Job Details

Job Title: Controller

Location: Remote (U.S.-based)

Reports to: CEO

Employment Type: Full-Time

Salary Range: $105,000 - $120,000

What You'll Do

Paragon Payroll is a fast-growing, remote-first payroll bureau and certified isolved partner, serving clients in high-compliance industries including cannabis. We are seeking a Controller with deep experience in payroll services or the PEO/bureau space to own our financial operations, enhance cash control, and drive margin visibility across our book of business.

This role is ideal for someone who has worked inside a payroll bureau, PEO, or HCM platform provider, understands how to manage client billing, tax payment flows, and vendor obligations - and thrives in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Management & Reporting

• Oversee all accounting operations: client billing, A/R, A/P, general ledger, tax filings, and month-end close
• Produce accurate financial statements and internal dashboards
• Track client profitability and identify margin leakage in services

Cash Flow & Budgeting

• Manage 13-week cash flow forecasts across operating and trust accounts
• Optimize client funds flow (e.g., tax payments, payroll funding, fee collections)
• Maintain detailed visibility into burn, collections, and vendor disbursements

Payroll Bureau Operations (Core Focus)

• Own the financial oversight of payroll tax collections, remittances, and liabilities
• Ensure billing is aligned with services, headcount, or pay-cycle tiers
• Work closely with isolved and operations team to track revenue per client and handle exceptions (e.g., one-offs, credits, or off-cycle bills)
• Coordinate payroll-related audits, reconciliations, and journal entries

Systems & Automation

• Manage financial systems including QuickBooks Online, isolved, Excel/Sheets
• Optimize integrations between systems; reduce manual work through templates or tools
• Implement processes that help scale - with auditability and transparency

Compliance & Controls

• Ensure all payroll-related taxes are properly accounted for and reconciled
• Coordinate with external CPAs for filings, 280E tracking (where relevant), and year-end prep
• Maintain and improve internal controls and documentation

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in an accounting or controller role within a payroll bureau, PEO, ASO, or similar environment
• Strong understanding of payroll cash flow, tax fund flow, and client billing models
• Experience with isolved or similar platforms (Paychex, Paylocity, ADP, etc.)
• Proficient in QuickBooks Online, Excel/Google Sheets, and reporting tools
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance; CPA a plus but not required
• Comfortable working independently in a remote environment and reporting to a founder/CEO

Key Competencies

• You thrive in the back-office engine room - making sure numbers are accurate and systems run smoothly
• You enjoy building processes that reduce errors and manual effort
• You can explain financial concepts in simple terms, and you're not afraid to challenge inconsistencies
• You like knowing how each client relationship affects the bottom line

Growth Path

This is a key operational role with a direct path to VP of Finance or CFO as the company scales and reaches greater profitability. You'll be a foundational part of Paragon's next stage of growth.