Controller

Swayable is in office 3x a week out of our Williamsburg, NY location

Swayable is a fast-growing AI and automated data science platform that measures public opinion and the impact of messages and advertising content on it. We are a 40-person team backed by top technology and social impact investors, including Y Combinator. Founded in 2018 by physics PhDs, it is led by the former Executive Director for Digital Strategy at the New York Times. Clients include major consumer-facing brands (American Express, Airbnb, Paramount Pictures), technology companies (Anthropic, Meta, Amazon), academic researchers (MIT, Yale, Stanford) and mission-aligned civic advocacy campaigns (e.g. on climate, human rights and elections).

Joining Swayable means being on a team whose work changes the course of history. The technology we develop is at the leading edge of transforming some of the world’s most important campaign organizations and enterprises: combatting disinformation, protecting democracy, and supporting the sustainable growth of consumer-facing brands.

We’re hiring a Controller to own the financial operations of a 50-person, venture-backed SaaS company. You’ll be responsible for the integrity of our books, the accuracy of our financial reporting, and the day-to-day execution of our accounting function.

This role reports to the Head of Finance. We work with an external accounting team that handles AR/AP, sales tax, and portions of month-end close - your role is to own and review their output, prepare adjusting entries and accruals, and ensure everything closes accurately and on time. 

This is a hands-on role with real ownership and responsibilities. You’ll be directly responsible for the numbers and continuously building processes to help scale. The right candidate is technically strong, detail-oriented, and comfortable operating with the independence that comes with being the owner of the accounting function.

• →Review and oversee the external accounting team (e.g., AR/AP and month-end close functions) - ensuring accuracy and accountability to timelines and quality
• →Prepare and post all adjusting journal entries, accruals, and non-routine entries that fall outside the external team’s scope; own general ledger and chart of accounts
• →Own the full month-end close process - coordinating with the external team, completing internal entries, and ensuring books are closed accurately and on time
• →Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow) and deliver clean reporting packages to leadership
• →Maintain SaaS and ARR reporting - tracking subscription revenue, churn, and recurring revenue metrics in line with ASC 606 revenue recognition standards
• →Own payroll processing and reconciliation - ensuring timely and accurate payroll runs and proper recording of payroll liabilities
• →Manage banking relationships, cash positioning, and daily treasury operations
• →Lead the annual audit and tax preparation process, serving as the primary liaison with external auditors and tax advisors
• →Own our accounting systems (QuickBooks and integrated tools) - ensuring data integrity, clean integrations, and a well-maintained tech stack
• →Identify and implement process improvements that strengthen controls and increase efficiency across the accounting function

• CPA required
• 5–8 years of accounting experience; a combination of public accounting (Big 4 or mid-size firm) and/or industry experience is a strong plus
• Deep technical accounting knowledge: GL management, accruals, adjusting entries, reconciliations, payroll, and financial statement preparation
• Experience at a high-growth startup or SaaS company, with direct exposure to subscription revenue, ARR/MRR reporting, and ASC 606 is a plus
• Proficiency in QuickBooks (Online or Enterprise); experience optimizing or migrating accounting systems is a bonus
• High attention to detail and strong ownership instincts - you find problems before they surface, and you build the process to prevent them from recurring
• Able to operate independently in a lean environment with support from external accounting vendors / teams
• Clear communicator who can translate financial detail for non-finance stakeholders