Director of Accounting / Controller

At Preply, we’re all about creating life-changing learning experiences. We help people discover the magic of the perfect tutor, craft a personalised learning journey, and stay motivated to keep growing. Our approach is human-led, tech-enabled - and it’s creating real impact.

We’ve just reached unicorn status with a $150M Series D, accelerating our vision to transform education through human-led, AI-enhanced learning. Today, 100,000+ tutors teach 90+ languages to learners in 180 countries - and we’re only getting started. As a category-defining company, we’re shaping what the future of learning looks like at global scale.

Every Preply lesson sparks change, fuels ambition, and drives progress that matters. Joining Preply means helping define the future of education at global scale, and building something that truly matters for millions of people, every day.

We’re hiring a Director of Accounting / Controller to help lead Preply through its next phase of growth and build the accounting foundation required for IPO readiness.

This is not a steady-state role. Preply has scaled rapidly - and now needs to upgrade its accounting infrastructure, processes, and team to public-company standards. You will lead that transformation.

You’ll partner closely with the VP Accounting and CFO to build a function that is:

• Fast (disciplined, compressed close)

• Clean (accurate, reliable financials)

• Audit-ready (SOX-compliant, externally trusted)

• AI-enabled (automated, insight-driven)

This is a high-ownership, high-impact role with direct visibility to leadership, auditors, and future public market stakeholders.

Build and scale the accounting function

• Own and transform the monthly, quarterly, and annual close, driving significant improvements in speed, structure, and discipline

• Build a SOX 404-compliant controls environment from the ground up

• Establish public-company-grade reporting, including audit-ready financial statements

• Lead technical accounting across complex areas (revenue, SBC, consolidation, etc.)

Drive transformation and automation

• Identify and eliminate manual processes through automation and AI-enabled workflows

• Improve data quality, systems, and reporting infrastructure (NetSuite, etc.)

• Deliver step-change efficiency gains across accounting operations

Build and lead a high-performing team

• Assess current team capabilities and upgrade talent where needed

• Define the right structure, roles, and responsibilities for scale

• Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, and excellence

Partner across the business

• Work closely with FP&A, Legal, Tax, and Operations to ensure alignment

• Act as a trusted advisor to Finance leadership on IPO readiness

• Partner with auditors and external advisors to ensure smooth execution

• Big Four background (PwC, Deloitte, EY, or KPMG)

• 10+ years of experience in accounting, including leadership roles

• Proven experience building or transforming accounting functions in high-growth environments

• Hands-on experience with SOX 404 design and implementation

• Strong expertise in US GAAP and external reporting (10-K, 10-Q, S-1 exposure)

• Track record of improving close processes and operational rigor

• Strong people leadership and ability to drive change

• Pre-IPO or IPO experience

• Experience in SaaS, marketplace, or global tech companies

• Exposure to automation / AI in finance

• Care to change the world - We are passionate about our work and care deeply about its impact to be life changing.

• We do it for learners - For both Preply and tutors, learners are why we do what we do. Every day we focus on empowering tutors to deliver an exceptional learning experience.

• Keep perfecting - To create an outstanding customer experience, we focus on simplicity, smoothness, and enjoyment, continually perfecting it as every detail matters.

• Now is the time - In a fast-paced world, it matters how quickly we act. Now is the time to make great things happen.

• Disciplined execution - What makes us disciplined is the excellence in our execution. We set clear goals, focus on what matters, and utilize our resources efficiently.

• Dive deep - We leverage business acumen and curiosity to investigate disparities between numbers and stories, unlocking meaningful insights to guide our decisions.

• Growth mindset - We proactively seek growth opportunities and believe today's best performance becomes tomorrow's starting point. We humbly embrace feedback and learn from setbacks.

• Raise the bar - We raise our performance standards continuously, alongside each new hire and promotion. We build diverse and high-performing teams that can make a real difference.

• Challenge, disagree and commit - We value open and candid communication, even when we don’t fully agree. We speak our minds, challenge when necessary, and fully commit to decisions once made.

• One Preply - We prioritize collaboration, inclusion, and the success of our team over personal ambitions. Together, we support and celebrate each other's progress.

Preply.com is committed to creating an inclusive environment where people of diverse backgrounds can thrive. We believe that the presence of different opinions and viewpoints is a key ingredient for our success as a multicultural Ed-Tech company. That means that Preply will consider all applications for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age or veteran status.