Federal Associate

As Cohn Reznick grows, so do our career opportunities. As one of the nation’s top professional services firms, Cohn Reznick creates rewarding careers in advisory, assurance, and tax with team members who value innovation and collaboration in everything they do!

Cohn Reznick helps organizations optimize performance, manage risk, and maximize value through Cohn Reznick LLP (assurance services) and Cohn Reznick Advisory LLC (advisory and tax services). Together, the firm provides leaders with deep industry knowledge and relationships, solutions to address clients’ unique business goals and risks, and insight on how emerging market forces can drive opportunity. With offices nationwide, the firm serves organizations around the world as an independent member of Nexia.

We currently have an exciting career opportunity for a Federal Associate to join the team in our Tysons office.

Due to the nature of this role, this position is considered 100% on-site which means it must be consistently performed at an assigned Cohn Reznick office location and requires daily commute to the office location.

At Cohn Reznick, we’re united by a common mission to create opportunity, value, and trust for our clients, our people, and our communities. Whether it’s working alongside your peers to solve a client challenge, or volunteering together at the local food bank, there are so many ways to find your “why” at the firm.

We believe it’s important to balance work with everyday life – and make time for enjoyment and fun. We invest in a robust Total Rewards package that includes everything from generous PTO, a flexible work environment, expanded parental leave, extensive learning & development, and even paid time off for employees to volunteer.

Responsibilities include but not limited to:

• Support daily accounting operations for a federal agency (e.g., routine transaction processing, reconciliations, and variance follow-up) while building an understanding of how federal accounting requirements intersect with GAAP and SFFAS.
• Assist with month-end/period-end close activities, including compiling supporting documentation and contributing to repeatable close processes that improve timeliness and accuracy.
• Contribute to audit remediation efforts by gathering PBC support, organizing evidence, and documenting how corrective actions address audit findings and control gaps.
• Support internal control improvement initiatives by documenting processes, identifying control objectives/risks, and assisting in updating control narratives/flowcharts and related support under supervisor direction.
• Prepare high-quality, audit-ready work papers and documentation (complete, well-organized, clearly referenced), incorporating self-review and efficiently addressing review comments.
• Communicate clearly and consistently with engagement leadership and client stakeholders, providing proactive status updates, flagging issues early, and responding to requests in a timely manner.
• Manage multiple tasks across parallel work streams, applying strong prioritization and follow-through to meet deadlines and maintain momentum.
• Apply an analytical, problem-solving mindset to identify discrepancies, ask thoughtful questions, research assigned topics, and escalate risks or uncertainties appropriately.
• Leverage technology to improve accuracy, efficiency, and consistency in deliverables (e.g., trackers, reconciliations, evidence organization).
• Build foundational knowledge of federal accounting, audit remediation, and internal controls through on-the-job learning and training, quickly ramping up on client systems, processes, and reporting needs.

The successful candidate will have:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.
• Strong attention to detail with disciplined self-review habits (e.g., checking accuracy, completeness, and presentation) and the ability to catch and correct errors before submitting work.
• Strong research and analytical skills, including the ability to gather information efficiently, synthesize findings, and escalate questions or gaps…