Accounting Lead: Scale Finance for AI-Driven Research

Merge Labs; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 165,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Merge Labs in San Francisco is hiring its first in-house Accounting Lead to own accounting, close, GL, and controls, inheriting an outsourced model while building internal standards as the company scales.

You will supervise procurement, AP, CapEx, and technical accounting policies, partner with external payroll and tax teams, and drive audit readiness, reporting to an operations leader who values clear judgment and data-driven decisions.

Qualifications

• CPA certification preferred with strong GAAP knowledge.
• Experience leading accounting for a fast-growing startup or R&D-heavy environment.
• Proven ability to manage outsourced accounting, payroll, and tax partners.

Responsibilities

• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close, including the general ledger, chart of accounts, reconciliations, accruals, coding standards, and financial statements.
• Own procurement, AP, and expenses end-to-end, balancing speed with appropriate controls.
• Own accounting for significant CapEx and fixed assets across lab hardware and facilities spend.
• Establish and maintain technical accounting policies for an R&D-intensive company including leases, R&D spend, and stock-based compensation.
• Build and maintain a pragmatic control environment for accurate, auditable financials.
• Lead audit preparation and manage the external auditor relationship.

Skills

GAAP

Financial reporting

Audit readiness

Communication

AI in finance

Education

CPA

Tools

SQL

ERP systems

Job description

Merge Labs in San Francisco is hiring its first in-house Accounting Lead to own accounting, close, GL, and controls, inheriting an outsourced model while building internal standards as the company scales.

You will supervise procurement, AP, CapEx, and technical accounting policies, partner with external payroll and tax teams, and drive audit readiness, reporting to an operations leader who values clear judgment and data-driven decisions.