Accounting Operations Manager

Location: Palo Alto, CA (onsite), relocating to Oakland, CA

Reports to: Head of Operations

Catharos is a Series A-funded stealth climate tech company developing a novel approach to direct air capture of CO₂, preparing to move from bench-scale validation to pilot-scale demonstration.

Catharos is hiring a hands-on Accounting Operations Manager to own the day-to-day financial

operations of the company — bookkeeping, accounts payable, purchasing coordination, vendor administration, payroll, and expense management. The company is currently pre-revenue, so the nearterm focus is on expenses, payables, cash activity, purchasing, and maintaining accurate books and records. You'll work closely with company leadership and our outsourced controller, and you'll help build the financial processes and systems the company needs as it grows.

• Own day-to-day bookkeeping and transaction processing, including accounts payable from invoice receipt through payment, expense coding, and bank, credit card, and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Serve as the internal point of contact for our outsourced controller, preparing the reconciliations, schedules, and documentation needed for month-end and year-end close and helping implement accounting policies and controls.
• Administer payroll, corporate cards, and employee expense processes, and monitor recurring spend and subscriptions.
• Manage the company side of day-to-day purchasing: coordinating purchase requests and approvals, matching purchase orders, receiving, and invoices, tracking open orders, deposits, and commitments, and serving as the point of escalation for purchasing issues.
• Maintain vendor records and onboarding documentation, reconcile vendor statements, resolve invoice and purchase order discrepancies, and support 1099 preparation.
• Process vendor and intercompany payments across our US and international entities and maintain a clear view of cash activity and upcoming payment obligations.
• Help build the accounting, purchasing, and expense processes the company needs as it grows, including inventory tracking and cost accounting support as manufacturing develops.

• 5+ years of hands-on bookkeeping, accounting, or financial operations experience, including accounts payable and general ledger work.
• Strong understanding of bookkeeping and accounting principles, with hands-on experience across reconciliations and month-end close support.
• Experience with cloud accounting systems and strong spreadsheet skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and follow-through, with the ability to create structure around processes and information.
• Comfort working independently and taking ownership alongside an outsourced controller and external accountants.
• Comfort in an early-stage environment where processes are still being built and responsibilities evolve.
• Ability to work full-time onsite, with hybrid flexibility possible in Palo Alto until our Oakland facility opens.

• Experience at an early-stage or venture-backed company, ideally pre-revenue or in product development.
• Procurement, purchasing, or vendor management experience, including purchase orders and invoice matching.
• Experience with international vendors, cross-border payments, or suppliers in China or Southeast Asia.
• Experience supporting inventory or cost accounting at a hardware or manufacturing company.
• Experience implementing or improving accounting, expense, or procurement systems and processes.
• A degree in accounting, finance, or a related field.

Competitive salary and equity commensurate with experience. Details discussed during the interview process.