Controller

Octant Bio•Emeryville, CA

36d•$240,000 - $280,000•Onsite

About The Position

We’re looking for a Controller who is excited by Octant’s mission to develop medicines for serious genetic diseases. This is an opportunity for someone who wants to help build an organization, who takes a hands-on approach and is a player-coach type of leader, who engages deeply across the company (rather than staying heads down in the numbers) and who has the tenacity to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment. Reporting to the VP of Finance, you’ll lead the accounting function, ensuring a high degree of operational excellence and financial integrity, and will serve as a key business partner to leadership and to the company as a whole.

Requirements

A Bachelor’s Degree and an active CPA license
10+ years progressive accounting experience, including Big 4 and/or public company experience
Biotech / pharma experience, especially in clinical-stage companies
Deep knowledge of US GAAP, SEC regulations and SOX compliance
Exceptionally strong judgment and integrity
A strong drive and attention to detail. This is a hands-on position
A collaborative attitude and the ability to work well in cross functional teams
Good communication skills and the ability to explain financial concepts to a non-finance audience
The desire and ability to thrive in a fast paced, startup environment
Excellent leadership skills with experience in driving change and implementing new initiatives broadly

Responsibilities

Manage day-to-day accounting operations and oversee our outsourced accounting team
Lead the financial close process and prepare monthly, quarterly and annual financial statements
Ensure that our financial statements are consistent with GAAP; prepare technical accounting memos as necessary; stay current on the latest FASB pronouncements
Establish, manage and update our accounting policies and controls. Identify and implement improvements to business processes, systems and tools.
Manage the external audits process and work with the auditors to ensure that they are completed timely and efficiently
Partner with our external tax firm to ensure compliance with all local, state and federal tax requirements and filings. Drive tax related activities like R&D tax credit studies and Sec 382 analysis.
Partner with People Ops, Legal, Purchasing and IT to implement cross-functional processes and to administer our financial systems (including Netsuite, Ramp, Quartzy)
Provide insight and guidance for accounting related matters (e.g., clinical trial accruals, procure to pay controls) to the broader Octant team, including the executive team
Develop accounting processes and reporting infrastructure aligned with public company standards, and implement financial governance and SOX-ready controls that support the organization’s long term growth and functional excellence
Lead and mentor a high performing accounting function that can scale with the growth and maturation of the company.