Controller / Senior Finance Lead - 64410980727

Controller

Status: Remote role; full-time independent contractor engagement.

Schedule: Monday–Friday, ~40 hours/week, with required work hours in US Pacific time (core overlap 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM PT).

Requirements: Reliable computer, high-speed internet, and a quiet, private workspace. Access to necessary software and tools is provided.

Role Overview

The Controller is the on-account owner for a portfolio of two to four multi-entity clients. This is a fully remote, full-time independent contractor role requiring availability during US Pacific time business hours. This is a build-and-run seat focused on managing the close, financial statements, and client relationships. You will act as the primary point of contact for the client’s Head of Finance or CFO. You are expected to close books accurately and on calendar, continuously shortening and cleaning the cycle through documentation, automation, and AI-assisted workflows. You will review the work of Senior Accountants and Payroll Analysts.

Key Responsibilities

• Close and Financial Reporting:
  • Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close across multiple legal entities, including intercompany activity, eliminations, and consolidation.
  • Produce GAAP-compliant financial statements and month-end close packages, including flux and variance analysis with written commentary.
  • Maintain the general ledger and all supporting schedules (prepaid, accrued expense, fixed asset, depreciation, and amortization).
  • Own revenue recognition, including complex arrangements (e.g., value-based care and payer-contract models).
  • Review and approve journal entries prepared by staff (payroll, benefits, allocation, and recurring).
  • Ensure dimensional accuracy (Class and Location) on every entry.
  • Prepare monthly payroll accruals, PTO accrual, and liability roll-forward schedules.
  • Prepare monthly PEO and benefits journal entries; reconcile benefit invoices to payroll registers.
  • Reconcile payroll clearing, accrued payroll, employer tax, and benefits liability accounts.
• Client Ownership:
  • Serve as the day-to-day finance lead; run recurring close, cash, and reporting calls with client finance leadership.
  • Translate accounting outcomes into plain-English answers for non-finance stakeholders.
  • Manage scope, deliverable calendars, and expectations; escalate early when client requests displace committed work.
• Controls, Audit, and Compliance:
  • Establish and document internal controls, accounting policies, and SOPs; maintain audit readiness.
  • Conduct continuous auditing of financial statements.
  • Implement ASCs (e.g., ASC606, ASC842).
  • Manage external audits, tax preparer requests, and diligence data-room requests.
  • Support multi-state payroll tax, sales tax, and entity registration compliance.
  • Ensure sensitive data handling aligns with HIPAA and client privacy frameworks.
• Treasury and Working Capital:
  • Own cash balance reporting, cash forecasting, and intercompany funding/wire transfer analysis.
  • Own AR aging, invoicing accuracy, and collections escalation.
  • Oversee AP aging, approval routing, and payment timing.
• Payroll and Benefits:
  • Prepare and review semi-monthly salaried and biweekly hourly payruns across multiple entities.
  • Validate new hires, terminations, rate changes, bonuses, and PTO against the roster and offer tracker.
  • Route payrun approvals and resolve exceptions.
  • Administer 1099 contractor payments and year-end 1099-NEC preparation.
  • Prepare per-payrun journal entries with correct Class and Location dimensions.
  • Maintain recurring payroll variance analysis with written explanations.
• Team and Process:
  • Review the work of Senior Accountants, Payroll Analysts, and AP specialists.
  • Drive close-cycle compression, process documentation, and automation.
  • Contribute to systems selection and implementation.

AI and Automation Fluency

The company runs on AI. Candidates must demonstrate hands-on, daily use of AI tools in their accounting workflows.

• Daily working use of Claude or an equivalent LLM in a professional finance context.
• Ability to write, test, and refine prompts into reusable templates.
• The instinct to propose automation for manual processes.
• Critical review of AI output; you own the final numbers.

Tools

• Core: QuickBooks Online (admin level), Rippling, Brex, BILL, Carta, Google Workspace (Sheets, Docs, Drive), Slack, and Claude.
• Plus: Experience with mid-market ERPs (NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Campfire, or Rillet) and FP&A planning platforms is a plus.

Qualifications

• Required:
  • 8+ years of progressive accounting experience; 3+ years in a Controller or Assistant Controller seat.
  • Proven ownership of a multi-entity close, including intercompany transactions and consolidation.
  • Strong US GAAP and accrual accounting fluency.
  • Advanced spreadsheet skills (complex lookups, pivots, reconciliation models).
  • Excellent written English.
  • Reliable overlap with US Pacific business hours.
  • Track record of working unsupervised across time zones.
• Preferred:
  • CPA, CA, or local equivalent.
  • Experience in healthcare, multi-site services, or professional services.
  • Experience in venture-backed startup environments.
  • Prior experience in a fractional or outsourced accounting firm.
  • Knowledge of ASC 842, R&D credit support, or equity administration (Carta).

What Success Looks Like

• 30 Days: Fully onboarded to assigned client books; shadowed one close and owned the second; documented at least three process gaps with proposed fixes.
• 60 Days: Independently owns the close; close calendar met without escalation; two process improvements shipped.
• 90 Days: Close cycle measurably shorter; every recurring deliverable has a written SOP; at least one workflow converted to an AI-assisted or automated process.

  Controller

  Status: Remote role; full-time independent contractor engagement.

  Schedule: Monday–Friday, ~40 hours/week, with required work hours in US Pacific time (core overlap 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM PT).

  Requirements: Reliable computer, high-speed internet, and a quiet, private workspace. Access to necessary software and tools is provided.

   

  ---

  Role Overview

   

  The Controller is the on-account owner for a portfolio of two to four multi-entity clients. This is a fully remote, full-time independent contractor role requiring availability during US Pacific time business hours. This is a build-and-run seat focused on managing the close, financial statements, and client relationships. You will act as the primary point of contact for the client’s Head of Finance or CFO. You are expected to close books accurately and on calendar, continuously shortening and cleaning the cycle through documentation, automation, and AI-assisted workflows. You will review the work of Senior Accountants and Payroll Analysts.

   

  Key Responsibilities

• Close and Financial Reporting:
  • Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close across multiple legal entities, including intercompany activity, eliminations, and consolidation.
  • Produce GAAP-compliant financial statements and month-end close packages, including flux and variance analysis with written commentary.
  • Maintain the general ledger and all supporting schedules (prepaid, accrued expense, fixed asset, depreciation, and amortization).
  • Own revenue recognition, including complex arrangements (e.g., value-based care and payer-contract models).
  • Review and approve journal entries prepared by staff (payroll, benefits, allocation, and recurring).
  • Ensure dimensional accuracy (Class and Location) on every entry.
  • Prepare monthly payroll accruals, PTO accrual, and liability roll-forward schedules.
  • Prepare monthly PEO and benefits journal entries; reconcile benefit invoices to payroll registers.
  • Reconcile payroll clearing, accrued payroll, employer tax, and benefits liability accounts.
• Client Ownership:
  • Serve as the day-to-day finance lead; run recurring close, cash, and reporting calls with client finance leadership.
  • Translate accounting outcomes into plain-English answers for non-finance stakeholders.
  • Manage scope, deliverable calendars, and expectations; escalate early when client requests displace committed work.
• Controls, Audit, and Compliance:
  • Establish and document internal controls, accounting policies, and SOPs; maintain audit readiness.
  • Conduct continuous auditing of financial statements.
  • Implement ASCs (e.g., ASC606, ASC842).
  • Manage external audits, tax preparer requests, and diligence data-room requests.
  • Support multi-state payroll tax, sales tax, and entity registration compliance.
  • Ensure sensitive data handling aligns with HIPAA and client privacy frameworks.
• Treasury and Working Capital:
  • Own cash balance reporting, cash forecasting, and intercompany funding/wire transfer analysis.
  • Own AR aging, invoicing accuracy, and collections escalation.
  • Oversee AP aging, approval routing, and payment timing.
• Payroll and Benefits:
  • Prepare and review semi-monthly salaried and biweekly hourly payruns across multiple entities.
  • Validate new hires, terminations, rate changes, bonuses, and PTO against the roster and offer tracker.
  • Route payrun approvals and resolve exceptions.
  • Administer 1099 contractor payments and year-end 1099-NEC preparation.
  • Prepare per-payrun journal entries with correct Class and Location dimensions.
  • Maintain recurring payroll variance analysis with written explanations.
• Team and Process:
  • Review the work of Senior Accountants, Payroll Analysts, and AP specialists.
  • Drive close-cycle compression, process documentation, and automation.
  • Contribute to systems selection and implementation.

• AI and Automation Fluency

   

  The company runs on AI. Candidates must demonstrate hands-on, daily use of AI tools in their accounting workflows.

• Daily working use of Claude or an equivalent LLM in a professional finance context.
• Ability to write, test, and refine prompts into reusable templates.
• The instinct to propose automation for manual processes.
• Critical review of AI output; you own the final numbers.

• Tools

• Core: QuickBooks Online (admin level), Rippling, Brex, BILL, Carta, Google Workspace (Sheets, Docs, Drive), Slack, and Claude.
• Plus: Experience with mid-market ERPs (NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Campfire, or Rillet) and FP&A planning platforms is a plus.

• Qualifications

• Required:
  • 8+ years of progressive accounting experience; 3+ years in a Controller or Assistant Controller seat.
  • Proven ownership of a multi-entity close, including intercompany transactions and consolidation.
  • Strong US GAAP and accrual accounting fluency.
  • Advanced spreadsheet skills (complex lookups, pivots, reconciliation models).
  • Excellent written English.
  • Reliable overlap with US Pacific business hours.
  • Track record of working unsupervised across time zones.
• Preferred:
  • CPA, CA, or local equivalent.
  • Experience in healthcare, multi-site services, or professional services.
  • Experience in venture-backed startup environments.
  • Prior experience in a fractional or outsourced accounting firm.
  • Knowledge of ASC 842, R&D credit support, or equity administration (Carta).

• What Success Looks Like

• 30 Days: Fully onboarded to assigned client books; shadowed one close and owned the second; documented at least three process gaps with proposed fixes.
• 60 Days: Independently owns the close; close calendar met without escalation; two process improvements shipped.
• 90 Days: Close cycle measurably shorter; every recurring deliverable has a written SOP; at least one workflow converted to an AI-assisted or automated process.