, cost management, controlling, and related financial activities.
  • Analyze financial and business requirements and help translate them into SAP-enabled process and technology solutions.
  • Apply finance and accounting knowledge to understand how transactions and business processes flow through an organization and contribute to financial reporting, controls, analysis, and decision-making.
  • Participate in SAP configuration, testing, data validation, documentation, issue resolution, and solution implementation activities under the guidance of experienced team members.
  • Analyze financial, operational, and business data to identify trends, evaluate performance, and support business decision-making.
  • Support finance process improvement and transformation initiatives designed to improve efficiency, accuracy, visibility, controls, and financial performance.
  • Collaborate with experienced SAP consultants, finance professionals, technology specialists, and client stakeholders while developing consulting, communication, analytical, and technology skills.
  • Gain exposure to how Artificial Intelligence, automation, analytics, cloud technologies, and enterprise platforms are transforming the finance function.

We're not looking for SAP experts. We're looking for individuals with strong finance and accounting capabilities, analytical thinking, curiosity, and a desire to learn. Through structured development and hands-on experience, you'll build the SAP and consulting capabilities needed to complement your financial expertise.

To give yourself the best opportunity for success, we advise applying only to roles that align with your skills and experience, rather than applying broadly across all entry-level positions. You’ll receive a status update email for each application, so be sure to check your IBM Careers account regularly — it’s the best way to get a centralized view of which roles you have active applications against.

Required education
Bachelor's Degree
Preferred education
Bachelor's Degree
Required technical and professional expertise
  • Currently completing or recently completed a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration with a concentration in Finance or Accounting, or a closely related business field. MBA candidates with relevant finance, accounting, or financial business-process experience are also encouraged to apply.
  • Strong foundational understanding of finance and accounting concepts, including areas such as financial reporting, general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, budgeting, forecasting, cost management, financial analysis, controlling, or related financial processes.
  • Understanding of how financial transactions and business processes contribute to financial statements, reporting, internal controls, performance analysis, and business decision-making.
  • Ability to analyze financial and business information, identify trends and problems, evaluate processes, and develop structured recommendations.
  • Demonstrated application of finance, accounting, analytical, or business problem-solving skills through coursework, academic projects, internships, case competitions, research, student organizations, IBM SkillsBuild, certifications, or other practical experiences.
  • Interest in developing expertise in SAP, enterprise finance technologies, analytics, automation, Artificial Intelligence, and digital transformation.
  • Ability to communicate financial information, analysis, and recommendations clearly to business and technical audiences.
  • Curiosity and willingness to learn how enterprise technology supports complex finance and accounting operations.

Prior SAP experience is not required. We're looking for individuals with a strong financial foundation and the desire to develop expertise at the intersection of finance, SAP technology, and consulting.

Bring your curiosity. Grow your skills. Build what's next — like an IBMer.

Preferred technical and professional experience
  • Experience applying finance or accounting concepts through internships, academic projects, case competitions, research, student organizations, or other practical experiences.
  • Exposure to financial analysis, financial reporting, budgeting and forecasting, cost accounting, management accounting, financial modeling, business analytics, or process improvement.
  • Familiarity with financial systems, ERP concepts, spreadsheets, business intelligence, data visualization, or other business technologies.
  • Exposure to SAP or other ERP platforms is welcomed but not required.
  • Interest in SAP Finance, finance transformation, Artificial Intelligence, automation, analytics, enterprise technology, and consulting.

ABOUT BUSINESS UNIT

IBM Consulting is IBM’s consulting and global professional services business, with market leading capabilities in business and technology transformation. With deep expertise in many industries, we offer strategy, experience, technology, and operations services to many of the most innovative and valuable companies in the world. Our people are focused on accelerating our clients’ businesses through the power of collaboration. We believe in the power of technology responsibly used to help people, partners and the planet.

YOUR LIFE @ IBM

In a world where technology never stands still, we understand that, dedication to our clients success, innovation that matters, and trust and personal responsibility in all our relationships, lives in what we do as IBMers as we strive to be the catalyst that makes the world work better.

Being an IBMer means you’ll be able to learn and develop yourself and your career, you’ll be encouraged to be courageous and experiment everyday, all whilst having continuous trust and support in an environment where everyone can thrive whatever their personal or professional background.

Our IBMers are growth minded, always staying curious, open to feedback and learning new information and skills to constantly transform themselves and our company. They are trusted to provide on-going feedback to help other IBMers grow, as well as collaborate with colleagues keeping in mind a team focused approach to include different perspectives to drive exceptional outcomes for our customers. The courage our IBMers have to make critical decisions everyday is essential to IBM becoming the catalyst for progress, always embracing challenges with resources they have to hand, a can-do attitude and always striving for an outcome focused approach within everything that they do.

Are you ready to be an IBMer?

ABOUT IBM

IBM’s greatest invention is the IBMer. We believe that through the application of intelligence, reason and science, we can improve business, society and the human condition, bringing the power of an open hybrid cloud and AI strategy to life for our clients and partners around the world.

Restlessly reinventing since 1911, we are not only one of the largest corporate organizations in the world, we’re also one of the biggest technology and consulting employers, with many of the Fortune 500 companies relying on the IBM Cloud to run their business.

At IBM, we pride ourselves on being an early adopter of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and blockchain. Now it’s time for you to join us on our journey to being a responsible technology innovator and a force for good in the world.

IBM is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, or other characteristics protected by the applicable law. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.

OTHER RELEVANT JOB DETAILS

IBM offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits program. Eligible employees may have access to:

- Healthcare benefits including medical & prescription drug coverage, dental, vision, and mental health & well being

- Financial programs such as 401(k), cash balance pension plan, the IBM Employee Stock Purchase Plan, financial counseling, life insurance, short & long- term disability coverage, and opportunities for performance based salary incentive programs

- Generous paid time off including 12 holidays, minimum 56 hours sick time, 120 hours vacation, 12 weeks parental bonding leave in accordance with IBM Policy, and other Paid Care Leave programs. IBM also offers paid family leave benefits to eligible employees where required by applicable law

- Training and educational resources on our personalized, AI-driven learning platform where IBMers can grow skills and obtain industry-recognized certifications to achieve their career goals

- Diverse and inclusive employee resource groups, giving & volunteer opportunities, and discounts on retail products, services & experiences

We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable law.

This position was posted on the date cited in the key job details section and is anticipated to remain posted for 21 days from this date or less if not needed to fill the role.

IBM will not be providing visa sponsorship for this position now or in the future. Therefore, in order to be considered for this position, you must have the ability to work without a need for current or future visa sponsorship.

The compensation range and benefits for this position are based on a full-time schedule for a full calendar year. The salary will vary depending on your job-related skills, experience and location. Pay increment and frequency of pay will be in accordance with employment classification and applicable laws. For part time roles, your compensation and benefits will be adjusted to reflect your hours. Benefits may be pro-rated for those who start working during the calendar year.

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