Assurance Associate - October 2025 (Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo)

Job Summary:

The Assurance Associate will be responsible for preparing financial statements with disclosures, applying basic areas of GAAP as necessary and documenting, validating, testing, and assessing various control systems. This position may also be involved in reviews and agreed-upon procedure engagements. The Assurance Associate will be expected to travel, as needed, to meet firm and client needs.


Job Duties

Control Environment:

• Applies knowledge and understanding of the collective effect of various factors on establishing or enhancing effectiveness, or mitigating the risks, of specific policies and procedures by:
  • Identifying and considering all applicable policies, laws, rules, and regulations of the firm, regulators, or other authoritative bodies as part of engagement team;
  • Making constructive suggestions to improve client internal controls and accounting procedures;
  • Documenting and validating the operating effectiveness of the clients’ internal control system.

GAAP:

• Applies knowledge and understanding of governing principles; applying these principles to client transactions; and documenting and communicating an understanding and application of these principles by:
  • Providing support of conclusions with authoritative literature;
  • Drafting basic sets of financial statements with disclosures;
  • Researching intermediate areas of accounting and forming an initial opinion on the correct treatment independently

GAAS:

• Applies knowledge and understanding of professional standards; application of the principles contained in professional standards; and the ability to document and communicate an understanding and application of professional standards on an engagement by:
  • Developing and applying an intermediate knowledge of auditing theory, a sense of audit skepticism, and the use of BDO audit manuals
  • Applying auditing theory to various client situations
  • Documenting in line with BDO policy, identifying deviations and notifying more senior team members in order to obtain appropriate approvals
• Applying knowledge to identify instances where testing may be reduced or expanded and notifying more senior team members of the occurrence
  • Contributing ideas/opinions to the engagement teams

Methodology:

• Applies knowledge and application of BDO standards to guide effective and efficient delivery of quality services and products by:
  • Completing all appropriate documentation of BDO work papers
  • Ensuring assigned work is performed in accordance with BDO methodology and requirements

Research:

• Applies methodology used to seek or maintain information from authoritative sources and to draw conclusions regarding a target issue based on the information by:
  • Researching basic and intermediate accounting topics and forming an initial opinion on the treatment independently
• Other duties as required
   

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics or Statistics, required OR Bachelor’s degree in other focus area and CPA certification, required
• Master’s in Accountancy, preferred

Experience:

• Leadership experience, preferred
• Accounting based internship, preferred

License/Certifications:

• Eligible to sit for the CPA exams upon starting employment, required
• Actively pursuing completion of CPA exams, preferred

Software:

• Proficient with the Microsoft Office Suite, required

Other Preferred Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to follow instructions as directed
• Ability to work effectively in a team setting 
• Ability and willingness to travel, as needed, required
• Takes appropriate actions without being asked
• Basic understanding and experience planning and coordinating the stages to perform an audit of a basic public and/or private company

Individual salaries that are offered to a candidate are determined after consideration of numerous factors including but not limited to the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and geography.

California Range:  $75,000 - $82,000
Colorado Range:  $65,000 - $68,000
NYC/Long Island/Westchester Range:  $72,000 - $78,000
Washington Range:  $65,500 - $75,000

Salary : $65,000 - $68,000