--- title: 'Financial Controller at 43North' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/financial-controller-43north-buffalo-33y51db84qxq' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-05' --- # Financial Controller at 43North - **Company:** 43North - **Location:** Buffalo - **Compensation:** $80k–$110k - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-08-31 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-05 - **Apply:** https://jobs.gem.com/43north/am9icG9zdDputkTruV2AySgiMmVq1UJl ## Job description About Guidesly: Guidesly is revolutionizing the outdoor recreation industry by connecting guides and instructors to their guests through innovative SaaS platforms and mobile applications. As a dynamic start-up rooted in a culture of hard work, innovation, & the great outdoors, we leverage our technologies to empower outdoor guides and help them grow their businesses. Position Overview: We are seeking a highly capable, detail-oriented, and strategically minded Financial Controller to lead and own the day-to-day accounting and financial operations of the company. This role reports directly to the CEO and is responsible for ensuring the company's accounting, financial information, reporting, controls, forecasting, financial calendar and financial processes are accurate, timely, organized, and actionable. The ideal candidate is not simply someone who can close the books. They take complete ownership of the financial function, understand how the business operates, identify financial risks and opportunities, and provide leadership with the information needed to make smart decisions. As a growing company, we need someone who can bring structure, accountability, and discipline to our financial operations—while also being comfortable rolling up their sleeves and building processes where they do not yet exist. What You'll Own: Accounting & Financial Operations - Own and oversee the company's day-to-day accounting and financial operations. - Ensure accurate and timely monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting. - Manage the month-end and year-end close process. - Oversee accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll coordination, expense management, reconciliations, and general ledger accuracy. - Maintain strong internal controls and financial processes. - Manage Quickbooks accounting system - Identify and correct discrepancies, inefficiencies, or risks before they become larger problems. - Ensure financial records are organized, accurate, and audit-ready. - Manage relationships and workflows with outside accountants, tax professionals, auditors, banks, and other financial partners. - Help manage international operations Financial Reporting & CEO Partnership - Serve as a key financial partner to the CEO. - Deliver clear, timely, and understandable financial reporting that helps leadership understand exactly where the business stands. - Translate financial data into meaningful insights, risks, trends, and recommendations. - Develop and maintain financial dashboards and key performance indicators. - Cash Management. Ensure leadership has visibility into revenue, expenses, margins, cash position, burn, runway, and overall financial performance. - Flag financial concerns early and proactively bring potential solutions—not just problems. - Support executive and board-level financial reporting and presentations as needed. Forecasting, Budgeting & Planning - Lead the development and ongoing management of the company's annual budget. - Build and maintain financial forecasts and scenario models. - Monitor actual performance against budget and forecast. - Analyze significant variances and identify the operational drivers behind them. - Partner with department leaders to improve budget accountability and financial planning. - Help leadership understand the financial implications of major business decisions, hiring plans, investments, partnerships, and growth initiatives. - Continuously evaluate cash flow and future financial needs. Process Improvement & Financial Infrastructure - Evaluate existing financial processes and identify opportunities to improve accuracy, efficiency, visibility, and accountability. - Build scalable financial systems and processes that can support the company's continued growth. - Establish clear ownership, deadlines, and accountability across financial responsibilities. - Reduce reliance on the CEO for day-to-day financial oversight and administrative follow-up. - Implement tools, reporting structures, and controls that allow the company to operate with greater financial discipline. - Document key financial processes and ensure they can scale as the company grows. Strategic Financial Support - Analyze the financial health and performance of the business and provide recommendations to leadership. - Evaluate profitability across products, services, customers, departments, and other relevant areas of the business. - Support pricing, margin analysis, cost management, and revenue strategy. - Identify opportunities to improve profitability, operational efficiency, and financial performance. - Assist with financial due diligence, fundraising, investor requests, board reporting, and strategic transactions when necessary. - Develop a deep understanding of the company's business model and use financial data to support smarter decision-making. What Success Looks Like: - A successful Financial Controller in this role will create an environment where: - The CEO and leadership team always know where the company financially stands. - Financial reports are accurate, timely, and easy to understand. - Deadlines and financial responsibilities do not need to be chased or managed by the CEO. - Potential financial problems are identified before they become emergencies. - Cash flow and future financial needs are clearly understood. - Leadership can confidently make decisions based on reliable financial information. - Department leaders are held accountable to budgets and financial performance. - Financial processes are organized, documented, and scalable. - The company has significantly greater financial discipline, visibility, and accountability. Qualifications: Required - Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field. - 7+ years of progressive experience in accounting, finance, or financial operations. - Previous experience as a Controller, Finance Director, or similar senior financial leadership role. - Strong understanding of GAAP, financial reporting, accounting principles, budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow management. - Experience managing month-end close and producing accurate financial statements. - Advanced financial analysis and modeling skills. - Strong experience with accounting systems and financial reporting tools. - Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy. - Ability to independently manage multiple priorities and consistently meet deadlines. - Strong communication skills and the ability to explain financial information to non-financial leaders. - High level of integrity, ownership, discretion, and accountability. ## Preferred - CPA, CMA, MBA, or other relevant advanced credential. - Experience working in a high-growth company, startup, SaaS business, marketplace, or technology-enabled business. - Experience supporting executive leadership and/or board-level reporting. - Experience improving or building financial processes and infrastructure in a growing organization. - Experience with fundraising, investor reporting, audits, or strategic financial transactions. The Person We're Looking For: - The right person for this role is:- Highly accountable. They do not wait to be reminded that something needs to be done. - Proactive. They identify issues, opportunities, and risks before leadership has to ask. - Strategic but hands-on. They can think about the future of the business while still ensuring today's books are correct. - Comfortable with ownership. They want to own the financial function—not simply complete assigned tasks. - Organized and disciplined. They create structure and bring order to complex or evolving environments. - Direct and communicative. They can clearly communicate difficult financial realities and recommendations. - Business-minded. They understand that finance exists to help the company make better decisions and grow sustainably. - Comfortable in ambiguity. They can build processes and infrastructure instead of waiting for everything to already be defined. Why This Role Matters: This is a highly important role within the company. As we continue to grow, financial leadership, discipline, and visibility become increasingly critical. The Financial Controller will play a central role in ensuring that the company has reliable financial information, strong controls, scalable processes, and a clear understanding of its financial future. This person will have direct access to the CEO and the opportunity to significantly influence how the company operates, grows, and makes strategic decisions. ## About 43North ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: 43North is a nonprofit organization that runs an annual startup competition and accelerator in Buffalo, NY, investing $5 million each year in high-growth companies to build the local tech ecosystem. - **Entity Type**: Private (Nonprofit) - **Headquarters**: Buffalo, New York, United States - **Founded**: 2014 - **Founders**: Not publicly available ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Startup ecosystem development, venture capital / accelerator, talent placement - **Target customers**: Seed-stage startups (B2B), investors, job seekers looking to work at startups in Buffalo - **Mission or purpose**: To help founders grow their companies, create jobs, attract capital, and contribute to Buffalo’s growing startup ecosystem ## Products & Services - **43North Competition**: Annual startup competition awarding $5 million in funding to high-growth companies selected through a rigorous application process. Includes an immersive accelerator program. - **43North Compass**: A job board and talent network that connects candidates with open roles at 43North portfolio companies and other Buffalo startups. Also allows recruiters to search a database of thousands of pre-vetted startup candidates. - **Investor Network**: A network connecting portfolio companies with venture capital firms and angel investors, including co-investors like Bessemer, Iconiq Capital, and Rise of the Rest. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not applicable (nonprofit) - **Key Metric**: Annual revenue of ~$2.8M (per LinkedIn). Total funding awarded to portfolio companies since 2014: $51.5M. Portfolio companies have raised over $1B in total investment and created 3,000+ jobs globally (over 1,000 in Buffalo). 12 exits (11 acquisitions, 1 IPO). (Source: LinkedIn) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Empire State Development (primary funder), Bessemer Venture Partners, Iconiq Capital, Rise of the Rest. Community partners include Larkin Square and various Buffalo-based organizations. - **Growth Signals**: Despite the accelerator concluding in 2027 (final competition year 2026), the newly formed 43North Foundation plans to invest $100 million over the next 10 years to continue strengthening Buffalo’s startup ecosystem. 60% of portfolio companies maintain a presence in Western New York. (Source: LinkedIn) ## Competitive Advantages - Unique as a nonprofit that combines a grant/equity competition with an accelerator, talent marketplace, and investor network. - Deeply rooted in Buffalo, leveraging state funding and community partnerships to create a self-reinforcing ecosystem. - Proven track record: 79 companies funded, $1B+ raised, 12 exits, and established salary premium (average portfolio company salary ~$90k, $30k above regional average). - Access to a curated talent pool (4,000+ candidates in Compass network) that understands startup culture. ## Strategic Focus - 2026 is the final year of the 43North competition. The organization is now transitioning to the 43North Foundation, which will deploy $100M over the next decade to support Buffalo’s startup ecosystem through grants, programming, and ecosystem building. - Continued emphasis on filling high-impact roles at portfolio companies via Compass and growing the local talent pipeline. ## Why Work Here - **Mission**: Directly contribute to building a thriving startup hub in Buffalo, with visible community impact. - **Culture**: Small, passionate team of ~26 employees. Strong sense of purpose and collaboration. Team members include former founders, investors, and ecosystem builders. - **Work Environment**: Based in downtown Buffalo at 1 W Seneca St. Hybrid/remote policy is not specified, but the team appears to be largely in-office or Buffalo-based. LinkedIn shows 26 employees all in the U.S. - **Compensation**: Portfolio company roles average ~$90k salary, significantly above the regional average. For the 43North team itself, specific perks are not publicly detailed. - **Growth**: Opportunity to work across investments, platform, talent, and marketing while directly influencing the success of dozens of startups. - **Job Seekers**: The Compass job board lists openings at portfolio companies (e.g., Customer Experience Analyst, Director of Data Engineering, Account Manager, Electrical Engineer). These roles give access to high-growth startups with established traction and funding. ## Sources 1. [43north.org](https://43north.org/who-we-are/careers/) – Career page describing 43North Compass and talent network 2. [linkedin.com](https://linkedin.com/company/43north) – Company overview, financials, recent news, impact metrics, and team size 3. [43north.org](https://43north.org/who-we-are/team-and-board/) – Leadership team and roles (Nicole Camarre, Colleen Heidinger, etc.) 4. [jobs.43north.org](https://jobs.43north.org/jobs) – Job board for portfolio companies (featured roles, hiring rounds) ## Other roles at 43North - [Kangarootime - Customer Support](https://feeny.ai/job/kangarootime-customer-support-43north-buffalo-15emdwwbbhhq) — Buffalo - [CoachMePlus - Senior Software Engineer (AI/ML)](https://feeny.ai/job/coachmeplus-senior-software-engineer-ai-ml-43north-buffalo-dbmwzjm9tgw6) — Buffalo, NY - [Floe - Business Operations Lead (BizOps)](https://feeny.ai/job/floe-business-operations-lead-bizops-43north-new-york-bw2jgg5bf13a) — New York, NY - [CoachMePlus - DevOps Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/coachmeplus-devops-engineer-43north-buffalo-gy5n8fp60ttg) — Buffalo, NY - [CoachMePlus - Senior Frontend Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/coachmeplus-senior-frontend-engineer-43north-buffalo-m9cehpkmyk66) — Buffalo, NY - [Floe - Associate Product Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/floe-associate-product-engineer-43north-buffalo-fg07ahqeeksj) — Buffalo - [Floe - Founding Field Operations Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/floe-founding-field-operations-lead-43north-buffalo-zrccmcsjw8r0) — Buffalo - [Cellsense - Materials Scientist](https://feeny.ai/job/cellsense-materials-scientist-43north-new-york-j3pn91zsxwkh) — New York, NY - [Floe - Strategic Accounts Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/floe-strategic-accounts-manager-43north-buffalo-h18143vw0j7y) — Buffalo - [Financial Controller](https://feeny.ai/job/financial-controller-pylon-san-francisco-snfmn7m5fana) — San Francisco, CA