Accounting manager

About Watershed

Watershed is the enterprise sustainability platform. Companies like Airbnb, Carlyle Group, FedEx, Visa, and Dr. Martens use Watershed to manage climate and ESG data, produce audit-ready metrics for voluntary and regulatory reporting including CSRD, and drive real decarbonization. We are looking for team members who love product-building, want to work hard at a mission-oriented startup, and will collaborate with us in shaping the culture of a growing team.

We have offices in San Francisco, New York, Denver, London, Paris, Berlin, Sydney, Mexico City, and remote team members across the US and Europe. We hope that you'll be interested in joining us!

The role

Watershed is seeking an experienced Accounting Manager to own our global general ledger accounting, financial close, and audit preparation as we scale. This role will be responsible for accurate financial reporting, strong internal controls, and full audit cycle execution. You'll also directly manage and mentor accounting team members as our accounting team grows.

This is a US GAAP-based role supporting our global, consolidated reporting; knowledge of Mexican statutory/monthly reporting requirements or UK GAAP is a plus, not a requirement.

As Accounting Manager, you'll be the engine behind our financial close process and the point person for audit execution and statutory compliance across all Watershed entities and geographies. You'll own complex technical accounting areas including lease accounting, equity transactions, and tax compliance, while building scalable processes and controls to support our ambitious growth trajectory. Working closely with our Technical Accounting team, external auditors, and cross-functional partners, you'll ensure our financial reporting is accurate, timely, and audit-ready.

This is an exceptional opportunity for someone who thrives in high-growth environments, loves building systems and processes from the ground up, and wants to make a meaningful impact on both our business and global climate action.

What You'll Do

GL Management & Financial Close

• Manage the global general ledger, chart of accounts, and intercompany accounting.

• Lead and mentor a growing accounting team, providing technical review and coaching, and building a high-performing, inclusive team dynamic that thrives in a fast-paced environment.

• Drive the monthly, quarterly, and annual close process end-to-end across all Watershed entities and geographies, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timeliness.

• Own a portfolio of accounts through close, reconciliations, and journal entries.

• Prepare and own US GAAP financial statements, including building the cash flow statements from the ground up.

• Perform flux analysis, explaining period-over-period movements across the balance sheet and income statement.

• Own investor and board-level financial reporting.

• Architect our group-level intercompany framework, elimination logic, transaction-flow documentation, and sources of truth, designed to absorb new entities and future acquisitions.

• Streamline our intercompany cost-sharing arrangements (pay-on-behalf-of / collect-on-behalf-of) and redesign and automate the cost-allocation process.

Audit, Technical Accounting & Compliance

• Serve as primary point person for external audits, preparing comprehensive documentation (PBC lists, workpapers, flowcharts, walkthroughs) and coordinating all audit activities, ensuring deliverables are consistently audit-ready with clear supporting evidence.

• Apply technical US GAAP guidance in key areas including allocations, cashflow, carbon credit accounting, COGS, fixed-assets, FX, lease accounting, and stock-based compensation.

• Take ownership of tax compliance across multiple jurisdictions and coordinate with external advisors.

• Manage the accounting and reporting requirements for unique legal entities, including consolidation assessments and entity-level reporting.

Process Innovation, Technology & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Co-own our ERP system with our Finance Systems leads, partnering on configuration, controls, and platform decisions as the accounting function's needs evolve.

• Act as a tech-forward accounting partner, identifying opportunities to automate tasks through ERP features, AI tools, or emerging technologies, and translating ambiguous business needs into scalable accounting and operational frameworks.

• Identify bottlenecks in current processes and implement solutions, if something is manual and time-consuming, redesign or automate it.

• Support ad-hoc projects such as system implementations, new business or entity launches, data quality enhancements, or technical accounting research.

• Partner with Technical Accounting, FP&A, Legal, People, and Operations teams to support business initiatives and provide accounting guidance across the organization.

You Might Thrive in This Role If You Have:

• 8+ years of progressive accounting experience in SaaS or tech companies, with demonstrated experience leading audit preparation and execution. Big 4 accounting firm experience is a plus.

• Deep proficiency in US GAAP with hands-on technical accounting experience including cash flow preparation.

• Strong experience with financial close and multi-entity/global GL management and accounting.

• Deep working knowledge of ERP systems (e.g. NetSuite, Workday, Rillet), advanced Excel/Google Sheets experience, and a proven track record of using AI tools to eliminate low-value accounting work.

• Experience building, managing and mentoring high performing, diverse teams that thrive in a fast paced environment.

• Exceptional ability to work independently, thrive in ambiguity, and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to translate complex accounting positions into plain language for non-accounting partners.

• Knowledge of Mexican statutory accounting (SAT compliance) and/or UK GAAP is a plus.

• Fluency in English is required.

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field, plus CPA, CPC (Contador Público Certificado), or an international equivalent preferred.

Must be willing to work from an office 4 days per week (except for remote roles)

Watershed has hub offices in San Francisco, New York, London, and Mexico City and satellite offices in Denver, Sydney, Paris, and Berlin. Where we have offices, employees are expected to be in office for 4 days per week. Certain jobs are open to being remote and will be specifically noted on the jobs page and in the job description if so.

What’s the interview process like?

It starts the same for every candidate: getting to know the team members through 1 to 2 conversations about Watershed, your experience, and your interests. Next steps can vary by role, but usual next steps are a skill or experience interview (e.g. a coding interview for an engineer, a portfolio review for a designer, deeper experience call for other roles) which leads to a virtual or in person interview panel. We prioritize transparency and lack of surprise throughout the process.

What if I need accommodations for my interview?

At Watershed, we are dedicated to ensuring an inclusive recruitment process. We provide reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities, long-term conditions, mental health needs, religious observances, neurodivergence, or pregnancy-related support requirements. If you need assistance during your process, please contact your recruiter.