Controller

Meow
New York, NY
On-site

Who this role is best for

Best suited to candidates with hands-on accounting experience and a deep understanding of US GAAP, working in a fast-moving fintech environment.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with 6+ years of accounting experience and startup controller roles
    — “6+ years of accounting experience, including public accounting and time as a controller or assistant controller at a startup or growth-stage company”
  • Individuals who have led financial audits and SOC 1 controls work
    — “Experience leading a financial statement audit and SOC 1 or SOX controls work”
  • Proficient users of QuickBooks Online and payroll platforms like Gusto or Rippling
    — “Advanced proficiency with QuickBooks Online”

Things to consider

  • The role requires managing and coordinating with multiple external partners.
    — “You'll direct these partners, decide what to bring in-house”
  • This role involves a high level of autonomy and ownership of processes.
    — “Comfort working autonomously on a fast-moving team”

How to stand out

  • Highlight experience in building finance processes from scratch and implementing controls.
    — “A track record of building finance processes from scratch”
  • Emphasize your ability to manage outsourced bookkeepers and coordinate with external auditors.
    — “Manage our outsourced bookkeepers: set the close calendar, review each monthly close”
  • Showcase your expertise in US GAAP, especially revenue recognition and stock compensation.
    — “Strong command of US GAAP, including revenue recognition (ASC 606) and stock compensation (ASC 718)”
  • Demonstrate your ability to automate financial processes and work with finance tool stacks.
    — “Own the finance tool stack and automate manual processes”
Pace · SteadyCollaboration · MediumAutonomy · HighDecision Impact · Company

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • manages outsourced bookkeepers
  • prepares financial statements
  • administers payroll and benefits
  • manages tax filings
Typical background
6+ years of accounting experiencepublic accounting and controller experience

Skills & requirements

Required

AccountingFinancial Statement AuditSOC 1 ReadinessPayroll AdministrationTax ManagementFinancial ReportingBudgeting

Preferred

GAAP ComplianceInternal ControlsCorporate Insurance ManagementFinance Tool Automation

Stack & domain

GAAPRevenue RecognitionAccountingFinancial ReportingTaxPayrollBenefitsInternal ControlsFinancial AuditSOC 1Quickbooks OnlineStock Compensation Accounting409A ValuationsCorporate InsuranceFinance OperationsLeadershipTeamworkCommunicationProblem SolvingDecision MakingPlanningPriority SettingTrainingCPAFinance

About the role

Original posting from Meow via Ashby

About Meow

Meow is a business banking platform that brings checking, corporate cards, global payments, treasury, invoicing, and accounting integrations into a single dashboard. Startups, small and mid-sized businesses, investment funds, and international companies use Meow to run their finances in one place. Banking services are provided by FDIC-insured partner banks; Meow Technologies is a financial technology company, not a bank.

About the role

Meow is hiring a Controller to own finance and financial operations across the company. You'll be accountable for the accuracy of our books, our control environment, our financial audit and SOC 1, payroll and benefits, tax, and the reporting our board and leadership use to run the business.

Today we run lean: outsourced bookkeepers handle day-to-day accounting and the monthly close, and outside CPAs handle tax. You'll direct these partners, decide what to bring in-house, and build the processes, policies, and systems our finance function needs as we grow. This is a hands-on role for someone who wants full ownership of finance at a fast-moving fintech.

What you'll do

Accounting and close

  • Manage our outsourced bookkeepers: set the close calendar, review each monthly close, and sign off on the financial statements
  • Review revenue recognition and other key accounting judgments for accuracy and GAAP compliance
  • Make sure every balance sheet account is reconciled and supported each month
  • Evaluate over time which accounting work should move in-house

Audit and SOC 1

  • Serve as the primary contact for our external financial auditors, preparing PBC lists and schedules and supporting fieldwork
  • Own SOC 1 readiness and the annual examination: document controls, coordinate testing, and remediate findings
  • Design and maintain internal controls, including approval limits, segregation of duties, and finance policies

Payroll and benefits

  • Administer payroll, including approvals, employee records, and accurate tax withholdings and filings
  • Administer health insurance and benefits, including open enrollment, broker and carrier relationships, and employee questions
  • Ensure payroll and benefits are recorded correctly in the books

Tax and corporate compliance

  • Manage outside CPAs on federal and state income tax, R&D credits, Delaware franchise tax, and state registrations
  • Own 1099 filings and keep entities in good standing, including annual reports and registered agents

Reporting and planning

  • Produce monthly management reports and the financials for board meetings and investor updates
  • Own budgeting and forecasting, and track profitability, margins, and cash flow
  • Lead finance diligence for fundraising and strategic partnerships

Finance operations

  • Oversee accounts payable, vendor payments, corporate cards, and expense management
  • Maintain stock compensation accounting, coordinate 409A valuations, and keep the cap table tied to the books
  • Manage corporate insurance renewals, including D&O, E&O, and cyber
  • Own the finance tool stack and automate manual processes

What you'll bring

  • 6+ years of accounting experience, including public accounting and time as a controller or assistant controller at a startup or growth-stage company
  • Strong command of US GAAP, including revenue recognition (ASC 606) and stock compensation (ASC 718)
  • Experience leading a financial statement audit and SOC 1 or SOX controls work
  • Hands-on experience administering payroll and benefits platforms such as Gusto, Rippling, or Justworks
  • Experience managing outsourced bookkeepers or accounting firms
  • Advanced proficiency with QuickBooks Online
  • Comfort working autonomously on a fast-moving team

Nice to have

  • CPA license
  • Experience in fintech, banking, or payments
  • Experience with treasury or cash management
  • A track record of building finance processes from scratch
  • Curiosity about AI systems and hands-on interest in using them to automate and improve Meow's financial processes

Source: Meow careers (Ashby)

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