Finance Intern

ABOUT WESTERN STATES EQUIPMENT:

Western States has a long legacy of providing quality equipment and excellent service to customers. Since 1956, our vision is to make our communities stronger, cleaner, and more productive, not just with our products and service - but through our people. We are committed to:

• The Power of our Purpose: "Building our Communities for a Better Tomorrow"
• Performance through our Values: SAFETY, EXCELLENCE, TEAMWORK, INTEGRITY, ACCOUNTABLITY, and INNOVATION
• Customer and Employee Care Commitments: Conveying Warm and Empathy, Actively Listening, Building Trust, and Saying Thank You

PRIMARY DUTIES:

Accounts Receivable (AR)

• Assist with AR transaction processing, including invoice review, billing support, and documentation in accordance with internal controls.
• Support cash application activities (as assigned), assist with customer account research, and help resolve invoice/payment discrepancies to maintain accurate customer balances.

Credit and Collections

• Assist with collections support activities, including preparing aging reports, documenting collection actions, and routing customer inquiries to appropriate team members.
• Support credit file maintenance by collecting and organizing required documentation and helping ensure customer master data is accurate and complete.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to research and resolve payment issues, short pays, and disputes while maintaining professional communication and appropriate confidentiality.

Payroll Support

• Assist with payroll administrative support tasks (as assigned), including data entry validation, document organization, and checklist completion to support accurate payroll processing.
• Support timekeeping and payroll exception research by gathering information, reconciling basic variances, and escalating issues appropriately.
• Handle sensitive payroll information with discretion and comply with all confidentiality, security, and internal control requirements.

Accounting & Month-End Support

• Assist with basic accounting tasks such as reconciliations, journal entry support (as assigned), and account research to help maintain accurate financial records.
• Support month-end close activities by preparing schedules, validating supporting documentation, and tracking open items under supervision.
• Maintain organized electronic files and documentation to support audit readiness and compliance with internal controls.

Procure-to-Pay (P2P)

• Assist with invoice processing support, including matching invoices to purchase orders/receipts (as applicable), documenting exceptions, and routing approvals.
• Help maintain vendor documentation and support vendor set-up/change requests per policy.
• Support payment run preparation activities (as assigned) and help research/resolve invoice holds and discrepancies with internal stakeholders.

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; professional, customer-service mindset when working with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to learn financial systems and processes quickly and follow documented procedures and internal controls.
• Ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and manage multiple requests in a fast-paced environment.
• Capable of maintaining effective working relationships and collaborating across departments (Finance, Operations, Procurement, HR, and others).
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy when working with financial data.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, especially Excel (sorting/filtering, pivot tables, basic formulas); ability to work with PDFs and shared files.
• Basic understanding of accounting concepts (debits/credits) and interest in learning AR/AP, payroll, and general ledger processes.
• Ability to follow both simple and complex workflows; comfortable asking questions and escalating issues when needed.
• Demonstrated analytical skills, including the ability to reconcile differences, identify trends, and summarize findings.
• Demonstrated integrity and discretion when handling confidential financial and employee information.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Proof of high school diploma or General Education Degree (GED).

• Prior office, customer service, or accounting/finance-related experience is preferred but not required.
• Priority is given to post-secondary students studying Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Must be able to communicate (speak, read, comprehend, write in English).

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

• Must be able to sit for long periods of time along with walking, stair climbing, reaching (including but not limited to above-shoulder reaching), repetitive bending, stooping, twisting, pushing, pulling, leaning and twisting.
• Able to lift up to 25lbs. in accordance with Western States' Lifting Safe Work Practice.
• Must be able to meet all safety requirements for applicable safety policies.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. It is not intended be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of employees in this classification.