What are the responsibilities and job description for the Accounting Lead - Finance Transformation position at Vaco by Highspring?
Client: AI / SaaS Company
Role: Accounting Lead, Finance Transformation
Salary: $130,000 - $200,000/annually (depending on experience)
Location: New York City (On-site - 5 days a week in-office)
About the Role:
Our client, a high-growth AI and SaaS company is seeking an Accounting Lead, Finance Transformation to partner with clients on finance process improvement, accounting system implementations, and operational transformation initiatives. This role sits at the intersection of accounting, technology, and business operations, helping organizations modernize their finance functions and successfully adopt new systems, processes, and ways of working.
The ideal candidate combines strong accounting expertise with project management and transformation experience. This individual will work closely with finance executives, accounting teams, and operational stakeholders to redesign workflows, improve reporting processes, and drive successful implementation outcomes.
Candidates coming from Big 4 public accounting or consulting, with experience in finance transformation, accounting advisory, controllership, financial systems, ERP implementation, or operational finance are encouraged to apply. CPA highly preferred.
Responsibilities:
- Lead finance transformation and accounting system implementation projects from planning through post-launch stabilization
- Partner with Controllers, CFOs, and finance teams to assess current processes and design scalable future-state workflows
- Analyze accounting operations and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, accuracy, controls, and reporting
- Translate business and accounting requirements into system configurations, process designs, and implementation plans
- Oversee financial data validation, account structures, workflow design, and system setup activities
- Coordinate data migration, testing, reconciliation, and go-live readiness efforts
- Ensure accounting processes, controls, and reporting requirements are appropriately reflected in new systems and workflows
- Support user acceptance testing and resolve operational, reporting, and data issues throughout implementation projects
- Deliver training, documentation, and change management support to finance and accounting teams
- Act as a trusted advisor to finance leadership by providing recommendations related to process improvement and operational best practices
- Build implementation methodologies, templates, and repeatable frameworks that improve project delivery and scalability
- Partner with product, technology, operations, and finance stakeholders to enhance workflows and identify system improvement opportunities
- Manage multiple projects simultaneously while ensuring high-quality execution and stakeholder satisfaction
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field
- 3-8 years of experience in accounting, finance transformation, management consulting, financial systems implementation, project management, or related roles
- Strong accounting foundation, including general ledger, reconciliations, month-end close, financial reporting, and internal controls
- CPA and Big 4 background highly preferred
- Experience participating in ERP, accounting system, finance transformation, or process improvement initiatives
- Ability to gather requirements, document workflows, and drive projects to completion
- Experience working directly with senior finance and accounting stakeholders
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail
- Excellent communication and relationship management capabilities
- Comfortable navigating ambiguity, managing multiple priorities, and driving results in fast-paced environments
- Experience supporting client-facing projects or cross-functional initiatives preferred
Vaco by Highspring is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by federal, state or local law.
Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact HR@vaco.com.
Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal.
By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. You also agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal.
For residents of Ontario, Canada: Based on Highspring's discussions with its Client, Highspring's understanding is that this position for employment is a current vacancy (either through Highspring as a contractor or with the client directly).
Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries ("we," "our," or "Vaco by Highspring") respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies.
- California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here.
- Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here.
- Residents of all other states may access our policies here.
- Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here.
- Residents of countries governed by GDPR may access our policies here.
Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring's use of AI can be found here (https://www.highspring.com/ai-use-notices/). Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client's use of AI products in hiring.
Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:
- the individual's skill sets, experience and training;
- licensure and certification requirements;
- office location and other geographic considerations;
- other business and organizational needs.
With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses.
Salary : $130,000 - $200,000