Controller (SF)

Ode with Anthropic•San Francisco, CA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Ode is hiring its first Controller to build the company's accounting function from the ground up. The Controller will bring the books in-house, support the first audit, and establish a close and controls environment that can accommodate acquisitions, new entities, and rapid growth. The role will develop an AI-native approach to controllership and reports to the Head of Finance. It is based onsite in Ode's San Francisco office. The Controller will transition accounting from an outsourced partner, own the monthly, quarterly, and annual US GAAP close across entities, and use AI tools such as Claude to automate close activities with the goal of a five-day close. The role will establish revenue recognition policy for a services business, design scalable financial controls, and oversee acquisition accounting, entity setup, intercompany activity, the chart of accounts, and requirements for moving from QuickBooks to a modern ERP.

Requirements

10+ years of accounting experience, including public accounting experience.
At least 3 years as a Controller or Assistant Controller at a high-growth company.
Experience leading a first audit and moving a company onto an ERP.
Expertise in US GAAP, especially ASC 606 for project-based, milestone, and variable revenue.
Comfort with multi-entity consolidation and purchase accounting.
CPA required.
Ability to demonstrate accounting work built or automated with Claude, Cursor, or similar tools, and to identify where human review remains necessary.
High standards, urgency, and strong motivation to build something exceptional.

Nice To Haves

SQL or scripting skills.

Responsibilities

Transition accounting from the outsourced partner and take ownership of the close.
Run the monthly, quarterly, and annual close under US GAAP across every entity.
Use AI to automate reconciliations, accruals, flux analysis, and close preparation, working toward a five-day close.
Set ASC 606 revenue recognition policy for fixed-fee, reserved-team, and milestone statements of work, success fees, and pass-through costs.
Partner with Commercial and Legal before deals are signed to clarify accounting treatment before work begins.
Design controls for order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, payroll, and the close, including human review of AI-generated work and evidence suitable for auditors and investors.
Own purchase accounting and integration for acquisitions.
Establish new entities and intercompany processes.
Own the chart of accounts and define requirements for moving from QuickBooks to a modern ERP.