Financial Controller

Empathy; New York (NY); On-site; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Premium healthcare

Paid time off

401(k) plan with employer match

Annual retreats

Team lunches

Remote employee stipend

Job summary

Empathy in New York, NY is seeking a Financial Controller to enhance compliance and drive financial operations. This role involves managing payroll processing, supporting financial reporting, and ensuring data integrity.

Ideal candidates will have a CPA or be CPA-track, experience in a SaaS environment, and familiarity with expensing platforms. The chosen candidate will also collaborate cross-functionally to support operational excellence, with a salary range of $140,000 to $170,000 and a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Must possess CPA or be a CPA-track candidate.
• Experience in a startup or high-growth environment is required.
• Familiarity with expense platforms or close software is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Assist with monthly, quarterly, and year-end close processes.
• Maintain the general ledger ensuring data accuracy.
• Support preparation of internal financial reports.

Skills

CPA or CPA-track

Experience in startup or SaaS environment

Familiarity with expense platforms

Experience with international payroll

Comfort with multi-state tax environments

Job description

Financial Controller

Empathy is transforming the way families navigate life’s most difficult times – from the loss of a loved one to other major life transitions. By combining technology with compassionate human care, we bring clarity, comfort, and peace of mind when it matters most.

We partner with leading employers, insurers, and financial institutions to deliver meaningful, human‑centric support at scale. Today, Empathy supports over 50 million people across the US, Canada, and the UK, backed by top‑tier investors including General Catalyst, Index Ventures, Adams Street, Aleph, and Entreé Capital.

About the Team

The Finance team at Empathy ensures smooth financial operations while maintaining compliance with company policies and regulatory requirements. The team handles payroll, benefits, and all People Ops related financial processes, driving consistency, accuracy, and efficiency across operations.

In this role you will

• Assist with monthly, quarterly, and year‑end close processes, including journal entries, account reconciliations, and supporting schedules.
• Maintain the general ledger and ensure accuracy of financial data across departments.
• Support the preparation of internal financial reports, forecasting processes, and variance analyses.
• Lead US payroll processing, ensuring timely and accurate payroll runs in coordination with our PEO and internal stakeholders.
• Work closely with our PEO on all finance‑related matters, including benefits reporting, payroll adjustments, and compliance.
• Manage state and local tax filings and registrations where self‑service is required.
• Act as a finance partner to our Employer of Record (EOR) and other external providers supporting our global workforce.
• Support the design, administration, and analysis of incentive compensation plans across multiple functions, including Sales, Customer Success, and other GTM teams.
• Partner closely with RevOps and business stakeholders on Salesforce‑related processes, data quality, reporting, and operational workflows.
• Collaborate with Marketing to analyze performance metrics, campaign effectiveness, ROI, and key business KPIs.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with Finance, Operations, People, Revenue, RevOps, and Marketing teams to support data‑driven decision making and operational excellence.

Requirements

• CPA or CPA‑track candidate
• Experience in a startup, high‑growth, or SaaS environment
• Familiarity with expense platforms or close software
• Experience with international payroll or working with global EOR/PEO partners
• Comfort with multi‑state tax environments and evolving compliance needs
• This role will need to be based in NYC and able to work from our office in Flatiron 3x per week

Benefits

The salary for this position ranges between $140,000 and $170,000, based on skill, qualifications, and geographic location. In addition to a competitive base salary, we offer stock options and a comprehensive benefits package that includes premium healthcare, paid time off, flexible parental leave, bereavement care, a 401(k) plan with up to a 4% employer match, annual retreats, team lunches, and a remote employee stipend.

At Empathy, we believe that our workforce should reflect the range and variety of the families we serve. We are an equal‑opportunity employer, where all employment decisions are made without regard to age, sex, race, ethnicity, nationality or nation of origin, religion, ability, medical condition, marital status, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other status protected by local, state, or federal law.