What are the responsibilities and job description for the Accounting Lead position at Handshake?
About Handshake
Handshake is building the career network for the AI economy, backed by the largest and most trusted job network on the internet. As the only three-sided job marketplace connecting 18 million knowledge workers, 1,500 educational institutions, and 1 million employers, Handshake powers career discovery, hiring, and upskilling—from first internships to full-time roles, freelance work to gig work, and beyond.
Founded in 2014, we’ve built the most trusted platform for early talent—owning the college-to-career market and powering nearly every career center. Today we’re building on that foundation to help students and early professionals upskill or reskill for the future.
Now’s a great time to join Handshake. Here’s why:
As an Accounting Lead at Handshake, you’ll take ownership of critical components of our general ledger and month-end close. This role is ideal for someone who genuinely enjoys the functional craft of accounting—reconciling accounts, preparing journal entries, refining processes—and wants to pair that with management and influence.
You’ll report to the Assistant Controller and partner closely across AP, FP&A, and Revenue, and ensure our financials are precise, timely, and built for both internal and external stakeholders.
You’ll also help build the processes, controls, and systems that let us scale with confidence—keeping us SOX- and audit-ready while balancing pace with precision as the company grows.
Handshake delivers benefits that help you feel supported—and thrive at work and in life.
The below benefits are for full-time US employees.
🎯 Ownership: Equity in a fast-growing company
💰 Financial Wellness: 401(k) match, competitive compensation, financial coaching
🍼 Family Support: Paid parental leave, fertility benefits, parental coaching
💝 Wellbeing: Medical, dental, and vision, mental health support, wellness stipend
📚 Growth: Learning stipend, ongoing development
💻 Remote & Office: Internet, commuting, and free lunch/gym in our SF office
🏝 Time Off: Flexible PTO, 15 holidays 2 flex days
🤝 Connection: Team outings & referral bonuses
Explore our mission, values, and comprehensive US benefits at joinhandshake.com/careers.
Handshake is building the career network for the AI economy, backed by the largest and most trusted job network on the internet. As the only three-sided job marketplace connecting 18 million knowledge workers, 1,500 educational institutions, and 1 million employers, Handshake powers career discovery, hiring, and upskilling—from first internships to full-time roles, freelance work to gig work, and beyond.
Founded in 2014, we’ve built the most trusted platform for early talent—owning the college-to-career market and powering nearly every career center. Today we’re building on that foundation to help students and early professionals upskill or reskill for the future.
Now’s a great time to join Handshake. Here’s why:
- Category Leader: Over 92% coverage across US universities & 77% of total US university student population.
- Proven Market Demand: Deep employer partnerships across Fortune 500s and the world’s leading AI research labs.
- World-Class Team: Leadership from Scale AI, Open AI, xAI, Notion, Coinbase, and Palantir, just to name a few.
- Capitalized & Scaling: $434M raised with a $175M run rate.
As an Accounting Lead at Handshake, you’ll take ownership of critical components of our general ledger and month-end close. This role is ideal for someone who genuinely enjoys the functional craft of accounting—reconciling accounts, preparing journal entries, refining processes—and wants to pair that with management and influence.
You’ll report to the Assistant Controller and partner closely across AP, FP&A, and Revenue, and ensure our financials are precise, timely, and built for both internal and external stakeholders.
You’ll also help build the processes, controls, and systems that let us scale with confidence—keeping us SOX- and audit-ready while balancing pace with precision as the company grows.
- Handle key tasks in the monthly and quarterly financial closing processes. Write journal entries, reconcile accounts, analyze variances, and prepare reports. Take charge of managing cash, property, equipment, and consolidated reports.
- Apply proficient working knowledge of ASC 340 (Deferred Contract Acquisition Costs) and ASC 842 (Leases) to ensure consistent, GAAP-compliant accounting with well-supported documentation
- Assist in the preparation of financial statements and management reporting, giving leaders clear visibility into performance
- Support annual audits and ensure compliance with local, state, and federal filing requirements while maintaining impeccable controls and documentation
- Partner with accounting teams globally to deliver high-quality, on-time work across entities and jurisdictions
- Identify and implement improvements to accounting processes, workflows, and controls to boost efficiency, scalability, and audit readiness
- Jump into special projects and ad hoc analyses as the business evolves, bringing structure and clarity to new problem spaces
- 6 years of progressive accounting experience, including hands-on ownership of GL and close activities in a high-growth or multi-entity environment
- Robust US GAAP knowledge with experience in month-end close, consolidations, and reconciliations—ideally within a technology or SaaS company
- Experience applying accounting guidance in areas like ASC 340 and ASC 842
- A track record of improving close processes—shortening timelines, increasing accuracy, and strengthening controls
- Experience partnering with FP&A and business leaders to explain results, address issues, and translate accounting impacts into business terms
- Comfort operating as a hands-on individual contributor while providing clear guidance to remote contractors or external partners
- A systems-first mindset (ERP and related tools), with the ability to design and optimize workflows, documentation, and controls
- Top-notch communication skills and the ability to operate in a dynamic, evolving environment without losing the thread on quality
- Experience with NetSuite or another modern cloud ERP
- CPA (active or inactive) and/or public accounting experience (Big 4 or similar)
- Background in SaaS revenue, equity accounting, or complex consolidations
- Experience collaborating with accounting teams in other countries or with offshore/shared-service centers.
- Experience implementing or optimizing an ERP or close-management tool
Handshake delivers benefits that help you feel supported—and thrive at work and in life.
The below benefits are for full-time US employees.
🎯 Ownership: Equity in a fast-growing company
💰 Financial Wellness: 401(k) match, competitive compensation, financial coaching
🍼 Family Support: Paid parental leave, fertility benefits, parental coaching
💝 Wellbeing: Medical, dental, and vision, mental health support, wellness stipend
📚 Growth: Learning stipend, ongoing development
💻 Remote & Office: Internet, commuting, and free lunch/gym in our SF office
🏝 Time Off: Flexible PTO, 15 holidays 2 flex days
🤝 Connection: Team outings & referral bonuses
Explore our mission, values, and comprehensive US benefits at joinhandshake.com/careers.