Assistant Controller

About the Role

Thinking Machines Lab is hiring an Assistant Controller to own our core accounting function and financial operations through a period of exceptional growth. Reporting to the Controller, you will lead month-end close, financial reporting, internal controls, audit readiness, and accounting policy - and build the infrastructure that a company operating at the frontier of AI demands.

This is a senior, high-judgment role that pairs strategic leadership with hands-on execution. You will partner with cross-functional leaders and key external advisors, build and lead a high-performing accounting team, manage critical service-provider relationships, and serve as a financial linchpin for the organization. The right person operates decisively amid ambiguity, moves quickly without compromising rigor, and is motivated to help define what world-class finance looks like at a company shaping the future of technology.

What You'll Do

• Own core general-ledger accounting across the balance sheet, operating expenses, international entities, and intercompany activity, ensuring accuracy from the transaction level through to a clean monthly close.
• Lead the month-end and quarter-end close, setting the standard for timeliness and quality and driving the process improvements that sustain it at scale.
• Own the accuracy, completeness, and timely delivery of all financial reporting.
• Design, document, and implement scalable end-to-end accounting processes—close, accounts payable, payroll, procurement, and indirect tax—building them where they don't yet exist and re-engineering them as the company grows.
• Architect and maintain the company's internal control framework, and lead audit readiness end to end.
• Own the accounts payable and procure-to-pay function, including vendor onboarding, purchase-order issuance, two-way matching, expense management, and payment runs, with the controls and automation to scale it.
• Own multi-state payroll processing in Rippling—ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely pay runs, tax withholding, and filings—and own the integrity of the payroll-to-GL flow in partnership with People Ops.
• Own indirect tax compliance across US sales-and-use tax and international VAT/GST, including nexus and registration analysis, taxability and exemption determinations, filings, and the tax-automation tooling that supports them as the company expands across jurisdictions.
• Lead cash management operations, including daily cash positioning, bank account administration, payment controls, and cash-flow forecasting in partnership with Finance.
• Own relationships with external auditors, outsourced accounting partners, and technical accounting advisors, holding each to a high bar.
• Bring sound accounting and risk judgment to new research and product initiatives from the outset, partnering cross-functionally to build scalable processes.
• Lead system implementations and automation—including AI-assisted tooling—to build an accounting function that scales without scaling headcount linearly.
• Partner with Finance, Tax, Legal, and Operations to translate financial performance into recommendations that inform senior-leadership decisions.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop a high-performing accounting team, and build the organizational capacity to support rapid scale.

Skills and Qualifications

Minimum qualifications:

• CPA or CA with deep expertise in US GAAP and technical financial reporting.
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related discipline.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in senior accounting leadership, spanning some combination of public companies, high-growth technology startups, and public accounting (Big 4 preferred).
• A track record of owning month-end close cycles, external audits, and financial reporting in fast-paced, rapidly evolving environments.
• Strong technical accounting depth across ASC 842 (Leases), ASC 718 (Stock Compensation), and ASC 350-40 (Internal-Use Software / Cloud Computing Arrangements).
• Demonstrated success designing and implementing scalable processes and internal controls.
• A proven record of building, scaling, and leading accounting teams.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication, with the ability to make complex accounting clear for both technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferred qualifications - we encourage you to apply if you meet some but not all of these:

• Advanced degree (MBA, MAcc) or equivalent experience.
• Experience at a frontier AI laboratory, deep technology company, or enterprise SaaS organization with complex, multi-product revenue models.
• Familiarity with infrastructure accounting, including cloud computing.
• Proficiency with modern ERP systems (NetSuite, Campfire, Rillet, or equivalent) and working knowledge of SQL, data analysis tools, or BI platforms (Hex).
• Exposure to international tax structures and multi-entity consolidation across jurisdictions.
• Interest in applying AI and automation to transform finance and accounting workflows.

Logistics

• Location: This role is based in San Francisco, California.
• Compensation: Depending on background, skills and experience, the expected annual salary range for this position is $325,000 - $400,000
• Visa sponsorship: We sponsor visas. While we can’t guarantee success for every candidate or role, if you’re the right fit, we’re committed to working through the visa process together.
• Benefits: Thinking Machines offers generous health, dental, and vision benefits, unlimited PTO, paid parental leave, and relocation support as needed.