Finance Intern (Accounting)

Job description

Finance Intern (Accounting)

Location: San Jose, California, United States Employment type: Internship

About the role

We are looking for a Finance Intern to join the accounting team and gain hands-on experience supporting accurate, timely, and well-controlled financial operations. You will learn how accounting processes connect across the general ledger, period close, reconciliations, payables, financial reporting, and internal controls.

This is a project-based opportunity for someone who is curious about how financial information is recorded, reviewed, and communicated. You will work with accounting and cross-functional partners to organize data, investigate questions, document processes, support recurring activities, and deliver a defined project outcome.

What you’ll do

- Support month-end and quarter-end close activities by preparing schedules, gathering support, tracking open items, and documenting completion.

- Assist with account, balance-sheet, bank, and other reconciliations; investigate differences and escalate questions with appropriate context.

- Help prepare and document journal entries, ledger activity, account analyses, and financial-reporting support materials.

- Support accounts-payable and procure-to-pay activities by organizing invoice, vendor, payment, and approval information.

- Collect, validate, and organize financial data from multiple sources while maintaining accuracy, completeness, and appropriate documentation.

- Help prepare trial-balance, income-statement, balance-sheet, and other financial reports or analysis used by Accounting and Finance stakeholders.

- Maintain process documentation, workpapers, checklists, and audit-support materials in accordance with team standards.

- Support internal-control activities by organizing evidence, tracking requests, and following established review and approval procedures.

- Use Excel and other business tools to analyze information, maintain trackers, identify trends, and communicate findings clearly.

- Partner with Accounting, FP&A, Procurement, Finance Operations, and other teams to clarify requirements and resolve data or process questions.

- Identify opportunities to improve repeatable accounting workflows, data quality, documentation, and reporting.

- Own defined project deliverables with mentor support, provide progress updates, ask questions when blocked, and present project results and next steps.

What you bring

- Currently pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in accounting, finance, business, economics, or a related field.

- Coursework or foundational knowledge in financial accounting, managerial accounting, corporate finance, or related topics.

- Strong analytical and quantitative skills, with careful attention to detail and data accuracy.

- Working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint, including the ability to organize data and communicate analysis clearly.

- Ability to follow a process, investigate discrepancies, maintain organized documentation, and protect business-sensitive information.

- Strong written and verbal communication skills and comfort collaborating with cross-functional partners.

- Organization, ownership, flexibility, and willingness to learn in a dynamic environment.

- Ability to manage milestones and deadlines, follow through reliably, and stay engaged when project scope or priorities change.

- A positive, coachable, learning-oriented attitude and sound judgment.

Preferred qualifications

- Experience with account reconciliations, journal entries, financial reporting, audit support, internal controls, or process documentation through coursework, projects, internships, or campus organizations.

- Familiarity with enterprise resource planning or accounting systems, such as Oracle Fusion, is a plus.

- Experience creating Excel analyses, reporting trackers, dashboards, or other business-facing materials.

- Interest in process improvement, automation, and how technology can improve accounting accuracy and efficiency.

Equal opportunity

Astera Labs is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We encourage anyone with relevant experience to apply.

Internship experience and compensation

This is a paid, hourly U.S. internship. The applicable hourly rate is determined as part of the offer process and specified in the offer letter, depending on education level ranges from $35/hour to $55/hour. U.S. interns currently receive a $500-per-week housing/relocation stipend for the duration of the internship. Interns participate in Early Career programming, including technical and professional-development sessions, community events, and an end-of-program project presentation.