Controller/Finance Lead

Client: Private-Equity Backed AI/Tech Company Role: Controller/Finance Lead Salary: $190K - $210K base + equity Location: New York, NY What You’ll Do: As the first finance hire, you will own the end-to-end financial lifecycle of the company. Your mission is to bring structure to ambiguity and rigor to our operations. 1. Financial Architecture & Reporting Own the Close: Lead the monthly and annual close processes, ensuring GAAP-compliant financial statements. Executive Reporting: Prepare monthly packages for leadership and the Board that translate numbers into actionable insights. Cash Mastery: Manage working capital and provide high-fidelity cash flow visibility to guide runway and hiring decisions. 2. Scaling Operations & Systems Build the Infrastructure: Modernize our tech stack (Stripe, Rippling, etc.) to automate the order-to-cash and procure-to-pay cycles. Internal Controls: Establish the "rules of the road" for payroll, expense management, and vendor payments to ensure compliance and security. Revenue Integrity: Own the accuracy of recurring revenue (SaaS metrics), deferred revenue, and customer retention reporting. 3. Strategic Business Partnering Planning & Analysis: Own the budgeting and forecasting processes, providing variance analysis to keep the team accountable. Fundraising & Audit: Ensure we are "investor-ready" at all times. You will lead audit coordination, tax compliance (R&D credits), and due diligence for future rounds. Contract Management: Review vendor contracts and advise on the financial implications of our commercial partnerships. Who You Are: The Experience: You have 6 to 12+ years of experience across accounting, finance, or FP&A. The Startup Pedigree: You’ve ideally been an early or first finance hire at a high-growth company. You know how to build when there is no blueprint. The Mindset: You are "hands-on" by nature. You enjoy the satisfaction of a perfectly reconciled balance sheet as much as a high-level strategic planning session. The Standards: You are detail-oriented, pragmatic, and hold yourself to a high level of accountability. The Credentials: A strong GAAP foundation is required; a CPA is preferred but not a deal-breaker for the right builder. Vaco by Highspring values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply. EEO Notice Vaco by Highspring is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by federal, state or local law. Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact View email address on click.appcast.io . Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal. By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. You also agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal. Privacy Notice Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries (“we,” “our,” or “Vaco by Highspring”) respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies. California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here. Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here. Residents of all other states may access our policies here. Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here. Residents of countries governed by GDPR may access our policies here. Pay Transparency Notice Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to: the individual’s skill sets, experience and training; licensure and certification requirements; office location and other geographic considerations; other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses.