Assistant Controller

Attention Arc · Irvington · $135,000–$150,000 (stated in the posting)

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Assistant Controller

Finance | The Stewards

We are a 1,000-piece puzzle. Each of us is essential, interconnected, and intentionally designed. Together, we create something powerful: media that matters, growth that lasts, and a culture we are proud to build.

As part of our Finance team, you're one of The Stewards, helping keep our business strong, accountable, and built for sustainable growth. From managing the financial complexities of media investments to ensuring accuracy in every transaction, our Finance team brings the discipline, transparency, and insight that allow great work to happen. We believe every dollar deserves intention, and the decisions we make behind the scenes are just as important as the media we bring to life.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

As our Assistant Controller, you'll report directly to the Controller and play a critical role in maintaining the financial health and operational integrity of Attention Arc. Working closely with the Controller and senior Finance leadership, you'll help oversee accounting operations, strengthen financial controls, and ensure our financial reporting is accurate, timely, and actionable.

This is a hands-on role for someone who understands the unique financial complexities of a media agency, from high-volume media transactions and vendor reconciliations to client billing and cash flow management. You'll bring both precision and perspective to the work, ensuring our financial operations keep pace with a growing, performance-driven agency.

You'll also be a trusted partner across Finance, Media, and Operations, helping connect the details behind the numbers to the bigger picture of our business.

Key Responsibilities

Accounting Operations & Financial Reporting

• Support the oversight of day-to-day accounting operations, including general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and media vendor payments.
• Manage key components of the month-end and year-end close processes, ensuring accurate journal entries, accruals, balance sheet reconciliations, and supporting schedules.
• Prepare and review monthly financial statements, management reports, and financial analyses that provide leadership with a clear understanding of business performance.
• Maintain the integrity of financial records, ensuring transactions are properly recorded, classified, and reconciled in accordance with GAAP.
• Identify opportunities to improve the accuracy, timeliness, and efficiency of accounting processes.

Media Financial Operations

• Oversee the accuracy and timeliness of client billing, media vendor invoicing, payment processing, and campaign-level financial reconciliations.
• Partner with Media Planning, Buying, and Operations teams to ensure media spend, vendor commitments, and client financial activity are accurately tracked and accounted for.
• Monitor media-related accounts receivable and accounts payable, proactively identifying discrepancies, outstanding balances, and potential financial exposure.
• Support the reconciliation of large media budgets across clients, campaigns, vendors, and platforms, ensuring funds are appropriately allocated and documented.
• Help establish consistent financial processes that support the complexity and volume of media transactions across the agency.

Financial Controls, Planning & Process Improvement

• Maintain and strengthen internal accounting controls, financial policies, and procedures to safeguard agency and client funds.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, cash flow analysis, and working capital management, with particular attention to media payment obligations and client collections.
• Assist with annual audits, financial reviews, and the preparation of documentation for external auditors and financial partners.
• Identify opportunities to streamline accounting workflows, improve reporting capabilities, and leverage financial systems to support operational efficiency.
• Partner with Finance leadership to develop scalable processes that support the agency's continued growth.

Collaboration & Team Development

• Build strong working relationships across Finance, Media, Operations, and agency leadership to improve financial visibility and accountability.
• Translate complex accounting information into clear, actionable insights that help teams make informed business decisions.
• Provide guidance, training, and mentorship to accounting team members, reinforcing accuracy, ownership, and continuous improvement.
• Proactively surface financial risks, process gaps, and opportunities for improvement, bringing thoughtful solutions rather than simply identifying problems.

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

Experience & Technical Expertise

• 7+ years of progressive accounting experience, including direct experience within a media agency environment.
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance required; CPA certification preferred.
• Demonstrated expertise in media agency financial operations, including media buying workflows, client billing, vendor invoicing, media reconciliations, and campaign-level spend tracking.
• Strong knowledge of general ledger accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, journal entries, accruals, balance sheet reconciliations, and month-end close procedures.
• Experience preparing and reviewing financial statements and management reporting in accordance with GAAP.
• Experience managing or monitoring significant media budgets, vendor payment obligations, and client receivables.
• Strong understanding of cash flow management, working capital, and the financial dynamics of agency and service-based business models.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables, complex formulas, lookups, and financial reconciliations.
• Hands-on experience with accounting and financial management systems, including QuickBooks, NetSuite, or comparable platforms.
• Experience supporting financial audits, maintaining internal controls, and improving accounting processes.
• Familiarity with budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes.

Capabilities

• Financial Precision: You bring exceptional attention to detail and understand that accuracy, consistency, and accountability are essential when managing client investments and agency finances.
• Analytical Thinking: You can look beyond the numbers to identify discrepancies, understand financial trends, assess risks, and recommend practical solutions.
• Operational Ownership: You're comfortable managing multiple accounting priorities, meeting critical deadlines, and maintaining high standards in a fast-moving environment.
• Process Improvement: You look for ways to make financial operations smarter, more efficient, and more scalable without compromising accuracy or controls.
• Clear Communication: You can explain complex financial information in straightforward language, helping colleagues and leadership understand what matters and why.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: You build productive partnerships with teams outside Finance and understand how financial decisions connect to media execution and business performance.
• Leadership & Mentorship: You take pride in helping others develop their skills, strengthening team processes, and creating a culture of shared accountability.
• Adaptability & Curiosity: You're comfortable navigating change, learning new systems, and challenging existing processes when there's a better way forward.

WHO YOU ARE

At Attention Arc, how you work is just as important as what you deliver. Our core competencies define the skills and behaviors that drive strong performance and meaningful impact:

• Credibility: You bring deep accounting expertise, sound financial judgment, and a commitment to accuracy. You understand the complexities of media agency finance and use your knowledge to build trust, protect financial integrity, and deliver reliable results.
• Clarity: You make complex financial information understandable and actionable. Whether you're explaining a reconciliation issue, identifying a financial risk, or presenting information to leadership, you communicate with precision and purpose.
• Connection: You recognize that strong financial operations depend on strong partnerships. You collaborate openly across Finance, Media, and Operations, building relationships that encourage transparency, accountability, and shared problem-solving.
• Care: You approach your work with integrity, professionalism, and a strong sense of responsibility. You understand the importance of safeguarding client investments, supporting your colleagues, and following through on commitments.
• Culture & Character: You take ownership, lead by example, and hold yourself to high standards. You bring curiosity to challenges, welcome opportunities to improve, and contribute to a team environment where people feel supported, trusted, and empowered to do their best work.

Together, these behaviors define what it means to do great work here, building trust, driving impact, and creating a culture where people and ideas thrive.

WHO WE ARE

We're a media agency built for brands that value intention. At Attention Arc, we combine deliberate media craft with technology designed to amplify it. We build trusted partnerships so every decision stays aligned with what matters most.

Media doesn't fail because of technology. It fails when intention is missing.

That's why we exist.

To restore intention to media.

At 160 people across four offices in Phoenix, Durham, Irvington, and New York City, we occupy a deliberate sweet spot: big enough to handle major brands and complex business, nimble enough to actually move, make decisions, and drive impact. No unnecessary layers. No slow-moving bureaucracy. Just sharp thinking, fast execution, and tech-enabled expertise.

Our culture is shaped by our values:

• All In: We show up with intensity and ownership.
• No Sidelines: We collaborate without ego or boundaries.
• Move With Curiosity: We ask why, explore boldly, and learn fast.
• Truth With Heart: We communicate with honesty and empathy.

OUR COMMITMENT TO INCLUSION

At Attention Arc, we believe people do their best work when they feel they belong. Inclusion isn't just about representation, it's about creating an environment where people feel seen, supported, and comfortable showing up as themselves.

We value different lived experiences and perspectives, and actively create space for those voices to shape our work. We're committed to building an agency where everyone has a genuine seat at the table and is trusted to step in and contribute, fostering collaboration, encouraging curiosity, and creating opportunities for people to take ownership and make an impact.

Because when people feel heard, respected, and confident to step forward, we all move forward together.

WHAT WE OFFER

Compensation: The estimated salary range for this role is $135,000 to $150,000. Compensation packages are based on the skill level and experience each candidate brings to the role.

We're committed to rewarding our people fairly and supporting their growth with intention. Our salaries are competitive, thoughtfully benchmarked, and designed to ensure equity across roles, experience, and impact. Growth at Attention Arc isn't tied to a calendar, it's driven by performance, progress, and potential.

We continuously invest in our people through ongoing feedback, development, and opportunities to take on more, so you can keep building your career in meaningful ways.

We know that great work starts with people who feel genuinely supported, inside the office and out. Our benefits are designed with your whole self in mind: your health, your family, your financial future, and your wellbeing day to day.

Here's what you can expect:

• Flexible Paid Time Off
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision plans
• Competitive Parental Leave that gives you time to bond with your family
• Hybrid work model with in-office collaboration
• Mental health support
• Annual agency contribution to 401(k)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Healthcare FSA
• Commuter benefits and corporate discounts
• Carrot Fertility and family-building support
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Casual work environment, team building, and other social events

LOCATION

We operate on a hybrid, in-office model designed to foster collaboration, mentorship, and hands-on learning. Employees are expected to work from the office three days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday) to fully experience the energy of our teams and build meaningful connections.

Candidates must reside in and be able to commute to one of the following office locations, three days a week:

• Irvington, New York

RIGHT TO WORK IN THE US

You must be authorized to work in the United States for any employer. At this time, we are not sponsoring or providing assistance with obtaining work authorization.

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