M&A Advisory Intern - Hybrid

Established in 1983, WilkinGuttenplan is a leading mid-sized accounting and advisory firm in New Jersey and New York City. The Firm serves a multitude of industries, including closely held and middle-market businesses and their owners, high-net worth individuals, real estate, healthcare, international commerce, sports and entertainment, professional practices, technology, non-profit, condominiums and cooperatives, and many more. Areas of expertise include tax, auditing, compilations, reviews, financial statement preparation, business valuations and trust & estate solutions. WilkinGuttenplan is an independent member of the BDO Alliance USA. At WilkinGuttenplan, we strive to ensure we foster an inclusive and flexible environment for all our employees while also assisting them in achieving their unique career goals through our coaching program. 

WilkinGuttenplan is seeking a highly motivated college junior to join our M&A and Business Valuation practice for a paid internship. This is a hands-on role designed for students who want real transaction experience rather than generic accounting work. You will work directly with partners and senior staff on active deals, supporting financial due diligence, tax due diligence, business valuations, and transaction modeling. Strong data analytics capability and the ability to leverage AI tools are essential in this practice. We expect interns to use modern analytical and AI-assisted workflows to move faster and dig deeper than traditional methods allow. This is a paid, hybrid internship based out of our East Brunswick, NJ office, with a typical duration of three months and potential for extension based on performance and needs.

• Assist with Quality of Earnings (QoE) analyses, working capital assessments, and normalized EBITDA adjustments.
• Support financial and tax due diligence by analyzing client financials, identifying risks, and preparing schedules and findings.
• Extract, clean, transform, and analyze large data sets from client ERP and accounting systems (QuickBooks, NetSuite, Sage, SAP, etc.).
• Apply data analytics techniques to identify trends, anomalies, and value drivers across historical financials.
• Build and maintain financial models including historical analysis, projections, sensitivity scenarios, and purchase price accounting support.
• Use AI tools to accelerate data exploration, anomaly detection, narrative drafting, and research synthesis while maintaining rigorous professional skepticism and review.
• Assist with business valuations using guideline public company, transaction comps, and discounted cash flow methodologies.
• Review and summarize key contracts and deal documents including letters of intent, asset/stock purchase agreements, earn-out provisions, employment agreements, and leases.
• Prepare client-ready workpapers, exhibits, and sections of diligence and valuation reports.
• Conduct industry and company research to support deal theses and valuation assumptions.
• Participate in internal deal meetings and, where appropriate, client discussions under supervision.

Requirements

• Rising junior or current junior pursuing a bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Data Analytics, or a closely related analytical field.
• Strong academic performance and genuine interest in M&A, valuation, or transaction advisory.
• Solid data analytics foundation and advanced Excel skills including pivot tables, Power Query, lookups, and basic modeling; comfort working with large, messy data sets is essential.
• Demonstrated ability or clear interest in using AI tools to enhance analytical work; AI fluency is considered essential in this practice.
• Excellent attention to detail, intellectual curiosity, and professional skepticism.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to handle confidential client information with maturity and discretion.
• Willingness to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Preferred: double major (Accounting + Finance, Accounting + Data Analytics, or similar); coursework or projects in financial modeling, valuation, Python/R, Power BI, or SQL; prior experience using AI tools for research or analysis; prior internship or relevant work experience.

Why us?

• Direct exposure to real M&A transactions - both buy-side and sell-side - working alongside partners and managers who actively lead deals and valuations.
• Practical experience applying data analytics and AI tools in a professional transaction advisory setting, with highly transferable skills for roles in transaction advisory, valuation, private equity, or corporate development.
• We offer a unique culture that emphasizes and values work/life balance including remote work flexibility!
• Our collaborative work environment is strongly committed to your professional growth and success.
• Our comprehensive Buddy Program is tailored to help you seamlessly integrate into the public accounting realm, providing invaluable guidance and serving as your go-to resource throughout your journey.
• We have a track record of ranking in the Best Place to Work NJ for the past twenty one years and have won several other awards including #1 in Vault's Top 3 Internships, Best Firms for Young Accountants, Best Accounting Firms To Work For, and many more!
• This internship is compensated at an hourly rate of $28.00 per hour.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required.

We believe in equal opportunity:

Wilkin & Guttenplan P.C. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.