Controller

Laurel is on a mission to return time. As the leading AI Time platform for professional services firms, we’re transforming how organizations capture, analyze, and optimize their most valuable resource: time. Our proprietary machine learning technology automates work time capture and connects time data to business outcomes, enabling firms to increase profitability, improve client delivery, and make data-driven strategic decisions. We serve many of the world's largest accounting and law firms, including EY, Grant Thornton, and Latham & Watkins, and process over 1 billion work activities annually that have never been collected and aggregated before Laurel’s AI Time platform.

Our team comprises top talent in AI, product development, and engineering—innovative, humble, and forward-thinking professionals committed to redefining productivity in the knowledge economy. We're building solutions that empower workers to deliver twice the value in half the time, giving people more time to be creative and impactful. If you're passionate about transforming how people work and building a lasting company that explores the essence of time itself, we'd love to meet you.

Controller

About the role

We are looking for a highly experienced Controller to join our team. This role is a critical leadership position in Finance, responsible for owning the entire accounting function, reporting on company finances, and driving process optimization. You’ll work cross-functionally with stakeholders across the business, helping take the accounting function from 0 to 1 and ensuring Laurel is positioned for scale.

What you will do

• Financial Leadership: Oversee all accounting operations, including general ledger, revenue recognition, accounts payable/receivable, payroll, and compliance.

• Audit Management: Lead the planning, execution, and completion of annual external financial audits; manage relationships with auditors and resolve issues proactively.

• Reporting & Compliance: Own preparation and delivery of accurate, timely monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements; maintain compliance with all federal, state, and local reporting requirements.

• Process & Systems Improvement: Implement and improve accounting systems, internal controls, and processes to support scale and efficiency; identify opportunities for automation.

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Collaborate with FP&A on budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis; partner with Legal, HR, and Operations to ensure smooth financial workflows.

You will be a great fit if you have:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance or Accounting; CPA required

• 7+ years of accounting experience, including both Big 4 public accounting and in-house startup leadership roles

• Experience scaling accounting functions in a hyper-growth startup environment

• Proven track record leading full-cycle audits end-to-end

• Strong technical accounting skills with deep knowledge of GAAP

• Comfort deploying AI and automation tools to modernize finance processes—embracing a technology-first approach to scale

Nice to haves:

• Experience building out accounting teams from early stages to maturity

• Familiarity with global accounting and compliance considerations

• Prior exposure to SaaS/enterprise software business models

Flexibility and Logistics

Location: This role is based in either San Francisco or New York, with regular in-office presence required. Visa Sponsorship: Unfortunately, we are unable to sponsor visas at this time. Compensation & Benefits: Competitive salary, equity, comprehensive medical/dental/vision coverage, 401(k), wellness/commuter/FSA stipends, and other perks.

Why join Laurel:

• To date, we've secured significant funding from renowned venture capitalists (Google Ventures, IVP, Anthos, Upfront Ventures), as well as notable individuals like Marc Benioff, Gokul Rajaram, Kevin Weil, and Alexis Ohanian

• A smart, fun, collaborative, and inclusive team

• Great employee benefits, including equity and 401K

• Bi-annual, in-person company off-sites, in unique locations, to grow and share time with the team

• An opportunity to perform at your best while growing, making a meaningful impact on the company's trajectory, and embodying our core values: understanding your "why," dancing in the rain, being your whole self, and sanctifying time

We encourage diverse perspectives and rigorous thinkers who aren't afraid to challenge the status quo. Laurel is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. We are not able to support visa sponsorship or relocation assistance. 

If you think you'd be a good fit for this role, we encourage you to apply, even if you don’t perfectly match all the bullet points in the job description. At Laurel, we strive to create an inclusive culture that encourages people from all walks of life to bring their unique, diverse perspectives to work. Every day, we aim to build an environment that empowers us all to do the best work of our careers, and we can't wait to show you what we have to offer!