Senior Manager / Associate Director, Lead Technical Accountant CPA

The Technical Accounting Lead will build and oversee the technical accounting function for Lila Sciences. The role will own complex accounting topics and ensure accurate revenue recognition, guide capitalization decisions, and inform accurate financial reporting. The ideal candidate combines deep GAAP expertise with strong cross-functional collaboration and a bias toward scalable, repeatable processes in a high-growth environment.

• Technical accounting and policy
  • Lead and own ASC 606 revenue recognition for multi-element contracts, R&D collaborations and licensing arrangements
  • Evaluate leases and lease accounting (ASC 842) for facilities, lab space, and equipment as applicable.
  • Assess R&D capitalization vs. expense; determine software development costs capitalization criteria and amortization.
  • Draft and maintain technical accounting memos for auditors and stakeholders
• Financial reporting and close
  • Support monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes for complex accounting areas
  • Prepare and review GAAP financial statements and footnote disclosures
  • Partner with auditors during annual audits and technical reviews
• Contracts, billing, and systems
  • Collaborate with Revenue, Sales, and Legal on complex contract structures, customer arrangements, and renewal terms.
  • Lead process improvements for revenue recognition and capitalization workflows.
  • Partner with IT/Finance on ERP and revenue management system improvements; drive data integrity and automation (SQL/BI-enabled insights).

• Education and credentials
  • Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance
  • CPA
• Experience
  • 8+ years of relevant technical accounting experience, preferably in tech, software, biotech, or life sciences with high-growth exposure.
  • Demonstrated expertise in ASC 606; experience with ASC 842 and software/intangible asset accounting.
  • Deep knowledge of revenue recognition for complex multi-element arrangements.
  • Experience with R&D capitalization decisions and software development cost accounting.
  • Proficiency with ERP systems (e.g., Netsuite, Oracle)
• Communication and collaboration
  • Ability to translate complex accounting concepts for non-finance stakeholders; strong cross-functional collaboration and project-management skills.
• Cultural fit
  • Comfortable in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment; demonstrated ability to drive process improvements and scalable solutions.

• Experience in a government grant-funded or collaboration-heavy environment.
• Worked in the big 4
• Knowledge of data/privacy/compliance considerations relevant to life sciences tech platforms.
• Prior involvement in SOX or internal control documentation, control owner mapping, and audit readiness.

Lila Sciences is building Scientific Superintelligence™ to solve humankind's greatest challenges. We believe science is the most inspiring frontier for AI. Rather than hard-coding expert knowledge into tools, LILA builds systems that can learn for themselves.

LILA combines advanced AI models with proprietary AI Science Factory™ instruments into an operating system for science that executes the entire scientific method autonomously, accelerating discovery at unprecedented speed, scale, and impact across medicine, materials, and energy. Learn more at www.lila.ai.

Guided by our core values of truth, trust, curiosity, grit, and velocity, we move with startup speed while tackling problems of historic importance. If this sounds like an environment you'd love to work in, even if you don't meet every qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply.

Lila Sciences is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.

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Lila Sciences does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to Lila Sciences or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Lila Science’s internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of Lila Sciences, and Lila Sciences will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.