Certn: Global Accounting Lead

About Certn

Certn is changing how trust works with "The World's Easiest Background Check." Having raised over $127M+ and earning Deloitte Fast 50 recognition for three consecutive years, we are focused on simplifying the path to trust, enabling people to move faster into jobs, homes, and opportunities. We are a team of curious, collaborative builders who solve real problems for real people, challenging each other, moving fast, and having fun.

The Role: Global Accounting Lead

As our Global Accounting Lead, you will play a key role in managing Certn's global accounting operations and ensuring financial reporting is accurate, complete, and delivered on time. This role is hands-on, detail-oriented, and leadership-focused. You will oversee core accounting operations, support month-end close, strengthen internal controls, and ensure Certn's financial data is reliable, audit-ready, and useful for business decision-making. You will also lead and support a team of accounting professionals, fostering a high-performing culture rooted in accountability, continuous learning, and strong cross-functional collaboration.

Role Details

• Type: Full-time
• Reporting to: Assistant Controller
• Location: Canada (Eastern working hours preferred for close collaboration with the UK team).

What You'll Be Doing (and Crushing):

Accounting Operations & Financial Reporting:

• Lead the global month-end close process, ensuring timely, accurate, and complete financial results.
• Review and approve journal entries, supporting calculations, and account reconciliations to maintain data integrity and audit readiness.
• Oversee accounts payable processes, including timely processing, accurate coding, and alignment with internal controls and vendor agreements.
• Maintain and improve global accounting processes and internal controls to support efficiency, consistency, and risk mitigation.
• Prepare and deliver internal financial reporting, including variance analysis and commentary for leadership and finance stakeholders.
• Review and reconcile intercompany transactions to support accurate consolidated reporting.
• Own and complete the global month-end checklist, ensuring accounting processes are consistent and complete.
• Serve as the accounting system administrator, supporting data integrity, access control, and system optimization.

Financial Ownership & Accountability:

• Act as a key accounting owner for Certn’s global financial results, ensuring financial activities are accurately reflected and aligned with accounting policies and standards.
• Ensure accurate and timely cash flow reconciliations and analysis are completed monthly.
• Partner closely with the Assistant Controller to validate and explain regional financial data for consolidation and leadership reporting.
• Proactively identify and resolve accounting issues, discrepancies, or risks.
• Uphold IFRS, regional GAAP, and internal accounting policy requirements across global activities.
• Support external audits by owning reconciliations, preparing documentation, and responding to audit-related inquiries.
• Provide insightful analysis into global financial performance by connecting operational activity to financial outcomes.
• Recommend and implement improvements that increase accuracy, control, and scalability across accounting practices.

Team Leadership & Development:

• Lead and support a high-performing global accounting team through day-to-day guidance and technical oversight.
• Set clear team goals and expectations aligned with Finance and company priorities.
• Provide coaching, feedback, and support for performance management and career development.
• Build a collaborative, accountable, and growth-oriented team culture.
• Promote continuous improvement and knowledge-sharing across the team.

Strategic Financial Oversight & Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Collaborate with Finance and FP&A teams to support budgeting, forecasting, and planning through timely and accurate actuals.
• Contribute to the development of scalable financial policies and accounting processes that support Certn’s growth.
• Deliver data-informed insights and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen decision-making.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to ensure the financial impact of business activities is accurately captured.
• Support preparation for board reporting, investor communications, and strategic finance initiatives by providing reliable financial data.

Compliance, Tax & External Partnerships:

• Manage timely filing of GST, PST, Employer Health Tax, and other statutory remittances in accordance with regional requirements.
• Liaise with external accountants and advisors on annual corporate tax filings, SR&ED claims, and audit engagements.
• Provide accurate documentation and timely responses to external partner requests.

What You Bring to the Table:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• CPA designation completed or in the final stages of completion.
• Strong technical accounting knowledge, including GAAP and IFRS where applicable.
• Advanced Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookups, and formula logic.
• Experience with ERP or accounting systems such as NetSuite, QuickBooks, Sage, or similar tools.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, especially when reconciling data and identifying financial discrepancies.
• Proven experience managing end-to-end month-end activities, including journal entries, account reconciliations, accruals, adjustments, and reporting deadlines.
• Experience preparing full sets of financial statements, including balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements.
• Strong understanding of supporting schedules such as deferred revenue, prepaid expenses, intercompany accounts, and FX revaluations.
• Practical experience preparing or reviewing indirect tax filings and statutory submissions.
• Comfort working with auditors, tax advisors, external accounting firms, or regulatory bodies.
• Experience identifying process improvements or implementing controls that improve accuracy, efficiency, or audit readiness.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively across Finance, FP&A, Product, and external partners.
• People leadership experience, including the ability to mentor, delegate, coach, and support accounting team members.

Bonus Points:

• IFRS experience.
• NetSuite experience.
• Experience working in a global, remote, or multi-entity environment.
• Experience supporting board reporting, investor communications, or strategic finance initiatives.
• Familiarity with SR&ED claims, corporate tax filings, or regional statutory remittances.

We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every qualification. We value diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Our Culture:

We’re a remote-first company with a high-performance edge. We value hustle, hunger, and helping each other win, with a strict "no-jerk" policy. Ambition is about lifting others up.

• We think like owners and execute with urgency.
• We’re customer-obsessed and always learning.
• We give real feedback and hold each other to high standards.

AI in Our Culture:

We are AI enthusiasts, using AI across departments to move faster, make smarter decisions, and build better experiences. We use AI intentionally, ethically, and creatively. Curiosity and a willingness to learn are most important.

How We Hire (and How We Use AI):

AI tools assist in organizing and reviewing applications to identify early matches based on role criteria. All hiring decisions involve human judgment and oversight. Your personal information is processed according to our Privacy Policy. We encourage authentic applications and avoid over-reliance on AI-generated responses.

What’s In It For You:

• 32 days of paid time off per year.
• Company-paid benefits that start on day 1.
• Remote-friendly and supportive flexible remote arrangements.
• Work-from-home allowance.
• Professional development budget.
• Additional perks.

Come As You Are:

We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and empowering workplace. If you need accommodations, please let us know.

Background Check:

The selected candidate will be required to complete a background check.