Assistant Controller

Ember Search; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited PTO

Full health, vision, and dental

Modern hardware setup

Job summary

Ember Search is seeking a Senior Corporate Assistant Controller to build and lead a new finance function in a fast-growing, VC-backed platform operating across crypto, regulated finance, and media.

You will own the close process, implement SOX controls, and shape accounting infrastructure for multi-entity operations while partnering with the CFO and Corporate Controller. This hands-on role offers ownership from day one and a clear path to building a team.

Qualifications

• 8–15+ years of progressive accounting experience in banking, fintech, or regulated financial services.
• Active CPA license is required.
• Hands-on experience with high transaction volumes, crypto settlement, reconciliation workflows, and error rate management.
• Direct experience building and maintaining SOX controls.
• Experience with CFTC/FCM regulatory filings or closely related areas is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close end to end across multiple entities.
• Maintain and expand the SOX control environment as new product lines launch.
• Apply technical GAAP judgment independently for complex areas like crypto settlements and fiat integrations.
• Partner with legal and compliance on regulatory filings (CFTC, FCM, others).
• Provide guidance on new product launches, M&A activity, and monetization changes.
• Manage external advisors, consultants, and contractors supporting the finance function.
• Scope and implement accounting system improvements and workflows.
• Manage and mentor junior accounting staff as the team grows.

Skills

CPA license

Communication skills

Leadership experience

GAAP expertise

Excel proficiency

SQL knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance

Tools

SQL

Job description

Ember Search has been retained on a Corporate Assistant Controller search for a fast-growing, VC-backed peer-to-peer trading platform for real-world events, scaling roughly 10x year over year.

This company sits at a genuine intersection of crypto, regulated financial services, media, and consumer technology, and it is not following an existing playbook. It has rebuilt its finance infrastructure from the ground up, is preparing for its first PCAOB audit, and is working toward a path to the public markets while launching multiple new business lines. The finance organization is lean today and being built out almost entirely from scratch.

Location: New York, NY — Hybrid (3+ days/week)

The Role

This is a broad, build-first mandate reporting directly to the CFO, with close day-to-day partnership with the Corporate Controller. You'll own technical accounting for a genuinely complex, multi-entity, regulated business rather than inheriting an established process. The mandate is twofold: keep the close tight, and build controls and infrastructure that last.

You will:

• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close process end to end, including consolidated financials and statutory filings across multiple entities
• Maintain and expand the SOX control environment as new product lines launch, identifying gaps before they become audit findings
• Apply technical accounting judgment independently across complex, high-volume areas, including crypto settlement flows, on-ramps, and stablecoin and fiat integrations, with strong reconciliation discipline
• Partner with the Controller, legal, and compliance teams on CFTC, FCM, and other US regulatory filings
• Provide accounting guidance on new product launches, M&A activity, and monetization changes before decisions are made
• Manage external advisors, consultants, and contractors supporting the finance function today
• Scope and implement accounting system improvements and workflows the team can rely on
• Manage and mentor junior accounting staff as the team grows

This is a hands-on seat where the accounting function is still being built, not maintained.

Candidate Profile

• 8-15+ years of progressive accounting experience, with meaningful time in banking, fintech, or regulated financial services
• Active CPA license, required
• Hands-on experience in high transaction volume environments, including crypto settlement, reconciliation workflows, and error rate management
• Demonstrated technical GAAP expertise applied independently, not with heavy oversight
• Direct experience building and maintaining SOX controls, not just operating within them
• Direct experience with CFTC and FCM regulatory filings strongly preferred; candidates with closely adjacent regulatory or payments experience also considered
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to explain complex accounting positions to non-accountants
• Management experience from a Big 4 firm strongly preferred
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance
• Strong command of Excel; SQL and accounting system implementation experience a plus

This is a rare opportunity to help build the financial infrastructure of a company creating its own category rather than fitting into one that already exists. The role reports directly to the CFO with close visibility to the Corporate Controller, carries real ownership from day one, and comes with a clear path to building and leading a team as the business scales through its first audit and toward the public markets.

What They Offer

• Unlimited PTO
• Full health, vision, and dental coverage
• Modern hardware setup (MacBook Pro, large display, accessories)

Equal Opportunity Statement

Ember Search and our client are equal opportunity employers. We are committed to building diverse and inclusive teams and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other protected status.