Controller

AnswerLab•New York, NY

12d

About The Position

AnswerLab is a leading independent user-experience (UX) research firm founded in 2004, helping enterprise product teams scale user research and turn customer insights into measurable product and business outcomes. The company serves major global clients and offers services across usability testing, accessibility, research ops, and multi-phase programs that support product strategy and digital transformation. AnswerLab has an established presence in San Francisco and New York and secured a strategic growth investment from Shamrock Capital in 2022. We are seeking an experienced, hands-on Controller (CPA required) to join AnswerLab’s finance team during a critical growth and transformation phase. This is a high-impact role for a finance leader who thrives in fast-paced, PE-backed environments and loves building scalable finance operations, controls, and reporting that support rapid commercial growth. The Controller will be a partner to the leadership team and Shamrock-backed investors, strengthening accounting, delivering timely financial reporting, ensuring compliance and enabling data-driven decisions.

Requirements

CPA license required.
7+ years of progressive accounting experience with at least 3 years in a Controller role (or senior accounting leader) at growth-stage, high-growth, or PE-backed companies.
Deep technical accounting skills (GAAP, revenue recognition, deferred revenue, accruals, balance sheet reconciliations).
Experience managing external audits and tax engagements.
Proven success in building and operating scalable accounting processes and controls in a fast-moving environment.
Comfortable working with investors — experience providing investor reporting, covenant compliance, or supporting investor due diligence is a plus.
Strong ERP/accounting system experience (implementations or setup), plus comfort with automation and reporting tools.
Excellent communicator who can distill complex accounting topics for non-finance stakeholders.
Hands-on, results-oriented, collaborative, and adaptable to change.

Nice To Haves

Experience in professional services, agency, or product companies that bill clients for research/engagements.
Prior experience at a company that received private equity or strategic growth investment.
Experience scaling finance organizations from early growth through mature, multi-market operations.
Familiarity with revenue recognition under ASC 606 and contract accounting for retainer/projects.
Experience with audit readiness for financial reporting in multi-jurisdictional environments.

Responsibilities

Lead monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes, including timely financial statements (GAAP), balance sheet reconciliations, and P&L analysis.
Manage and grow the accounting team (AP, AR, payroll/benefits accounting, and general ledger) — hiring, coaching, and process design to scale operations.
Own accounting policies and technical accounting, including revenue recognition, deferred revenue, cost capitalization, and month-end adjustments; maintain SOX-ready controls as the company scales.
Prepare variance analysis and management packs for the CFO / leadership and for investor updates; present results to leadership and participate in board/investor finance reviews.
Partner with FP&A to build reliable forecast vs. actuals, cash flow models, and KPI infrastructure to support growth planning and pricing decisions.
Coordinate annual audit, tax provisioning, and external advisors (auditors, tax, payroll); manage successful, timely audits and tax filings.
Implement, optimize, and own accounting systems and workflows (ERP/GL, billing, expense, payroll integrations); lead system upgrades and automation projects to reduce manual work and improve data quality.
Ensure compliance with federal and state regulatory requirements.
Establish, document, and continuously improve internal controls, policies, and process documentation; support readiness for additional PE-backed growth or exit scenarios.
Serve as a finance business partner to commercial, ops, and research practice leads—translate business needs into accounting and reporting solutions.