OPT Accounting Associate Jobs
Accounting Associate jobs are a strong fit for F-1 OPT students with degrees in accounting, finance, or business. Most roles qualify as STEM-adjacent through CIP codes tied to financial analysis, and many employers in public accounting and corporate finance have established OPT sponsorship workflows. Your 12-month OPT window is enough to demonstrate value and build toward H-1B visa sponsorship.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Be the one who makes a difference!
At Vertex Education we are a team of high achievers, courageous leaders, and passionate believers in changing lives through education. As a purpose-led education services provider, our mission is destined to benefit many and yet it starts with just one person inspired to work together with us to make a memorable and meaningful difference for our clients, schools, students, and communities. Be the one who makes a difference—with us.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
As the Staff Accountant for Vertex Management Services, you are the guardian of the month-end close for our partner, Legacy Traditional Schools, ensuring the financial integrity that allows them to focus on changing lives. You will operate with a heads-down focus on transactional execution, meticulously preparing audit-proof reconciliations and processing a high volume of journal entries with exceptional precision. Success in this role is defined by an unwavering commitment to meeting every deadline, prioritizing the speed, accuracy, and integrity of the close cycle. This is a critical role for the detail-obsessed professional who finds deep satisfaction in a perfectly balanced ledger and a predictable, on-time close.
Responsibilities / Essential Functions:
1. Month-End Close Execution:
- Execute all assigned month-end close tasks, including journal entries and reporting, in strict adherence to the close calendar for Legacy Traditional Schools.
- Prepare timely, accurate, and well-documented balance sheet account reconciliations using BlackLine, ensuring all supporting evidence is attached.
- Investigate variances identified during the close process, ensuring all discrepancies are resolved and documented prior to deadlines.
2. General Ledger Integrity & Compliance:
- Maintain the accuracy of assigned general ledger accounts in Workday, ensuring all financial activity for LTS campuses is correctly recorded.
- Apply Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and internal control policies to every transaction to ensure financial compliance.
- Compile and attach comprehensive, audit-ready supporting documentation for all journal entries to ensure a clear audit trail.
- Perform routine and ad-hoc account analysis to validate financial data, identify potential inconsistencies, and escalate material issues.
3. Daily Cash & Treasury Operations:
- Perform daily review of cash reconciliations for all campuses to ensure completeness and accuracy.
- Provide transactional support for merchant account management, including investigating inquiries from LTS campus staff and payment processors.
4. Process Adherence & Documentation:
- Maintain and update detailed documentation for all owned processes and procedures to ensure clarity, consistency, and backup readiness.
- Identify and document opportunities for process improvements, focusing on practical fixes that enhance efficiency within the existing toolset.
- Respond to and resolve assigned finance inquiries from campus staff or internal departments.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
- 2+ years of accounting experience with direct responsibility for general ledger maintenance and month-end close tasks.
- Strong knowledge of U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and internal controls.
- Demonstrated ability to consistently meet tight deadlines in a high-volume, transactional environment.
- Hands-on experience with a large-scale ERP system such as Workday, NetSuite, or Oracle.
- Proficiency using Microsoft Excel for data analysis and reconciliation (e.g., pivot tables, VLOOKUPs).
- Meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to producing accurate, well-documented work.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Direct experience with Workday Financial Management.
- Experience using account reconciliation software, particularly BlackLine.
- Experience in a multi-location or multi-entity accounting environment.
- Background in handling high-volume daily cash reconciliations or treasury operations.
- Experience preparing schedules and supporting documentation for external financial audits.
- Proven ability to create clear and concise process documentation for accounting workflows.
Be excited to be a part of our team and grow your career with us!
Be the one who enables us to positively impact over 258,000 students across multiple states while driving our growth forward so we can enrich even more lives. Be the one who helps us achieve excellence for over 226 schools that we support with academics, finance, technology, human resources, communications, marketing, facilities, construction, and food services. Be the one who is a diverse thinker, a team player, a smart risk taker, an innovator, and a difference maker by encouraging others to climb higher and reach farther to further education.
- Be yourself surrounded by wonderful people who care about you, value your unique skills, and lift you up.
- Be supported in your work by caring leaders and team members who want you to succeed.
- Be empowered to make a difference and climb higher and reach farther to change lives through education.
- Be well in all aspects of your life from your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing to your finances.
- Enjoy industry-leading pay, rewards, referral bonuses, with unlimited flexible paid time-off for performance.
- Be able to care for your health and your family with comprehensive medical, dental and vision benefits and invest in your future with 401(k) plans with a 6% employer match on your contributions.
- Enhance your growth and development with mentoring and money to take training classes.
- Thrive in a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive environment where we treat others with fairness and respect, celebrate diversity, and elevate equality and inclusion as an equal opportunity employer.
Be the one who makes a difference!
With an innovative mind, a hungry heart, and engaging spirit you can change lives through education. Be a part of Vertex Education and let’s make a difference together. Apply Today!
INTRODUCTION
Be the one who makes a difference!
At Vertex Education we are a team of high achievers, courageous leaders, and passionate believers in changing lives through education. As a purpose-led education services provider, our mission is destined to benefit many and yet it starts with just one person inspired to work together with us to make a memorable and meaningful difference for our clients, schools, students, and communities. Be the one who makes a difference—with us.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
As the Staff Accountant for Vertex Management Services, you are the guardian of the month-end close for our partner, Legacy Traditional Schools, ensuring the financial integrity that allows them to focus on changing lives. You will operate with a heads-down focus on transactional execution, meticulously preparing audit-proof reconciliations and processing a high volume of journal entries with exceptional precision. Success in this role is defined by an unwavering commitment to meeting every deadline, prioritizing the speed, accuracy, and integrity of the close cycle. This is a critical role for the detail-obsessed professional who finds deep satisfaction in a perfectly balanced ledger and a predictable, on-time close.
Responsibilities / Essential Functions:
1. Month-End Close Execution:
- Execute all assigned month-end close tasks, including journal entries and reporting, in strict adherence to the close calendar for Legacy Traditional Schools.
- Prepare timely, accurate, and well-documented balance sheet account reconciliations using BlackLine, ensuring all supporting evidence is attached.
- Investigate variances identified during the close process, ensuring all discrepancies are resolved and documented prior to deadlines.
2. General Ledger Integrity & Compliance:
- Maintain the accuracy of assigned general ledger accounts in Workday, ensuring all financial activity for LTS campuses is correctly recorded.
- Apply Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and internal control policies to every transaction to ensure financial compliance.
- Compile and attach comprehensive, audit-ready supporting documentation for all journal entries to ensure a clear audit trail.
- Perform routine and ad-hoc account analysis to validate financial data, identify potential inconsistencies, and escalate material issues.
3. Daily Cash & Treasury Operations:
- Perform daily review of cash reconciliations for all campuses to ensure completeness and accuracy.
- Provide transactional support for merchant account management, including investigating inquiries from LTS campus staff and payment processors.
4. Process Adherence & Documentation:
- Maintain and update detailed documentation for all owned processes and procedures to ensure clarity, consistency, and backup readiness.
- Identify and document opportunities for process improvements, focusing on practical fixes that enhance efficiency within the existing toolset.
- Respond to and resolve assigned finance inquiries from campus staff or internal departments.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
- 2+ years of accounting experience with direct responsibility for general ledger maintenance and month-end close tasks.
- Strong knowledge of U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and internal controls.
- Demonstrated ability to consistently meet tight deadlines in a high-volume, transactional environment.
- Hands-on experience with a large-scale ERP system such as Workday, NetSuite, or Oracle.
- Proficiency using Microsoft Excel for data analysis and reconciliation (e.g., pivot tables, VLOOKUPs).
- Meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to producing accurate, well-documented work.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Direct experience with Workday Financial Management.
- Experience using account reconciliation software, particularly BlackLine.
- Experience in a multi-location or multi-entity accounting environment.
- Background in handling high-volume daily cash reconciliations or treasury operations.
- Experience preparing schedules and supporting documentation for external financial audits.
- Proven ability to create clear and concise process documentation for accounting workflows.
Be excited to be a part of our team and grow your career with us!
Be the one who enables us to positively impact over 258,000 students across multiple states while driving our growth forward so we can enrich even more lives. Be the one who helps us achieve excellence for over 226 schools that we support with academics, finance, technology, human resources, communications, marketing, facilities, construction, and food services. Be the one who is a diverse thinker, a team player, a smart risk taker, an innovator, and a difference maker by encouraging others to climb higher and reach farther to further education.
- Be yourself surrounded by wonderful people who care about you, value your unique skills, and lift you up.
- Be supported in your work by caring leaders and team members who want you to succeed.
- Be empowered to make a difference and climb higher and reach farther to change lives through education.
- Be well in all aspects of your life from your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing to your finances.
- Enjoy industry-leading pay, rewards, referral bonuses, with unlimited flexible paid time-off for performance.
- Be able to care for your health and your family with comprehensive medical, dental and vision benefits and invest in your future with 401(k) plans with a 6% employer match on your contributions.
- Enhance your growth and development with mentoring and money to take training classes.
- Thrive in a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive environment where we treat others with fairness and respect, celebrate diversity, and elevate equality and inclusion as an equal opportunity employer.
Be the one who makes a difference!
With an innovative mind, a hungry heart, and engaging spirit you can change lives through education. Be a part of Vertex Education and let’s make a difference together. Apply Today!
See all 2,150+ OPT Accounting Associate Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Accounting Associate Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as an Accounting Associate
Target firms with H-1B sponsorship history
Public accounting firms like the Big Four and regional CPA firms file H-1B visa petitions regularly. Prioritizing employers with documented sponsorship history dramatically improves your odds of transitioning from OPT to long-term work authorization after your authorized period ends.
Clarify your OPT authorization upfront
When applying, be specific: you have a valid EAD card authorizing employment in accounting roles. Avoid vague phrases like 'need sponsorship.' Most accounting employers understand OPT and appreciate candidates who communicate their authorization status clearly and confidently from the first interaction.
Pursue your CPA exam during OPT
Sitting for the CPA exam while on OPT signals long-term commitment to the profession. Many employers actively sponsor CPA candidates for H-1B because licensed accountants are harder to replace. Check your state board's eligibility rules, as requirements vary by jurisdiction.
Apply early if you have STEM OPT extension eligibility
If your degree falls under an eligible STEM CIP code, such as financial mathematics or financial analytics, you may qualify for a 24-month STEM OPT extension. Confirm eligibility with your DSO before accepting an offer, since this significantly extends your authorized work period.
Highlight software proficiency in applications
Accounting employers value candidates fluent in QuickBooks, SAP, Oracle, or Microsoft Dynamics. OPT students who demonstrate technical accounting software skills reduce employer onboarding concerns and strengthen the case that sponsoring your H-1B is a worthwhile long-term investment for the firm.
Network within professional accounting associations
Organizations like the AICPA and state CPA societies host events where international students connect with hiring managers. Many firms that sponsor H-1B visas recruit actively through these networks, making membership a practical strategy during your OPT job search in accounting.
Accounting Associate OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Does an Accounting Associate role qualify for STEM OPT extension?
It depends on your degree's CIP code, not the job title. Accounting degrees classified under CIP 52.0301 (Accounting) are not STEM-designated, but degrees in financial mathematics, data analytics, or management information systems often are. If your program is STEM-designated, you can apply for a 24-month extension through your DSO, giving you up to three years of OPT work authorization total.
Will accounting employers sponsor me for an H-1B after my OPT ends?
Many do, particularly Big Four firms, regional CPA firms, and large corporate finance teams that hire internationally trained staff regularly. Accounting roles qualify as specialty occupations under H-1B because they require at minimum a bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field. Your best leverage is performing well during OPT, pursuing your CPA license, and having the H-1B conversation with your manager well before your EAD expiration date.
What documents do I need to show an accounting employer when starting work on OPT?
You'll need your valid EAD card, your current F-1 visa stamp, and your I-20 with an OPT authorization endorsement from your DSO. Employers complete Form I-9 and record your EAD details, including the expiration date. Make sure your employer's HR team notes the expiration so they initiate any H-1B or extension process well in advance of your authorization ending.
Can I work for a public accounting firm as a 1099 contractor on OPT?
No. OPT requires that your employment be in a legitimate employer-employee relationship relevant to your degree. Self-employment and independent contracting on a 1099 basis are not permitted under standard OPT authorization. If you're considering freelance bookkeeping or consulting work, speak with your DSO first, since unauthorized self-employment can jeopardize your F-1 status.
Where can I find Accounting Associate jobs that are open to OPT students?
Migrate Mate lists accounting roles specifically filtered for F-1 OPT and visa sponsorship candidates, so you're not sifting through postings from employers who won't work with international students. Browsing Migrate Mate saves time by surfacing roles where employers have already indicated openness to OPT work authorization, which is a meaningful filter when your job search timeline is tied to your EAD expiration.