Finance Associate - Client Accounting

Role Description

Finance Associate - Client Accounting (Sales Operations)

 

We seek a financial professional for a Finance Associate - Client Accounting role in our Pune, India office. As an Associate in Sales Operations / Order Management, within Client Accounting, you will support the contract-to-project setup process for professional services engagements helping ensure signed client documents (e.g., MSA/SOW/PO) are translated into accurate SAP customer project/WBS and billing setup so delivery teams can execute and Finance can invoice and apply revenue policies. Your work is execution-focused and completed within defined SOPs, templates, and checklists, with routine review by senior team members and clear escalation paths for exceptions.

 

What you’ll do: 

• Contract intake, completeness checks, and operational validation (under supervision)
• Perform initial review for completeness and readiness of incoming client documents (e.g., fully executed agreement, required fields/data present), and organize the contract record so it is accessible to internal stakeholders.
• Validate that key operational terms are clear enough to enable project setup and billing setup, and flag gaps/ambiguities for senior/Finance/Legal review rather than interpreting them independently.
• SAP services project setup support (functional end-user scope)
• You will support foundational setup activities that enable billing, using guided processes rather than configuration work.
• Support creation/maintenance of billing items for customer projects, in collaboration or overlap with billing team (including selecting contract type such as Fixed Price or Time & Expenses; assigning work packages; entering amounts/caps; maintaining billing due dates/billing plan items; and capturing customer references such as PO)
• Cross-functional coordination (primarily internal-facing)
• Coordinate with Sales, Delivery/Project teams, and finance to collect missing inputs, clarify basic items (e.g., dates, PO references, billing schedule), and keep the setup moving through the standard workflow.
• Provide routine status updates and document actions/decisions taken, maintaining an audit-ready trail of changes and approvals as required by the workflow.
• Documentation hygiene and operational reporting support
• Maintain organized records and trackers (e.g., contract intake status, setup progress, exception logs) to support day-to-day visibility and handoffs.
• Support basic operational reporting aligned to the process (e.g., volumes processed, cycle time, rework themes) as defined by the team’s governance model.
• Contract elements you will typically review and validate within Associate scope of experience & expertise
• You will focus on operationally actionable contract elements that drive project setup and billing structure—not legal interpretation.
• Common validation checklist items include:
• Scope/deliverables and timelines: ensuring deliverables, milestones, and timelines are stated clearly enough to align to project structure and billing phases.
• Payment structure and triggers: confirming whether billing is milestone-based, periodic, or time & expenses—and ensuring the setup can reflect those triggers.
• Basic contract data required for setup: parties/contact information, effective/expiration dates, and required customer references (e.g., PO) for linkage to sales/billing documents.
• Billing plan and method alignment: verifying that the invoice method and revenue method classification selected/entered aligns to the contracted payment structure (and escalating mismatches).
• Revenue recognition awareness (coordination-only; no accounting ownership)
• You are expected to have awareness of ASC 606/IFRS 15 concepts and recognize when contract terms may impact Finance’s revenue decisions; however, you do not determine accounting treatment, standalone selling price allocation, or final revenue recognition conclusions.
• Practical awareness expected: Familiarity with the five-step model structure (identify contract; identify performance obligations; determine transaction price; allocate price; recognize revenue) at a high level, so you can spot terms that could affect setup and downstream treatment.
• Accuracy and attention to detail: when translating contract terms into SAP billing/project setup fields.
• Process discipline: ability to follow SOPs, maintain documentation, and preserve required audit trails.
• Clear written communication: for internal coordination and structured escalation.
• Comfort working with global stakeholders: through defined handoffs, including support for contracts across regions via documented workflows.

 

What you’ll bring:

• Master’s degree in finance, economics, or business required, with a strong record of academic achievement.
• 0-3 years of Sales and Order Management experience.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PPT, Outlook), SAP experience desirable;
• Strong analytic and critical thinking abilities.
• Effective oral and written communication skills that enable strong relationship-building and stakeholder management.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Motivated and proactive.
• Professional objectivity and judgment to know when to challenge activities.
• Ability to multi-task in a fast paced, rapidly-changing environment.
• Fluency in English
• Client-first mentality
• Intense work ethic
• Collaborative spirit and problem-solving approach

How you’ll grow:

• Cross-functional skills development & custom learning pathways
• Milestone training programs aligned to career progression opportunities
• Internal mobility paths that empower growth via s-curves, individual contribution and role expansions

 

Hybrid working model:

ZS is committed to a Flexible and Connected way of working. ZSers are onsite at clients or ZS offices three days a week. Combined flexibility to work remotely two days a week is also available. The magic of ZS culture and innovation thrives in both planned and spontaneous face-to-face connections.