Corporate Accounting, Intern

Essex Property Trust • San Mateo, CA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Are you ready to gain hands-on experience with an industry-leading real estate company? Essex Property Trust, an S&P 500 real estate investment trust (REIT), invites highly motivated college students to join our 8-week, paid summer internship program in Corporate Accounting. This is your opportunity to support a high-performing accounting team, expand your technical skills, and contribute to meaningful financial operations that drive business decisions across the organization. This is a full-time internship, Monday through Friday, with a pay rate of $26.00 per hour.

Requirements

• Education – You must be enrolled in a four-year accredited undergraduate program, majoring in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field. Rising juniors (Class of 2028) and seniors (Class of 2027) are encouraged to apply.
• Skills & Attributes – Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, excellent attention to detail and accuracy, strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word, solid organizational and multitasking abilities, and a high degree of integrity, professionalism, and honesty.
• Work Environment – This is a hybrid role, requiring you to be in our San Mateo office four days a week (Monday – Thursday).
• A genuine interest in accounting, finance, and real estate
• The ability to work both independently and as part of a collaborative team
• A proactive, solutions-oriented approach to assigned tasks
• Strong communication skills to partner effectively with Corporate Accounting, Property Accounting, Property Management, and Treasury teams

Responsibilities

• Support Month-End and Quarter-End Close – Assist with preparing journal entries, account reconciliations, and close schedules to help ensure an accurate and timely monthly/quarterly close process.
• Perform Financial Analysis – Contribute to income statement and balance sheet fluctuation analysis by researching variances and preparing supporting schedules.
• Support SEC Reporting – Assist with preparation of quarterly SEC filings including drafting disclosures and reconciling financial data to ensure compliance with reporting requirements.
• Assist with Debt Administration – Support the maintenance of debt schedules, interest tracking, and quarterly reviews to ensure accurate accruals and reporting.
• Reconcile Key Accounts – Work alongside Corporate Accountants to complete reconciliations in areas such as cash, investments, debt, prepaid expenses, accrued liabilities, and equity, gaining exposure to essential corporate processes.
• Help Clear Deposits and Transactions – Learn to clear deposits, checks, and miscellaneous transactions in the Company’s accounting system (Yardi Systems) as part of daily accounting operations.
• Support Cashbook Maintenance – Assist with maintaining the Corporate and REIT consolidated cashbook, including daily updates, investigation of unidentified items, and month-end procedures.
• Assist with Audit Preparation – Partner with the team to prepare supporting schedules, workpapers, and documentation for quarterly reviews and annual audits.
• Participate in Process Improvements – Help identify opportunities to enhance reconciliation schedules, documentation practices, and workflow efficiency across the Corporate Accounting team.

Benefits

• All full-time regular associates are offered competitive salaries, experience career growth, and are eligible for benefit packages that include medical, dental, vision, paid parental leave, 401k employer match, excellence rewards, wellness programs, and much more.
• With our 12 paid holidays and 15 PTO days, work/life balance is a priority!
• Additionally, most positions are eligible for a housing discount of 20%.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern