Accounting Internship

Job Description

Risk Product Accounting Intern, Year round | Northwestern Mutual

The Tone:
This is a year-long internship at Northwestern Mutual, with part-time work during the school year starting in Fall 2026 and full-time onsite during the summer 2027 in Milwaukee, WI. Northwestern Mutual is a long-established financial services organization, helping families and businesses achieve financial security for over 160 years through a distinctive planning approach that integrates risk management with wealth accumulation, preservation, and distribution. With significant assets exceeding $290 billion, revenues of $30 billion, and over $1.9 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, the company delivers financial security to more than 4.6 million clients. This internship program seeks candidates from universities nationwide to bring distinctive ideas and perspectives, contributing to tasks critical for Northwestern Mutual’s ongoing success. Interns will participate in professional development, senior leadership Q&A’s, and networking events, building a strong career foundation with a company consistently voted among the “most admired” in the nation that fosters a culture of belonging and offers opportunities for career growth.

The TL;DR
• Role: Internship
• Type: Part-time (during school year), Full-time (during summer)
• Location: Onsite Milwaukee, WI
• Pay: $16.50–$30.00 hourly
• Team: Risk Product Accounting team
• Mission: Ensure accurate financial activity for insurance and annuity products, including related field compensation, is recorded in the general ledger.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Accounting Support: Assist with ensuring financial activity for insurance and annuity products and related field compensation are appropriately accounted for in the general ledger.
• Financial Reconciliation: Prepare and/or approve journal entries, as well as account and system balancing reconciliations.
• Issue Resolution: Investigate and resolve any findings from reconciliations by collaborating with systems, client services, and field services contacts.
• Regulatory Reporting: Prepare complex quarterly regulatory state reporting schedules and related analysis.
• Project Collaboration: Collaborate on process improvement projects and respond to external audit requests.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Entry-level, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field from an accredited college or university.
• Experience: A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, with previous work or classroom experience in Accounting or Finance.
• Skills: Strong foundational knowledge of accounting and financial principles, demonstrated analytical and problem-solving abilities, and effective oral and written communication skills essential for collaboration and reporting.
• Bonus: Prior Accounting or Finance internship experience or relevant project work, coupled with a high degree of self-motivation, a passion for learning, and the ability to effectively balance multiple priorities.