Financial Planning & Analysis Internship - Winter/Spring 2027

APCO is seeking an FP&A Intern to join the Corporate Finance team and support budgeting, forecasting, management reporting, and decision support for corporate and back-office functions. The Intern will work closely with finance colleagues to help organize financial data, prepare analyses, and turn detailed information into clear, useful insights.

This is an exciting opportunity for a recent graduate who wants practical exposure to FP&A and is eager to learn how finance teams support business decisions. Success will require curiosity, attention to detail, initiative, and a willingness to ask thoughtful questions and learn through hands-on work.

Why This Role

This internship offers exposure to the FP&A cycle, leadership reporting, and cross-functional decision support in a global business environment. It is a chance to build foundational technical, analytical, and communication skills while learning how the Corporate Finance team uses data, technology, and sound judgment to deliver insight.

This internship will sit in APCO's Washington DC office.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist with annual budgeting, monthly forecasting, and planning support for corporate and back-office departments.

• Help prepare variance analyses by organizing data, identifying trends or exceptions, and drafting concise observations for review.

• Support the preparation of close, forecast, quarterly review, and leadership materials, including financial data, charts, commentary, and formatting.

• Contribute to recurring analyses related to corporate functions, global initiatives, new-business activity, pipeline trends, and other priorities.

• Conduct ad hoc financial and operational analysis under guidance from finance team members.

• Build effective working relationships across Finance, Accounting, corporate functions, and regional teams.

How We Work: Judgment, Ownership and AI

• Think critically: ask questions, flag unusual results, and connect financial data to the underlying business activity.

• Take ownership of assigned work by clarifying expectations, managing deadlines, communicating progress, and following through.

• Use AI and automation thoughtfully to reduce repetitive work, improve analysis, and learn approved tools and methods.

• Keep human judgment at the center by validating outputs, protecting confidential information, documenting assumptions, and ensuring work remains accurate and reviewable.

• Look for opportunities to improve processes, data organization, and recurring analyses.

• Grow from preparing information to interpreting results and communicating clear takeaways.

Qualifications

• Recently completed a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Analytics, or a related field.

• Prior internship, academic project, student leadership, or comparable applied experience is welcome but not required.

• Interest in financial analysis, accounting concepts, budgeting, forecasting, and business decision support.

• Ability to organize and analyze data, identify basic trends and exceptions, and summarize observations clearly.

• Working knowledge of Excel, including formulas, data organization, and comfort learning to work with larger datasets; PowerPoint experience preferred.

• High attention to accuracy, detail, consistency, auditability, and discretion with financial and business information.

• Strong written and verbal communication, organization, planning, and prioritization skills.

• Ability to ask thoughtful questions, meet deadlines, accept feedback, and collaborate effectively with a diverse global team.

Preferred Exposure

• Coursework or project experience involving budgeting, forecasting, accounting, data analysis, or business performance reporting.

• Exposure to Excel-based analysis, Power Query, Tableau, Power BI, or another data-analysis or visualization tool.

• Interest in learning budgeting, forecasting, or enterprise resource planning systems such as Adaptive Planning or Maconomy.

• Curiosity about automation, AI-enabled productivity tools, and responsible use of technology in finance.

What Success Looks Like

The successful intern will become a reliable contributor to the Corporate Finance team who delivers accurate work, understands the purpose behind assigned tasks, and grows in confidence over the course of the internship. They will bring energy and curiosity, take ownership of their assignments, ask good questions, and help the team use technology responsibly to improve the quality and efficiency of its work.

What are the core working hours and will I need to be in an office?

Our interns work 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

We are committed to a hybrid and flexible working environment, and there may be days that you wish to work from home and days that we come together so that you get to explore more of our culture and meet other colleagues. You will be provided with a company laptop so that you are able to work from home and in the office easily.

Compensation:


This is a paid internship at a fixed hourly rate of $18.40

When is the closing date for applications?

Applications will close on Monday, October 19th.

When does the internship commence?

Our program begins on Tuesday, January 12th and ends on Friday, May 21st 2027.

Careers at APCO

Through our recruitment, hiring and retention efforts, APCO is committed to building teams who bring the best possible expertise and robust perspectives to our clients. We embrace differences in experience, viewpoint and ideas, starting with our values and extending to our behaviors, policies and practices. We aim to create a positive work experience and welcoming environment where everyone feels they belong and can thrive.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourage applications from all qualified candidates regardless of race, national origin, citizenship, native language, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, religion, age, veteran status, neurodivergence, mental or physical disability, medical history, pregnancy, political belief or affiliation or any other characteristic protected by law.

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About APCO

APCO is a global advisory and advocacy firm helping leading corporations, foundations and governments navigate a complex world and create lasting impact.

Founded in 1984, with one woman’s vision and bold action, APCO has grown into an independent, majority women-owned firm of more than 1,200 employees with work spanning 80 markets around the world.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., APCO is comprised of strategic advisers, consultants and creators, working together across borders and functions, to provide services and expertise on financial, competitive, political and societal issues.

APCO is a trusted partner to bold purpose-led leaders, lawmakers, government officials, NGOs, the media and other stakeholders in the health, energy, technology, transportation & infrastructure and food & consumer products sectors. For 40 years, the firm has provided public affairs, crisis & reputation, impact, corporate reputation and global solutions services.

APCO is renowned for its ability to champion clients’ interests and permission to operate, build their reputation and strengthen their standing. APCO’s integrated approach and team of tenacious and empathic talent create connections and winning strategies that accelerate progress and deepen impact.

By bringing diverse people and ideas together, and working beyond traditional boundaries, APCO builds the un/common ground upon which progress is made.