Financial Close & General Ledge - AI Research
Aptura · United States
- Hybrid
- Part-time
- $120,000 / year
- United States
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Job highlights
- Shape AI models with your financial close expertise.
- Design and evaluate AI-driven financial close tasks.
- Review AI-generated financial entries and analyses.
- Build benchmark solutions for AI model testing.
- Remote, flexible, project-based contract work.
About the role
About Aptura
Aptura works with leading foundational AI labs to bring institutional finance expertise directly into AI model development. Founded by ex-Lazard and Partners Group professionals, we operate from London and San Francisco.
The Opportunity
You've spent years owning the close — reconciliations, accruals, and intercompany eliminations that real teams sweat over at period-end. Now that expertise has a new application: shaping how frontier AI models reason through financial close the way an experienced controller does.
What You'll Do
- Design realistic close and general ledger tasks: the reconciliations, accruals, and intercompany eliminations real teams sweat over at period-end.
- Write evaluation rubrics that define what "correct" means — not just a balanced trial balance, but the right call on accruals, cut-offs, and adjustments.
- Review AI-generated journal entries, reconciliations, and variance analyses for accuracy and completeness — and catch the errors a reviewer is paid to catch.
- Build reference close packages and worked solutions that set the benchmark models are tested against.
- Make the reasoning behind each close decision explicit, so a model learns the why — not just the output.
You May Be A Good Fit If
- 5–8+ years in operational accounting as a Controller, Assistant Controller, or close / GL lead.
- You've run a close end-to-end and can spot a soft reconciliation in seconds.
- Hands-on with ERPs such as NetSuite, SAP, or QuickBooks.
- CPA, ACA / ACCA, or equivalent (preferred, not required).
- You can explain why an entry is right — the judgement, not just the mechanics.
How Engagements Work
Fully remote, part-time and flexible. Work is scoped by project and ranges from short engagements to ongoing collaborations, structured as a contract or a monthly retainer.
Compensation
$80–$200 per hour, aligned with expertise, scope, and impact; exceptional or highly specialised expertise can go higher. Ongoing engagements are typically structured as a monthly retainer rather than hourly billing.
Key skills/competency
- Financial Close
- General Ledger
- Reconciliations
- Accruals
- Intercompany Eliminations
- AI Model Development
- ERP Systems
- NetSuite
- SAP
- QuickBooks
Skills & topics
- Financial Close
- General Ledger
- Accounting
- AI
- Research
- Controller
- Finance
- Remote
- Part-time
- Contract
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight your 5-8+ years in operational accounting, Controller, or GL lead roles, emphasizing end-to-end close management and reconciliation skills.
- Showcase ERP experience: Clearly list your hands-on experience with NetSuite, SAP, or QuickBooks.
- Quantify achievements: Provide examples of how you've identified and resolved complex accounting issues or improved close processes.
- Demonstrate AI interest: Explain your ability to articulate accounting judgment and mechanics for AI model training.
- Highlight certifications: Mention CPA, ACA, or ACCA if applicable, to further validate your expertise.
Technical preparation
Master financial close process details.,Practice explaining accounting judgments clearly.,Familiarize with NetSuite, SAP, or QuickBooks.,Develop evaluation rubrics for AI tasks.
Behavioral questions
Describe a complex reconciliation you solved.,How do you ensure accuracy in financial close?,Explain an accounting decision's 'why'.,How would you evaluate AI's financial reasoning?
Frequently asked questions
- What specific financial accounting experience does Aptura seek for the Financial Close and General Ledger AI Researcher role?
- Aptura is looking for individuals with 5-8+ years of operational accounting experience, specifically as a Controller, Assistant Controller, or close/GL lead. The ideal candidate has run an end-to-end financial close process and possesses a keen ability to quickly identify reconciliation issues. Expertise in explaining the 'why' behind accounting entries, not just the mechanics, is also highly valued.
- Is prior experience with AI development required for the Financial Close and General Ledger AI Researcher position at Aptura?
- No, prior AI development experience is not explicitly required. Aptura aims to bring financial expertise into AI model development. Your strength will be in applying your deep understanding of financial close processes to help train and evaluate AI models.
- What kind of ERP systems knowledge is beneficial for this role at Aptura?
- Hands-on experience with popular ERP systems such as NetSuite, SAP, or QuickBooks is considered a strong asset for the Financial Close and General Ledger AI Researcher role. This practical experience will be crucial when designing tasks and evaluating AI model outputs.
- How does Aptura structure work and compensation for its Financial Close and General Ledger AI Researchers?
- Engagements are fully remote, part-time, and flexible, typically scoped by project. Work can range from short engagements to ongoing collaborations, structured as a contract or a monthly retainer. Compensation is between $80-$200 per hour, with potential for higher rates for exceptional expertise. Ongoing work may be on a retainer basis.
- What does Aptura mean by 'making the reasoning behind each close decision explicit' for AI models?
- This means going beyond just ensuring a trial balance is balanced. For AI models, you'll need to articulate the rationale for specific accruals, cut-off treatments, and adjustments. The goal is for the AI to learn the judgment and decision-making process of an experienced controller, not just the final numbers.
- Does Aptura require a CPA, ACA, or ACCA for the Financial Close and General Ledger AI Researcher role?
- While a CPA, ACA/ACCA, or equivalent certification is preferred, it is not strictly required for the Financial Close and General Ledger AI Researcher position. Aptura values practical experience and the ability to articulate accounting judgment as much as formal qualifications.