Assistant Controller
- $165,000–$180,000 per year
- Hybrid
- All finance & legal jobs
- Full-Time
- Finance
About the role
About Gridware
Gridware is a San Francisco-based technology company dedicated to protecting and enhancing the electrical grid. We pioneered a groundbreaking new class of grid management called active grid response (AGR), focused on monitoring the electrical, physical, and environmental aspects of the grid that affect reliability and safety. Gridware’s advanced Active Grid Response platform uses high-precision sensors to detect potential issues early, enabling proactive maintenance and fault mitigation. This comprehensive approach helps improve safety, reduce outages, and ensure the grid operates efficiently. The company is backed by climate-tech and Silicon Valley investors. For more information, please visit www.Gridware.io.
Role Description
As Assistant Controller, you'll be a key member of a lean finance team, working closely with the CFO to build and manage the company's core accounting infrastructure. This is a hands-on role for someone who thrives in a fast-paced startup environment — you'll be both a doer and a builder, establishing processes that will scale with the company while managing the day-to-day close.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to grow into a Controller role as the company scales.
Responsibilities
- Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close process, ensuring accuracy and timeliness
- Manage and mentor accounting staff (or manage outsourced bookkeeping/accounting resources, if applicable)
- Prepare and review journal entries, account reconciliations, and financial statements
- Ensure compliance with GAAP and help establish and maintain accounting policies as the company grows
- Own revenue recognition under ASC 606 across combined hardware, software subscription, and services offerings
- Own deferred revenue and contract balances
- Manage inventory from an ASC 330 perspective.
- Support the CFO in building scalable finance systems, processes, and internal controls
- Manage AP/AR, payroll accounting, and cash management processes
- Support audit readiness and manage relationships with external auditors, tax advisors, and other financial partners
- Help prepare materials for board meetings and investor reporting
- Assist with forecasting and variance analysis
- Evaluate and help implement accounting systems/tools (e.g., NetSuite, QuickBooks, Ramp, Bill.com) to support scale
- Ensure compliance with multi-state tax, sales tax, and other regulatory requirements as applicable
Required Skills
- 5+ years of progressive accounting experience, including some combination of public accounting (Big 4 or regional) and industry experience
- CPA preferred
- Deep knowledge of GAAP and technical accounting, specifically:
- Hands-on ASC 606 revenue recognition experience at a company selling bundled hardware and software subscriptions, including deferred revenue and allocating price across the pieces of a deal.
- Hands-on ASC 330 inventory + COGS experience at a company selling bundled hardware and software subscriptions.
- Experience owning or heavily contributing to a monthly close process
- Tax experience (income, sales & use, employee withholding, etc.)
- Comfortable operating with limited infrastructure and building processes from scratch
- Detail-oriented with strong organizational and project management skills
- Excellent communication skills — able to work cross-functionally and explain financial concepts to non-finance stakeholders
- Experience with modern accounting/finance tech stacks (NetSuite, QuickBooks, Bill.com, Ramp, Rippling, etc.)
- Prior experience at a startup or high-growth company strongly preferred
- A builder's mindset — energized by ambiguity and the opportunity to shape a function, not just execute in an established one
