Accounting Lead: Build Scalable, Audit-Ready Finance

Slope; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Merge Labs, a frontier research lab, seeks an Accounting Lead to own the accounting function as we scale. You will run the close, GL, AP, procurement, and technical accounting, while building controls and partnering with outsourced providers.

You’ll translate numbers into clear insights for leadership and investors and shape finance systems for growth. You are a hands-on builder with GAAP mastery, audit readiness, and the ability to explain complex financials to non-finance colleagues.

Qualifications

• CPA; Big Four/public-accounting experience.
• Experience building or scaling an accounting function as an early finance hire.
• Fluency with modern AI tools and automations for finance workflows.

Responsibilities

• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close, including the general ledger, reconciliations, and financial statements.
• Oversee procurement, AP, and expenses end-to-end while maintaining controls.
• Manage CapEx and fixed assets across labs, hardware, equipment, and facilities.
• Establish technical accounting policies for an R&D-intensive company (leases, prepaids, accruals, equity).
• Lead audit preparation and liaise with external auditors for repeatable diligence.
• Own finance systems and integrations with Rillet, Ramp, Procurify, Rippling, and Carta.
• Partner with FP&A for budgeting inputs and actuals-to-plan mapping.
• Produce financial reporting for leadership, the board, and investors.
• Direct outsourced finance partners and decide what to insource as we grow.

Skills

GAAP

Close & financial reporting

Internal controls

Audit readiness

Communication

SQL

Data analysis

Education

CPA certification

Tools

Rillet

Ramp

Procurify

Rippling

Carta

Job description

Merge Labs, a frontier research lab, seeks an Accounting Lead to own the accounting function as we scale. You will run the close, GL, AP, procurement, and technical accounting, while building controls and partnering with outsourced providers.

You’ll translate numbers into clear insights for leadership and investors and shape finance systems for growth. You are a hands-on builder with GAAP mastery, audit readiness, and the ability to explain complex financials to non-finance colleagues.