Founding Accounting Lead

Cornerbridge Talent Partners; New York (NY); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Affiniti, a fast-growing fintech, is hiring Founding Accounting Lead to build the accounting function from the ground up. Reporting to the Head of Finance, you will own the close, financial reporting, and reconciliations while shaping policies and controls for scale.

You'll lead the first financial statement audit, evaluate the ERP and accounting tech stack, and partner with cross-functional teams to ensure new products are properly accounted for.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience, ideally fintech or transaction-intensive
• Experience owning monthly close and financial reporting
• Strong understanding of US GAAP and ability to research technical accounting matters
• Experience building or improving accounting processes, controls, and systems
• Strong Excel or Google Sheets skills and ability to work with large datasets
• Ability to operate independently in a fast-paced environment with evolving systems

Responsibilities

• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close, including journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, financial statements, and core accounting operations.
• Own accounting and reconciliation for high-volume financial transactions across banking partners, payment systems, internal data, and the general ledger.
• Build scalable accounting policies, controls, documentation, close processes, and reconciliation workflows with opportunities for automation.
• Lead preparation for Affiniti's first financial statement audit, including technical accounting research, audit schedules, controls, and auditor coordination.
• Evaluate and help implement the company's ERP and broader accounting technology stack.
• Partner with Finance, Product, Engineering, Capital Markets, Credit, and Operations to ensure new products and financial workflows are accurately accounted for and operationalized.

Skills

US GAAP knowledge

Close ownership

Excel/Google Sheets

Independent work

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

SQL

ERP systems

Job description

Compensation: $150,000-$200,000 base salary + equity

Cornerbridge Talent Partners is posting this role on behalf of our client, Affiniti, a fast-growing fintech building financial infrastructure for small and medium-sized businesses.

We're hiring a Founding Accounting Lead to become Affiniti's first dedicated accounting hire and build the accounting function from the ground up. Reporting to the Head of Finance, this person will own the close, financial reporting, transaction accounting and reconciliations while building the systems, controls, and processes required for the company's next stage of growth.

About the Company

Affiniti is a high-growth fintech building an AI-powered financial operating system for SMBs. As the business scales, the Finance organization is bringing more of its accounting operations in-house and building the infrastructure required to support increasing transaction volume, complexity, and audit readiness.

What You'll Do

• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close, including journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, financial statements, and core accounting operations.


• Own accounting and reconciliation for high-volume financial transactions across banking partners, payment systems, internal data, and the general ledger.


• Build scalable accounting policies, controls, documentation, close processes, and reconciliation workflows while identifying opportunities for automation.


• Lead preparation for Affiniti's first financial statement audit, including technical accounting research, audit schedules, controls, and external auditor coordination.


• Evaluate and help implement the company's ERP and broader accounting technology stack.


• Partner with Finance, Product, Engineering, Capital Markets, Credit, and Operations to ensure new products and financial workflows are accurately accounted for and operationalized.

What You Bring

• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience, ideally combining public accounting with operating experience in fintech, payments, lending, cards, marketplaces, or another transaction-intensive business.


• Experience owning or playing a significant role in monthly close, financial reporting, and high-volume reconciliations across multiple systems.


• Strong understanding of US GAAP with the ability to independently research and document technical accounting matters.


• Demonstrated experience building or materially improving accounting processes, controls, reconciliations, or financial systems.


• Strong Excel or Google Sheets skills and comfort working directly with large, disparate financial datasets.


• Ability to operate independently in an environment where the systems, processes, and answers may not exist yet.

Bonus Experience

• Big 4 or other top public accounting firm experience.


• Experience selecting or implementing an ERP or accounting automation platform.


• Experience with SQL, data warehouses, or other financial data infrastructure.

Who This Is For

• You're an accounting owner and builder who wants to create the function rather than inherit a finished one.


• You're comfortable getting hands-on with reconciliations and transaction data while also designing the processes and controls that will scale.


• You can move between technical accounting, financial operations, systems, and cross-functional problem solving.


• You're comfortable operating manually when necessary while continuously looking for ways to improve, automate, and strengthen the accounting environment.

Work Authorization

Candidates must currently be authorized to work in the United States. Affiniti is considering U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and individuals who otherwise currently hold valid U.S. work authorization.