Director - Accounting - IP Consulting & Legal Tech

Job Overview:

We are seeking an experienced GAAP Accounting leader to join our finance organization as Controller / VP, Director - Accounting. This is a senior, hands-on leadership role responsible for the integrity of our global financial reporting, driving accounting operations across multiple geographies, and building scalable finance infrastructure to support a growing, private equity - backed organization. The ideal candidate combines deep technical GAAP expertise with strong operational leadership, and has a track record of navigating high-growth environments, M&A activity, and multi-entity global operations.

Responsibilities and Duties:

Financial Reporting & Controllership:

- Own the accuracy, timeliness, and integrity of consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with US GAAP.

- Lead the month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close processes across all entities and geographies.

- Serve as the primary point of contact for external auditors, managing the annual audit cycle end to end and ensuring clean, timely audit outcomes.

- Design, implement, and continuously improve internal controls, accounting policies, and procedures.

Systems & Process:

- Own and optimize NetSuite as the core ERP for accounting operations, including chart of accounts (COA) design, workflow automation, and reporting configuration.

- Lead the design and rollout of new or restructured Chart of Accounts across entities/segments as the business scales.

- Establish and enforce a disciplined month-end close calendar and timeline, driving accountability across the finance team and cross-functional stakeholders.

- Document and standardize GAAP accounting policies and procedures (accounting manual, process runbooks, controls matrix).

Private Equity & Investor Reporting:

- Partner closely with PE sponsors/investors on reporting cadences, board packages, covenant compliance, and portfolio-level financial reporting requirements.

- Support due diligence, quality-of-earnings processes, and investor reporting deliverables.

M&A & Integration:

- Lead accounting workstreams for M&A transactions, including due diligence, purchase accounting, opening balance sheet preparation, and post-close integration.

- Drive harmonization of accounting policies, systems (NetSuite), and close calendars for newly acquired entities.

- Partner with People Ops, Legal, and Operations on end-to-end integration playbooks for acquired businesses.

Global Operations:

- Oversee accounting operations across multiple regions/entities (US, EU, APAC, India, and other geographies as applicable), ensuring local statutory compliance while maintaining a consistent global GAAP framework.

- Manage relationships with regional finance teams, local advisors, and statutory auditors across jurisdictions.

- Navigate multi-currency consolidation, transfer pricing considerations, and cross-border reporting requirements.

Education and Experience:

- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field; CPA (or equivalent) strongly preferred.

- 15+ years of progressive accounting experience, including significant time in a Controller, VP, or Director-level role.

- Strong working knowledge of US GAAP, with hands-on experience preparing/reviewing GAAP compliant financial statements.

- Proven experience with NetSuite (implementation, administration, and/or advanced use as primary ERP).

- Prior experience in a private equity - backed company (reporting to sponsors, board-level reporting, PE driven reporting cadences).

- Demonstrated M&A experience, including due diligence, purchase accounting, and post-acquisition integration.

- Strong audit management experience - leading annual audits and managing auditor relationships.

- Global/multi-entity experience, having operated across US, EU, APAC, and India (or similar combination of regions).

- Track record of implementing new Chart of Accounts, GAAP policies/procedures, and month-end close calendars in a scaling or transforming organization.

- Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills; ability to operate effectively with executive leadership and external investors.