What are the responsibilities and job description for the Controller / FP&A Lead position at GPTZero?
Who are we?
GPTZero’s mission is to restore information quality and transparency on the internet.
Our team comes from high-performing engineering cultures, including Uber, Meta, Microsoft, Affirm, and leading AI research labs, including Princeton, Caltech, Vector, and MILA. We are working on novel models and pushing cutting-edge research to production, including AI detection, AI hallucination detection, retrieval augmented generation, and writing stylometry to over 3 million active users, and enterprise clients including Fortune 1000 and Unicorn AI companies.
We are backed by some of the best in the valley, including Footwork, Uncork, Neo, Altman Capital, and in journalism, including Mark Thompson (CEO of NYT, BBC, CNN) and Tom Glocer (CEO of Reuters) who defined a generation of quality digital information.
About This Role
In this role, you'll have end-to-end responsibility for all accounting functions and internal controls at a fast-growing startup. You are eager to ensure the integrity of financial reporting, and alignment of financial processes with strategic goals. As the first accounting hire, you are a self-starter excited about the opportunity to build the overall accounting, reporting, and FP&A functions to support a high-growth SaaS business. You will interact closely with the cofounders and senior executives to accomplish your goals.
What You’ll Do
GPTZero’s mission is to restore information quality and transparency on the internet.
Our team comes from high-performing engineering cultures, including Uber, Meta, Microsoft, Affirm, and leading AI research labs, including Princeton, Caltech, Vector, and MILA. We are working on novel models and pushing cutting-edge research to production, including AI detection, AI hallucination detection, retrieval augmented generation, and writing stylometry to over 3 million active users, and enterprise clients including Fortune 1000 and Unicorn AI companies.
We are backed by some of the best in the valley, including Footwork, Uncork, Neo, Altman Capital, and in journalism, including Mark Thompson (CEO of NYT, BBC, CNN) and Tom Glocer (CEO of Reuters) who defined a generation of quality digital information.
About This Role
In this role, you'll have end-to-end responsibility for all accounting functions and internal controls at a fast-growing startup. You are eager to ensure the integrity of financial reporting, and alignment of financial processes with strategic goals. As the first accounting hire, you are a self-starter excited about the opportunity to build the overall accounting, reporting, and FP&A functions to support a high-growth SaaS business. You will interact closely with the cofounders and senior executives to accomplish your goals.
What You’ll Do
- Oversee all accounting tasks, including responsibility for the general ledger, accounts payable/receivable, and monthly close processes
- Manage the monthly reconciliation of all key accounts including deferred revenue, deferred commissions, accruals, prepaids, and other key balance sheet accounts
- Ensure timely and accurate preparation of monthly financial statements in accordance with US GAAP
- Support the company’s nascent FP&A function
- Partner with external firms to complete annual audits and tax filings
- Drive improvements of internal financial controls, systems, and processes
- Implement best practices for SaaS-specific accounting, including revenue recognition, deferred revenue, and commission expenses
- Develop and maintain scalable processes for accurate and efficient financial reporting
- Prepare monthly and quarterly reporting packages for internal and external stakeholders including the Board of Directors
- Support fundraising activities
- Oversee state and local compliance for sales and use taxes, working with third-party advisors as needed
- Research and implement strategies to ensure Canadian subsidiary is structured to fully leverage R&D tax credits
- CPA required
- 5 years of experience
- At least 1-2 years of experience in a startup environment
- Strong understanding of GAAP and compliance requirements
- Hands-on experience managing the full accounting cycle, including general ledger, reconciliations, and month-end close
- Demonstrated ability to improve financial systems and implement scalable processes
- Experience working with external auditors and managing audits from start to finish
- Proven ability to collaborate across teams and communicate financial information to non-financial stakeholders
- Self-starter with the ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment
- Top-tier accountant with a desire to develop FP&A skills
- Bias for action
- “No job is too small” attitude
- Equally comfortable with in-the-weeds accounting minutiae and collaborating with senior executives and investors
- Technically savvy and eager to lean on new technologies to automate and scale processes
- Extremely high standards of personal integrity
- Comfortable disagreeing with senior executives, and not shy about surfacing bad news
- Collaborative mindset with the ability to prioritize other stakeholders’ needs over your own
- Persistence
- Edward, our cofounder/CEO, ex Bellingcat, Microsoft, BBC investigative journalism
- Alex, our cofounder/CTO, ex R&D at Uber self-driving division and Facebook, 3 patents in ML
- Jonathan, our VP of Operations, ex YipitData, private equity, investment banking
- Competitive salary
- Significant equity in a fast-growing, cash flow positive, Series A startup
- Unlimited PTO
- Hybrid office environment in NYC (3 days/week in-office)
- In-office lunch
- Healthcare, dental, and vision
- Wellness and learning stipend
- Semi-annual team retreats
