--- title: 'Senior Accountant at Semafor' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-accountant-semafor-new-york-b05tph3d63tv' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-10' --- # Senior Accountant at Semafor - **Company:** Semafor - **Location:** New York, NY - **Posted:** 2026-08-05 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-10 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/semafor/jobs/4720763005 ## Job description ## Who we are Semafor is a global news platform for an increasingly complex world in which consumers are overwhelmed by too many news sources and unsure what to trust. We are building Semafor to enable world-class journalists to deliver reporting and insights with rigor in journalistic forms that ensure a new level of transparency. Our editors and reporters distill the most important stories from all over in formats that uncover the forces shaping the stories, explain the interests behind polarizing narratives, and replenish the stock of shared facts. As a global platform, Semafor recognizes that smart people can disagree and that informed readers need to understand alternative points of view from competing centers of power and culture in a multi-polar world. Want to join us? Read on. Job Description: Semafor is seeking a Senior Accountant to join our Accounting & Finance team and take ownership of core general ledger and month-end close activities as we build out our in-house accounting function. The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented accounting professional with a solid foundation in month-end close, journal entries, and account reconciliations, who thrives in a fast-paced, deadline-driven corporate finance environment. This role will work closely with the Controller to strengthen processes, internal controls, and documentation, and will partner with FP&A on cost analysis and reporting. The successful candidate is comfortable wearing many hats, working independently and as part of a team, and adapting to shifting priorities within a rapidly growing media company. Prior experience in the media industry is a plus. This position offers meaningful growth potential as the accounting & finance team continues to scale. What You’ll Do: ## Key Responsibilities - Own the month-end close process, ensuring all close deliverables are completed accurately and on a timely basis. - Prepare and post journal entries in accordance with GAAP, ensuring transactions are properly recorded and supported. - Prepare and analyze monthly account reconciliations for assigned balance sheet and income statement accounts, researching and resolving discrepancies in a timely manner. - Manage intercompany transactions and reconciliations across entities, ensuring balances tie out and are properly eliminated in consolidation - Review the general ledger for accurate coding across all financial dimensions (department, project, entity, etc.), proactively identifying and correcting miscoded transactions. - Assist with accounts payable tasks as needed, including invoice coding, vendor inquiries, and payment support. - Partner with FP&A on analysis and reporting, including cost analysis, variance analysis, and ad hoc reporting requests. - Assist the Controller in further developing accounting processes, internal controls, and documentation. - Support the Controller with audits, special projects, and ad hoc analyses as needed. - Identify opportunities to improve accounting workflows and month-end close efficiency, and assist in implementing process improvements. - Comfortable wearing many hats and adapting to shifting priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven corporate finance environment. ## What You Offer - Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field from an accredited university or college; CPA or CPA candidate a plus. - 4+ years of progressive accounting experience, including month-end close, journal entries, and account reconciliations. - Strong working knowledge of U.S. GAAP and general ledger accounting principles. - Excellent Microsoft Office skills with a strong emphasis on Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, financial modeling). - Experience with a general ledger/ERP system (e.g., NetSuite, Sage Intacct, QuickBooks) required; Bill.com or similar AP platform experience is a plus. - Exceptional attention to detail, with proven organizational and time management skills and a strong sense of ownership and accuracy. - Experience working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven corporate finance role, with the ability to manage competing priorities under tight timelines. - Experience in the media, publishing, or entertainment industry is a plus. - Excellent interpersonal skills and works well in a team environment. - Ability to handle confidential information with discretion. Compensation: The base salary for this position at the time of posting will range from $110,000 - $145,000 in addition to an annual bonus incentive. Individual compensation varies based on job related factors, including business needs, experience, level of responsibility, and qualifications. Additional job details Semafor offers a Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) policy to our full-time, salaried employees who may take paid time off as-needed without a prescribed limit or defined balance. Semafor, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and enthusiastically encourages people from all backgrounds and experiences to apply. Semafor, Inc. will consider all applicants without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical and/or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. ## About Semafor ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Semafor is an intelligent, transparent global news platform that delivers original reporting, analysis, and high-level live journalism convenings for global decision-makers. - **Entity Type**: Private (Venture-backed) - **Headquarters**: Washington, D.C., United States - **Founded**: 2022 - **Founders**: Ben Smith, Justin B. Smith ## Core Business - **Industry**: Digital news media, live journalism events - **Target Customers**: B2B primarily (C-suite executives, global leaders, policymakers) and B2C (curious, informed global audience) - **Mission**: To provide an unparalleled level of journalistic transparency through innovative new forms, cutting through the noise of the news cycle with smart, distilled views and exploring competing perspectives across borders for a curious, new global audience. [Semafor About Page](https://www.semafor.com/about) ## Products & Services - **Semafor Daily News Briefings**: A suite of paid and free email-first publications covering key verticals, including: - **Semafor DC**: A daily guide to power and policy in Washington (publishing twice daily starting March 2026). - **Semafor Business**: A daily first-read for global business leaders. - **Semafor Gulf**: A daily first-read covering the Gulf region. - **CEO Signal**: An invitation-only newsletter with 75% of Fortune 500 company CEOs as engaged subscribers. - **Flagship News Website**: Original reporting, analysis, and features from global reporting hubs. - **Semafor Live Journalism & Events**: High-level global convenings connecting public and private sector leaders, including: - **Semafor World Economy Summit**: The largest annual gathering of CEOs in the United States. - **The Next Three Billion**: A platform focused on emerging economies. - **Future Products**: Semafor plans to launch a new **CEO-focused China news briefing** and new **audio and video products** in 2026. [Semafor Press Release](https://www.semafor.com/article/01/07/2026/semafor-marks-record-growth-and-profitability-for-global-news-media-launches-major-editorial-and-live-journalism-expansion) ## Market Standing - **Valuation**: Not publicly available - **Key Metric**: **Annual Revenue of $40 million** (2025), achieving full-year **profitability** with **$2 million in EBITDA**. - **Total Funding**: **$74 million** across 3 rounds (Pre-Seed, Seed, and a recent Venture round closed in early 2026). - Pre-Seed Round (June 2022): $25 million from 7 investors. - Seed Round (May 2023): $19 million from 6 investors. - Venture Round (January 2026): $30 million from 5 investors. - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not explicitly named in public sources, but backed by venture capital. - **Growth Signals**: - **Workforce**: 129 employees (+37.3% year-over-year). [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/semaformedia) - **Subscribers**: Over 1 million email subscriptions, heavily concentrated among C-suite leaders. - **Recognition**: Named to Fast Company’s Annual List of the World’s Most Innovative Companies in 2024 for "rewriting the story" on international reporting. - **Geographic Expansion**: Reporting hubs in Washington DC, Wall Street, Silicon Valley, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Gulf. Plans to expand into Asia in 2026. ## Competitive Advantages - **Innovative "Semaform" Format**: The platform’s journalistic structure explicitly separates facts, analysis, opinion, and counter-narratives to rebuild trust with audiences. [Semafor About Page](https://www.semafor.com/about) - **High-Value Audience**: A highly concentrated, engaged subscriber base of global C-suite leaders and policymakers, creating a premium B2B brand for both news and events. - **Founding Team**: Led by two veteran media executives: Justin B. Smith (ex-CEO of Bloomberg Media, co-founder of Quartz) and Ben Smith (ex-Editor-in-Chief of BuzzFeed News, media columnist for The New York Times). - **Profitable Business Model in Digital Media**: Achieving profitability within three years is a significant differentiator in the current media landscape. ## Strategic Focus - **Scale Editorial Operations**: Expanding the frequency of key newsletters (Semafor DC, Business, Gulf) and launching new ones (China briefing). - **Expand Live Journalism**: Growing flagship events (World Economy Summit from 3 days to 5) and scaling global convenings in new markets (Asia, Gulf, Africa). - **Product Expansion**: Developing new audio and video products for decision-makers. - **Hiring for Growth**: Actively adding to its team of beat-defining journalists and commercial staff in key markets globally. ## Why Work Here - **High-Impact, High-Profile Work**: Opportunity to build a next-generation global news platform from a growth-stage startup that is already profitable. - **Growth Trajectory**: The company is aggressively expanding its editorial team, events, and product lines, offering significant career growth potential. - **Culture of Transparency**: The company’s entire product mission is built on journalistic transparency and rebuilding trust, which likely permeates the internal culture. - **Workplace Policy**: The company has a hybrid presence with offices in New York, Washington D.C., and London, as well as staff in hubs like the Gulf and Africa. - **Notable Perks**: Working with a high-caliber team of journalists and a strong leadership team with deep media industry experience. The company appears to have a high-performance culture focused on results and growth. ## Sources 1. [Semafor About Page](https://www.semafor.com/about) 2. [Semafor Press Release (Record Growth)](https://www.semafor.com/article/01/07/2026/semafor-marks-record-growth-and-profitability-for-global-news-media-launches-major-editorial-and-live-journalism-expansion) 3. [Semafor LinkedIn Company Page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/semaformedia) 4. [Semafor Careers Page (Greenhouse)](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/semafor) 5. [Semafor Website](https://www.semafor.com/) ## Other roles at Semafor - [Event Coordinator, Live Journalism](https://feeny.ai/job/event-coordinator-live-journalism-semafor-washington-ansm654chhzj) — Washington, DC - [Editorial Event Producer - Contract Opportunity](https://feeny.ai/job/editorial-event-producer-contract-opportunity-semafor-remote-q5m4xeqk7xgf) - [Spend Management Lead (Accounts Payable & T&E)](https://feeny.ai/job/spend-management-lead-accounts-payable-t-e-semafor-new-york-sndvfc5x2v49) — New York, NY - [Flagship Lead Editor](https://feeny.ai/job/flagship-lead-editor-semafor-london-england-xgb08txz375q) — London England, United Kingdom - [Digital & Social Platform Editor](https://feeny.ai/job/digital-social-platform-editor-semafor-new-york-0307tzhkmskg) — New York, NY - [Video Producer Fellowship](https://feeny.ai/job/video-producer-fellowship-semafor-new-york-8tnvtw2vq57w) — New York, NY - [Senior Producer, Video & Live Journalism](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-producer-video-live-journalism-semafor-new-york-2b149xkn4thq) — New York, NY / Washington, DC - [Senior Manager, HR Operations](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-manager-hr-operations-semafor-new-york-03wa01wbtz2a) — New York, NY - [Senior Product Designer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-product-designer-semafor-new-york-vm2s8fnfhnjn) — New York, NY - [Asia Editor](https://feeny.ai/job/asia-editor-semafor-remote-0yw83jz53cx0)