Lead Accountant (R4209)

Shield AI • San Diego, CA

3d • $103,000 - $140,000

About The Position

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai . Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn , X , Instagram , and YouTube . We are seeking a Lead Accountant to play a critical role in scaling our accounting function as the business grows. This role goes beyond the close, you will influence how financial data is produced, trusted, and used by leadership to make decisions. You’ll own meaningful areas of the balance sheet and P&L, improve how we operate, and help build a best-in-class accounting function.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• CPA or CPA eligible.
• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience in public accounting (Big 4 or national firm) and/or a high-growth operating environment.
• Proficiency with GLs/subledgers and reconciliation tools (e.g., FloQast) and strong Excel/Sheets skills
• Solid working knowledge of US GAAP and internal controls
• Clear communicator with an ownership mindset and the ability to collaborate to deadlines.
• Strong attention to detail and problem-solving mindset.

Nice To Haves

• Public company experience a plus

Responsibilities

• Own close for assigned areas: prepare journals, account reconciliations, and flux analysis; ensure GL-to-subledger integrity.
• Manage key GL cycles: prepaids, accruals, fixed assets, inventory/COGS, payroll entries, and deferred revenue with clean rollforwards and documentation.
• Drive cutoffs and analytics: coordinate with AP/AR/Payroll/Procurement/FP&A on accruals and budget-to-actuals; propose adjustments based on data.
• Uplift controls and audit readiness: Identify risks, control gaps, or inefficiencies and drive solutions with minimal direction.
• Improve processes and tools: standardize templates, automate reconciliations, streamline the close calendar.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level