Associate – Valuation Services Group
Associate – Valuation
The Valuation Services Group (VSG) within Equity Methods assists companies with the design and valuation of equity compensation awards, as well as the fair value measurement of other “Complex Securities.” The Equity Methods VSG has assisted companies in properly valuing equity awards since 2002, has produced research used by the FASB and SEC and quoted in technical literature, and is constantly innovating to render services in new areas. As a new associate at Equity Methods you will be provided with extensive and thorough training that provide you with the foundational skills to be a successful team member. As a key member of this practice area, you will have an immediate opportunity to begin applying your analytical skills and academic background to project based assignments that culminate in joining on-going client teams. As a member in this practice area, you will quickly be exposed to different types of valuation consulting engagements, ranging from Black-Scholes assumption derivation work to custom Monte Carlo simulation model design. Clients rely on the VSG to develop compliant valuations and defend these analyses to managers and partners at their Big 4 audit firm.
If you enjoy problem-solving, working with data, applying finance theory, and have a collaborative client-focused mindset, then we would like to meet you and give you the opportunity to learn more about our practice. While not all our professionals came to us with a background in equity compensation, consulting, or the valuation of other financial instruments, all share our cultural values: solving complex problems thoughtfully and working with project stakeholders to create value for clients.
We will also consider you for different positions if we think there may be a better fit.
About the Equity Methods Consulting Practice
Equity Methods serves a diverse clientele primarily consisting of Fortune 1000 companies, including 29 of the Fortune 100. The company is strategically partnered with some of the largest financial institutions, works closely with Big 4 public accounting firms, and has provided key guidance to the FASB and SEC as they formulated policy regarding equity compensation accounting. In addition to its VSG, other practice areas within Equity Methods are responsible for a diverse array of services, including performing financial reporting for equity compensation programs and providing strategic guidance to human resources executives concerning the design of compensation programs and the proxy process.
Equity Methods professionals have significant interaction with senior managers at large publicly traded companies. With approximately 35 professionals and hundreds of clients, Equity Methods seeks to combine the best of a large professional services firm with the best of a smaller, more entrepreneurial company. The culture encourages innovation, collaboration, drive, and creativity in continually enhancing the way clients are served and solutions are originated.
Roles for the Associate in the Valuation Services Group
1) Support and lead in valuation consulting engagements, which requires competencies in financial modeling, critical data analysis, and quantitative finance. Specifically, this involves mastering the firm’s option-pricing techniques, and then leveraging this experience to lead client engagements aimed at recommending valuation methodologies for their equity compensation awards.
2) Lead in advanced valuations of complex derivative securities. These projects entail the development of a custom Monte Carlo simulation model for each derivative security requiring valuation. Our practice is industry-leading through our focus on rigorous econometric modeling and programming to develop accurate and auditable valuations that can be consistently and successfully defended in external audit.
3) Design, implement, and document the underlying data handling processes of valuation consulting engagements, ensuring recommended valuation methodologies fit the company’s unique characteristics and adhere to the accounting standards.
4) Participate in client delivery meetings and external audit review sessions, ensuring that clients and their external auditors effectively understand the processes developed and their alignment with the accounting standards.
5) Support in various practice initiatives related to risk management, cross-selling, and research.
Specific equity compensation experience is not required. Successful candidates will be expected to acquire skills in designing processes, developing and/or reviewing working papers, and interacting with clients. Consulting associates will be supported by leaders of the practice in an effort to train and develop the consultant to assume broader engagement management responsibilities very early in their careers.
A few background qualities we often look for include:
1) Bachelors or Masters in accounting, finance, economics or other quantitative fields.
2) Expertise and experience in quantitative finance subjects, such as derivatives valuation, and/or theoretical accounting work involving interpreting accounting standards and designing processes.
3) Strong detail- and accuracy-orientation. Successful candidate must demonstrate attention-to-detail with regard to drafting processes, reviewing technical materials, and performing analyses.
4) Ability and willingness to think critically and solve “out-of-the-box” problems independently
5) Creativity in engineering processes from both a controls and efficiency perspective
6) Maturity in internal/external communication and time management
7) 0 – 4 years experience in a data analysis or financial modeling role. Candidates at a more senior level may be considered for a different position within the practice
8) Desirable: Exposure to SAS or another programming language for high-volume data handling
To learn more about Equity Methods, please visit us at: www.equitymethods.com.
Equity Methods Careers
http://www.equitymethods.com/about-us/careers/
Interested candidates must submit their resumes at the following website to be considered:
http://equitymethods.applicantstack.com/x/openings