Controller - $55M Series B AI Company in New York

Ember Search; New York (NY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Ember Search in New York City is seeking its first in-house Controller to lead accounting from the ground up, replacing outsourced partners and building scalable processes.

You will own end-to-end close, select and implement a new ERP, and oversee the first external audit as the company scales to serve national health plans and large enterprise customers.

This is a high-growth, hands-on leadership role with senior leadership exposure and the potential to grow a team over time.

Qualifications

• 8–12 years of progressive accounting experience.
• CPA strongly preferred.
• Foundation in public accounting, ideally including Big 4 experience.
• Experience within B2B SaaS/software businesses, particularly enterprise revenue recognition.
• Experience operating within a high-growth startup or technology company.
• Strong understanding of ASC 606, deferred revenue and complex enterprise contracts.
• Ideally experienced with audits and ERP implementations from either the company or audit side.
• Comfortable operating as a hands-on individual contributor before building a larger team.
• Someone who can operate independently without requiring significant oversight.
• Commercial, collaborative and comfortable working cross-functionally in a fast-moving environment.

Responsibilities

• Own the company’s end-to-end accounting function and transition ownership away from outsourced providers
• Lead month-end and year-end close, reconciliations, AP/AR, payroll and GAAP financial reporting
• Lead preparation for the company’s first external audit and manage the ongoing relationship with external auditors
• Evaluate, select and implement the company’s next ERP, transitioning away from QuickBooks
• Build scalable accounting policies, processes, controls and reporting infrastructure
• Own revenue recognition across enterprise software and services contracts
• Partner closely with Finance, RevOps, Sales and other teams on contracts, billing and accounting-related decisions
• Manage external tax, accounting and compliance partners
• Help build the accounting organization as transaction volume and business complexity increase

Skills

8–12 years accounting experience

SaaS/Software revenue recognition

Hands-on startup experience

Independent contributor

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

CPA certification

Public accounting background (Big 4)

Tools

ERP systems

ERP implementation

Job description

We’ve been retained on a search for the first in-house Controller at a rapidly scaling AI healthcare technology company based in New York City.

The business is tackling one of the largest inefficiencies in U.S. healthcare, using AI to help major health plans identify fraud, waste, overbilling and unnecessary medical spend. The company has already generated $120M+ in savings for customers, recently raised a $55M Series B, and has secured partnerships with some of the largest health plans in the country.

The business 4x’d revenue in 2025 and is entering another significant stage of growth, with major new enterprise implementations already signed and a substantial pipeline of additional national and regional health plans.

This is a unique opportunity to join at exactly the right time. Accounting has historically been managed through outsourced partners, and the company is now looking for its first dedicated accounting leader to build the function from the ground up.

Reporting directly to the VP Finance, this person will have genuine 0→1 ownership: selecting the company’s first ERP, choosing its auditors, preparing for its first external audit, building scalable accounting processes and eventually growing the team underneath them.

Why this role is exciting:

• True 0→1 ownership: Become the company’s first in-house accounting leader and build the function from scratch
• Major career-building projects: Select and implement a new ERP, choose the company’s auditors and lead its first external audit
• Exceptional company momentum: Recently raised a $55M Series B with significant capital still on the balance sheet and 2+ years of runway
• Proven commercial traction: The platform has already generated $120M+ of measurable savings for customers
• Huge market opportunity: Operating within a massive healthcare category already supporting multiple multi-billion-dollar incumbents
• Enterprise customer base: Working with some of the largest health plans in the U.S., with additional major implementations already signed
• Strong underlying economics: A combination of highly attractive services economics and high-margin AI software revenue
• Perfect entry point: Join before the next major stage of scale, increasing accounting complexity and potential future financing
• Leadership exposure: Work directly with senior leadership in a lean organization where finance has significant visibility and influence
• Build a team: Initially own the function hands-on, with the opportunity to add accounting resources as the company continues to scale

Key Responsibilities:

• Own the company’s end-to-end accounting function and transition ownership away from outsourced providers
• Lead month-end and year-end close, reconciliations, AP/AR, payroll and GAAP financial reporting
• Lead preparation for the company’s first external audit and manage the ongoing relationship with external auditors
• Evaluate, select and implement the company’s next ERP, transitioning away from QuickBooks
• Build scalable accounting policies, processes, controls and reporting infrastructure
• Own revenue recognition across enterprise software and services contracts
• Partner closely with Finance, RevOps, Sales and other teams on contracts, billing and accounting-related decisions
• Manage external tax, accounting and compliance partners
• Help build the accounting organization as transaction volume and business complexity increase

What We’re Looking For:

• Approximately 8–12 years of progressive accounting experience
• CPA strongly preferred
• Foundation in public accounting, ideally including Big 4 experience
• Experience within B2B SaaS/software businesses, particularly enterprise revenue recognition
• Experience operating within a high-growth startup or technology company
• Strong understanding of ASC 606, deferred revenue and complex enterprise contracts
• Ideally experienced with audits and ERP implementations from either the company or audit side
• Comfortable operating as a hands-on individual contributor before building a larger team
• Someone who can operate independently without requiring significant oversight
• Commercial, collaborative and comfortable working cross-functionally in a fast-moving environment