Controller

Overview

This role is responsible for owning the accounting function end to end and building the infrastructure needed to keep financial reporting audit-ready as the organization scales.

Key focus areas include:

• Stand up monthly close and GAAP financial reporting
• Implement and operate ERP and internal controls
• Build multi-entity accounting, consolidation, and audit readiness
• Own cost, inventory, revenue recognition, tax, and cash operations

Responsibilities

• Own the monthly close end to end, driving a fast, reliable cadence and producing clean, GAAP-compliant financial statements.
• Lead the implementation and ownership of the ERP (NetSuite or equivalent), including chart of accounts design, integrations, and process automation.
• Design and operate internal controls appropriate to the organization’s stage, maturing them toward institutional and audit-grade standards.
• Own multi-entity accounting and consolidation, including project SPVs and international subsidiaries as they come online; establish bookkeeping standards for new entities in partnership with counsel.
• Own audit readiness: select and manage auditors, run the audit process, and maintain diligence readiness for lenders and investors.
• Build cost and inventory accounting for manufacturing operations, including standard costs, WIP, and production variances.
• Own revenue recognition for first-of-a-kind contracts, including power sales, milestones, and long-term agreements.
• Coordinate tax compliance and planning with outside advisors across federal, state, and international jurisdictions.
• Own payroll, equity accounting, and stock-based compensation in partnership with People and outside counsel.
• Own accounts payable, accounts receivable, and cash management operations, including banking relationships and treasury operations.
• Partner with Finance to connect close-to-forecast so actuals, budget, and forecast reconcile every month.
• Build and lead the accounting team as the organization grows, standing up the systems and processes the function will run on.
• Report directly to the COO, transitioning to finance leadership as the team grows.

Requirements

• ~10 years of progressive accounting experience, including controller or assistant controller ownership at a scaling company.
• Track record building the accounting function from scratch as the organization scaled (close, controls, ERP, and policies).
• Deep GAAP fluency, including revenue recognition, inventory and cost accounting, capitalization policy, and stock-based compensation.
• Experience owning multi-entity consolidation, ideally including SPVs, joint ventures, or international subsidiaries.
• Hands-on experience leading an ERP implementation or migration (NetSuite strongly preferred).
• Experience selecting and managing auditors, running annual audits, and owning responses to lender and investor financial diligence.
• Experience with cost accounting in a manufacturing or hardware environment, including inventory, WIP, and standard costing.
• Detail-oriented, organized manager who can own the close calendar, documentation, and coordination of outside advisors, auditors, and service vendors.
• Clear, direct writing suitable for accounting memos, policy documentation, and audit/diligence responses.
• Excellent communication skills across audiences including auditors, engineers, executives, and finance professionals.
• Comfort operating with ambiguity, incomplete data, and short timelines.

Preferred Qualifications

• CPA.
• Experience at an energy, infrastructure, or project finance company, including project-level and SPV accounting.
• Familiarity with project financing structures and the accounting they require: intercompany agreements, waterfall distributions, and lender reporting.
• Experience with equity accounting at a venture-backed startup, including 409A cycles and cap table systems.
• Prior experience standing up accounting for international subsidiaries or foreign-flag entities.
• Exposure to IPO readiness, SOX, or public-company controls standards.
• Experience with government contracts or grant accounting.
• Experience operating in high-urgency organizations with aggressive commercial and operational.

Compensation & Benefits

• Compensation range: $200K - $265K (final base salary determined by factors including internal equity, job-related knowledge, skills, and work experience).
• Equity: As a pre-revenue startup, the organization offers generous equity packages; equity is granted to every full-time employee.
• Benefits: Health, Dental, and Vision insurance coverage.
• Time Away: Flexible PTO including 12 paid company holidays.
• Additional benefits/perks include:
  • Travel to deployment sites in locations like the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, and the Azores
  • Participation in sea trials and deployment operations with oceanographic institutions
  • Dive certification (company-sponsored recreational dive certification)
  • Access to a company boat and free meals and snacks

Location

• Not specified. (The role includes travel to deployment sites in locations including the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, and the Azores.)