Controller, Accounting, Financial Reporting

Why This Role Is Different

This is not a traditional Controller role. It’s a rare opportunity to step into a foundational finance leadership seat inside a highly capitalized, multi‑entity life sciences platform at the moment where structure is being built from scratch. The company has a long history of strong revenue, with capital actively being deployed across a diversified portfolio spanning manufacturing, clinical development, consumer health, and data infrastructure.

Every dollar is tracked, pressure‑tested, and reallocated in real time. Finance is not a back‑office function here; it’s a strategic control center. You’ll work directly with a highly driven, detail‑oriented CEO who relies on financial data to make rapid, high‑stakes decisions. This environment is intense, fast‑moving, and expects excellence, but for the right person, it offers something rare: a clear path to CFO‑level responsibility as you earn trust and prove your ability to scale alongside the business.

Location:

On‑site | Menlo Park, CA

You will build and lead the accounting function across four interconnected entities, bringing order, visibility, and scalability to a complex and evolving financial ecosystem. This includes:

• Owning multi‑entity accounting operations and consolidations
• Leading all close processes (monthly, quarterly, annually) in accordance with GAAP
• Producing board‑ and investor‑ready reporting that directly informs capital allocation decisions
• Tracking deployment of investor contributions across multiple strategic investment buckets, with variance analysis used by leadership to reallocate capital in real time
• Designing and implementing scalable systems, controls, and workflows from the ground up
• Overseeing manufacturing and inventory accounting, including lot‑level cost accounting across production runs
• Managing 409A valuations and QSBS tracking (real‑time, not retrospective)
• Building an audit‑ready infrastructure and selecting external partners as needed
• Leveraging AI and automation to increase speed, accuracy, and insight

Week 1:
You step into four entities with no unified financial system, legacy history, active revenue streams, and new capital inflows. Your first job is clarity—understanding what exists, what’s missing, and what must be built.

Month 1:
You establish the financial foundation:

• GAAP‑compliant chart of accounts across all entities
• Intercompany visibility and reconciliation
• Real‑time QSBS tracking
• Cost accounting framework for peptide API manufacturing
• 409A valuation process initiated
• Payroll/PEO infrastructure live

Months 2–3:
You deliver your first board‑ready financial package, including:

• Revenue across multiple business lines
• Spend vs. allocation across all capital buckets
• Burn rate, runway, and headcount
• Clean, consolidation‑ready financials

Months 4–6:
You create operating rhythm and scalability:

• Monthly close within 10 business days
• Quarterly board reporting cadence
• Revenue recognition frameworks across multiple streams
• Audit readiness (or audit execution, if required)
• Full visibility into capital deployment across investor contributions

This role is best suited for someone who:

• Wants to build, not inherit
• Is energized by complexity, ambiguity, and high expectations
• Can operate as both a strategic partner and hands‑on executor
• Is comfortable being in the room where decisions are made—and challenged
• Understands that trust is earned through precision, speed, and ownership

• 7–14 years of experience, ideally in high‑growth or early‑stage environments
• Strong GAAP and financial reporting foundation
• Experience with multi‑entity structures, budgeting, and cost accounting
• Exposure to life sciences, manufacturing, or similarly complex operating models

• Big 4 background (especially venture‑backed clients)
• Experience in Series A/B environments
• Deep familiarity with QSBS, 409A, and equity structures
• Experience with entity restructuring or consolidation events
• Comfort leveraging AI tools to improve financial workflows

This is a demanding environment with high expectations and a strong, exacting CEO. It’s not for someone looking for…