Financial Controller

Who We Are

Urban Insight and Planetizen (sister companies - www.urbaninsight.com and www.planetizen.com) are looking for a talented Controller to lead our accounting and finance operations and keep our books. This person will work closely with our CEO and COO as well as various department heads to support the growth of Urban Insight and Planetizen. 

This is the right role for an experienced accountant with a deep understanding of accrual accounting, an analytical mindset, and a detail-oriented team player who has an ability to work independently. If you are excited by not only maintaining and closing the books, but also by the prospect of managing and building out robust accounting and finance processes, and leading initiatives such as budgeting and forecasting, and creating KPI dashboards, this role is a great fit for you. 

Key Responsibilities

• Core Accounting Operations & Record Keeping: Own the accurate and efficient execution of all daily accounting tasks (bookkeeping, general ledger, AP, AR, invoicing, contract/payment tracking), maintaining meticulous financial records under both cash and accrual accounting bases.
• Financial Reporting & Reconciliation: Lead the timely month-end close process, preparing comprehensive and accurate financial statements (P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow), and performing all necessary bank and account reconciliations to ensure data integrity.
• Budgeting, Forecasting & Cost Management: Drive the annual budgeting process collaboratively with leadership; own the ongoing maintenance and refinement of financial forecasts, analyze budget variances, and provide proactive guidance on cost control and financial optimization strategies.
• Systems, Controls & Compliance: Develop, implement, and maintain robust accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls to minimize risk and safeguard assets; ensure full compliance with relevant financial regulations, coordinating effectively with external tax advisors for required filings.
• Analytics & Strategic Insight: Develop and manage insightful Key Performance Indicator (KPI) dashboards using PowerBI, translating complex financial data and performance metrics into clear, actionable recommendations to support strategic decision-making by the CEO, COO, and department heads.

Success Metrics
In your first 3 months 

• Become an expert in the Urban Insight and Planetizen's businesses, services, products and financials.  
• Successfully taken ownership of all daily accounting operations, delivering at least two accurate and timely (within 10 days) month-end close cycles with completed core financial statements and reconciliations. 
• Demonstrated a clear understanding of the existing financial systems, processes, and reporting structures (including initial use of PowerBI dashboards); reliably producing standard financial reports and analyses for management review.
• Built effective working relationships with the CEO, COO, and key department heads, understanding their needs, and begun identifying specific areas for potential improvements in controls, processes, or reporting based on initial findings.
• Develop a roadmap for financial reporting, and the future of the finance and accounting department.

By the end of 2025

• Designed and implemented tangible improvements to accounting procedures, internal controls, or system usage, demonstrably increasing efficiency and accuracy within the finance function.
• Established as a trusted advisor providing proactive financial insights; significantly contributed to accurate forecasting, developed robust and actively utilized KPI dashboards (PowerBI), and influenced business decisions through insightful cost management guidance and performance analysis.
• Successfully led the entire annual budgeting process from development through execution, seamlessly managed coordination with external tax advisors for all filings, and demonstrated consistent mastery and reliability across the full spectrum of the company's financial operations and reporting calendar.

Location & Availability

This position is available for fully remote work to individuals outside of the U.S. Minimum of 4 hours overlap with 9am - 6pm Pacific Time required.

Qualifications & Requirements: 

• Minimum 10 years’ experience in accounting/finance including budgeting, KPI development, and bookkeeping. 
• Ideal candidate will have experience with B2B Professional Services industry such as a web design agency, marketing agency, or consulting firm, or with the eLearning industry.
• Minimum CEFR C1 level with English.
• Experience and deep understanding of accrual accounting.
• Robust experience with Quickbooks Online.
• Strong Excel skills.
• Strong PowerBI skills.
• Prioritization and time-management skills.
• Highly motivated and tenacious personality.
• Experience working independently on a finance team of one, with cross-functional support. 
• Bachelor’s or master’s degree; study in tax, accounting, or finance preferred.

Nice to Have

• Corporate Finance knowledge and experience.
• Experience in a digital or other marketing agency.
• Experience with online news or elearning platforms.
• Experience with AI or automation tools such as Zapier or Automate.io.
• Masters Degree in accounting or finance.
• CPA or equivalent experience.

About Urban Insight and Planetizen

• Urban Insight is a leading digital agency - https://www.urbaninsight.com
• Planetizen is the largest independent education and news resource for urban planners. 
  https://www.planetizen.com.
• We are a team of 30+.     
• We work with some of the best-known museums, nonprofits and other institutions, such as LACMA, The Broad, University of Southern California, City of Los Angeles, and the Japanese American National Museum.
• We’re the top-ranked Web development agency in Los Angeles, according to Clutch, an independent analyst. Have a look at what our clients say about us: https://clutch.co/profile/urban-insight 
• We run on the Entrepreneurial Operating System.

Why Work at Urban Insight?

• We work with you to create a career path that works for you.
• Work from anywhere in LATAM.
• The average employee tenure is 6.5 years.
• We're stable; We've been in business for 25 years, and continue to grow each year.
• We offer a casual and flexible working environment with plenty of opportunities for growth for the right candidate.
• We believe in a reasonable life/work balance and enjoy 40-hour work weeks.
• We allocate time for training and professional development.
• We take on interesting, meaningful projects for appreciative clients.
• Learn about using the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) in a rapidly-growing agency.
• There are many more reasons: https://www.urbaninsight.com/careers

We offer a highly competitive salary, which depends on your qualifications and experience. Our salary package includes:

• Total compensation: $11,000,000-13,000,000 COP per month.
• Paid time off (25 days including holidays).
• Performance and compensation reviews annually.
• Annual customized training plan and time to work on it.

To Apply

Please apply on this page. This position is open until filled.

Thank you for your potential interest in working with us at Urban Insight and Planetizen.