M&A Accouting and Integration Lead

ABOUT MERCOR Mercor's mission is to organize human intelligence to power the AI economy. We're a leading AI data company, building the layer between human expertise and frontier models. Millions of domain experts on the platform are paid over $4 million per day to train frontier AI models. Mercor's APEX benchmark family measures AI's real-world impact on professional work. Mercor Enterprise brings this same infrastructure to Fortune 500 companies: helping companies capture how their best people actually work, translating that expertise directly back into agents.   Mercor is creating a new category of work where expertise powers AI advancement. Achieving this requires an ambitious, fast-paced and deeply committed team. You’ll work alongside researchers, operators, and AI companies at the forefront of shaping the systems that are redefining society. Mercor is a profitable Series C company valued at $10 billion. We work in-person five days a week in our San Francisco, NYC, or London offices. About the Role Mercor expands via strategic acquisitions, where critical financial risks surface within due diligence findings, transaction structures, and post-closing operational timelines. As Strategic Transactions Lead, you will spearhead the accounting workstream across every transaction, managing processes from post-LOI confirmatory diligence through the initial post-close annual audit. Serving as the Controller team's representative on deal execution pods, you will partner closely with Corporate Finance, Legal, Business Operations, and Integration leads to ensure seamless financial consolidation. This key foundational role requires an operational builder who will construct robust diligence frameworks, establish key performance metrics, and scale M&A infrastructure alongside rapid acquisition velocity. What You'll Do CONFIRMATORY DILIGENCE - Direct post-LOI accounting due diligence, evaluating historical quality of earnings, revenue recognition policies, cap table structures, tax liabilities, and vendor obligations. - Construct scalable diligence playbooks tailored across diverse transaction types, including acquihires, IP assets, and complex business combinations. - Deliver comprehensive accounting readiness evaluations prior to execution, highlighting material risks and structuring implications. - Analyze definitive transaction documentation and settlement flows, advising leadership on earnouts, working capital adjustments, escrow holdbacks, and equity rollovers. DEAL ACCOUNTING - Oversee third-party valuation specialists on purchase price allocations, intangible asset valuations, and contingent consideration models. - Evaluate financial statement impacts for proposed deal mechanics and talent retention structures to guide executive decision-making. - Coordinate Day 1 close readiness across financial systems, payroll platforms, banking structures, and internal governance controls. POST-MERGER INTEGRATION - Lead the end-to-end accounting integration roadmap, including opening balance sheets, general ledger mappings, ERP migrations, policy alignment, and intercompany settlements. - Translate purchase terms into actionable operational milestones, aligning dependencies closely with the broader Corporate Development integration team. - Manage concurrent integration tracks across multiple acquired entities, maintaining delivery timelines and resolving operational blockers. - Transition acquired business units into Mercor's internal control environment and SOX-compliant reporting frameworks. - Serve as the main financial liaison for target leadership teams throughout the post-acquisition transition period. PROGRAM GOVERNANCE - Manage measurement-period adjustments, earnout tracking, intangible asset amortization schedules, and annual goodwill impairment testing. - Represent Mercor as the lead contact for external audit partners regarding complex M&A transactions. - Develop standardized M&A accounting toolkits, standardized templates, and cross-functional decision trees. - Conduct deal retrospectives while tracking performance metrics like close-cycle duration and post-close audit adjustments. - Mentor junior team members and review technical deliverables to build team capability. What We're Looking For - 6+ years of combined experience across technical accounting, Big 4 audit, or transaction advisory services - 2+ years of in-house financeops experience within high-growth, venture-backed technology environments - Proven track record leading M&A accounting end-to-end across multiple closed acquisitions - Deep expertise in US GAAP technical frameworks, including ASC 805, ASC 606, ASC 718, and ASC 820 - Strong operational execution skills, you convert transaction terms into clear, actionable integration workstreams - Exceptional communication skills, ability to translate technical accounting positions to cross-functional executives, legal counsel, and auditors - Active Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license NICE TO HAVE - Direct experience accounting for acquihires, including retention vs. consideration evaluation - Background in Big 4 financial due diligence (FDD) or deal advisory practices - Experience establishing an M&A accounting practice, playbooks, and governance frameworks from scratch - Demonstrated capability managing multiple concurrent transaction integrations under tight timelines - Familiarity with cross-border acquisition structures and foreign subsidiary integration - Experience working in fast-paced AI or hyper-growth technology environments Compensation - Base cash comp from $175K - $210k - Generous equity grant vested over 4 years - Up to $15k Relocation bonus - $10K housing bonus (if you live within 0.5 miles of our office) - $1.5K monthly stipend for meals - Free Equinox membership - $200 monthly laundry reimbursement - $200 monthly personal wellness reimbursement - Health, Dental, Vision insurance - 401(k) with company match