Controller, Accounting

Controller

Title:

Controller

Salary: $135,000 – $150,000/year (DOE) plus bonus and benefits

Position Type:
Full-Time

Department:
Administrative

Work Location:

Gilbert, AZ

Updated: 09/4/2026

Phyco Terra® is redefining how agriculture approaches soil health - delivering science-backed, microalgae-based solutions that help growers drive consistency, resilience, and return on every acre. Built for real-world conditions, Phyco Terra products enhance microbial activity, improve nutrient and water efficiency, and support stronger plant performance - without adding complexity to the operation.

At its core, Phyco Terra is about enabling regenerative practices that work at scale, helping farmers improve soil structure, increase yields, and build long-term sustainability season after season. It’s a practical path forward: better outcomes, healthier soils, and a system designed to last.

This commitment is grounded in our mission - Farm Forever - ensuring that every product we develop and every partnership we build is focused on keeping land productive, profitable, and resilient for generations to come.

Powered by Heliae®, a leader in microalgae innovation, Phyco Terra is part of a broader mission to harness nature’s most powerful organisms to solve agriculture’s biggest challenges.

We're looking for a hands-on, adaptable Controller to own our day-to-day accounting and finance operations while helping build the financial systems that will scale with us. This isn't a role for someone who wants a fully mapped-out playbook — you'll be creating a lot of it yourself. You'll need to move quickly, reprioritize on short notice, and be comfortable operating without a large finance team around you.

Reports to:

Chief Financial and Strategy Officer

• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close process, including reconciliations, journal entries, and financial statement preparation
• Lead all cost accounting functions, including inventory valuation, standard costing, variance analysis, product costing, and cost allocation methodologies.
• Own the monthly rhythm of comparing actuals to plan. Spot variances early, get to the "why" fast, and keep leadership ahead of surprises instead of reacting to them.
• Build and maintain internal controls, accounting policies, and procedures appropriate for a scaling startup
• Manage cash flow forecasting and burn rate tracking — critical in a capital-intensive, R&D-heavy business
• Oversee accounts payable/receivable, payroll accounting and vendor management
• Track and account for R&D expenditures, capital equipment (bioreactors, lab equipment), and grant or government funding, if applicable
• Partner with leadership on budgeting, financial modeling, and scenario planning as the company grows and pivots
• Prepare materials for investors and board meetings
• Ensure compliance with US GAAP, tax filings, and relevant regulatory requirements
• Lead the annual audit and coordinate with external auditors, tax advisors
• Evaluate and implement ERP and other accounting software and tools that can scale with the company
• Contribute to ad hoc projects outside of "traditional" accounting — inventory costing for biomass production, unit economics for a new product line, due diligence support, etc.
• This role operates in a fast-paced environment where priorities can shift with little notice. Collaboration with department leads is essential to the role, requiring flexibility and early involvement in planning discussions.
• The Controller will also oversee a team of accounting staff members, providing guidance, reviewing work, and supporting their development as the finance function grows alongside the company.

• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States
• Bachelo…