Controller

Overview

This role protects the integrity of the organization’s financial information and builds a scalable accounting foundation for a profitable SaaS business with more than USD 10 million in ARR. You will own the books from transaction through reporting, connect billing activity and recurring revenue metrics to the ledger, and provide leadership confidence that results are complete, accurate, explainable, and audit-ready.

Responsibilities

• Establish and document accounting policies and procedures aligned with GAAP and SaaS best practices, including:
  • Revenue recognition (ASC 606) for new products, pricing models, and contract terms
  • Accounting treatment for nonstandard transactions
• Design, document, and maintain internal controls sized for today and scalable as the organization grows
• Own the general ledger, chart of accounts, monthly and annual close, account reconciliations, accruals, consolidations, and financial statement preparation
• Maintain a disciplined close calendar, including review standards, documentation requirements, and clear ownership across the accounting team
• Own revenue recognition for subscription, usage-based, and credit-based arrangements, including:
  • Contract review
  • Accounting conclusions
  • Journal entries
  • Disclosures and supporting documentation under ASC 606
• Reconcile billing data, cash collections, deferred revenue, recognized revenue, and internal ARR definitions
  • Resolve differences at their source
  • Clarify ownership across Finance, Sales, RevOps, and Customer Success
• Own accounts receivable, accounts payable, cash accounting, expense controls, fixed assets, and other core accounting operations (directly or through the team)
• Lead multi-state sales tax compliance, including:
  • Nexus monitoring
  • Registrations
  • Filings
  • Reconciliations
  • Exposure assessments
  • Coordination with external advisers
• Own accounting system architecture, integrations, data quality, and the accounting roadmap
  • Reduce manual work without weakening review or control
• Prepare for financial statement audits, quality of earnings reviews, lender/investor requests, and transaction diligence
  • Maintain schedules and documentation so readiness is ongoing (not event driven)
• Partner with the COO and FP&A/business leaders on reporting, cash visibility, forecasting inputs, and decision support
• Own significant accounting judgments and estimates, including revenue recognition conclusions, reserves and allowances, accruals, capitalization decisions, and useful lives
  • Document rationale in technical memos
  • Apply positions consistently across periods
  • Escalate material or novel judgments to the COO and external advisers
• Lead, coach, and develop a two-person team
  • Set priorities
  • Review work and close capability gaps
  • Create enough process clarity for consistent execution
• Surface risks early, explain business impact, and recommend a practical path forward

Decision Rights and Accountability

• Final accounting owner for close quality, reconciliations, financial statement accuracy, accounting policies, and supporting schedules
• Recommends revenue recognition and other technical accounting conclusions to the COO and external advisers, with documented rationale
• Sets accounting controls, review thresholds, close procedures, and team operating standards
• Recommends accounting technology, external advisers, remediation plans, and resourcing within approved budgets and governance

Required Experience

• Eight or more years of progressive accounting experience, including meaningful ownership in a SaaS, subscription, usage-based, or similarly complex recurring-revenue business
• Active CPA designation in the United States or Canada, or an equivalent designation acceptable for the role’s jurisdiction
• Demonstrated ownership of the general ledger, close, reconciliations, financial statements, and internal controls
• Deep working knowledge of ASC 606, including the ability to write and defend a technical accounting memo rather than only apply an existing policy
• Experience with multi-state sales
• Experience with at least one of the following:
  • Financial statement audit
  • Quality of earnings review
  • Financing diligence process
  • Strategic transaction
• Experience leading a small accounting team while remaining willing and able to complete detailed work personally
• Strong written judgment
  • Identify an issue
  • Separate facts from assumptions
  • Explain risk
  • Recommend a decision

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a bootstrapped, profitable, founder-led, or private-equity-ready software company between USD 10 million and USD 50 million in ARR
• Experience accounting for monthly and annual billing models
• Experience connecting billing systems, payment processors, CRM data, revenue schedules, and the general ledger
• Experience selecting or implementing an ERP, close management, billing, revenue automation, or sales tax platform
• Cross-border accounting exposure involving both Canada and the United States
• Experience improving diligence readiness or supporting an acquisition, recapitalization, or other strategic transaction

Compensation & Benefits

Not specified in the provided description.

Location

Not specified in the provided description.