Controller (Sr Director/ VP)

About us:

Chief is a private network of the most powerful women executives in business. Our mission is to maximize the leadership impact of our members. Our network represents more than 10,000 companies including 77% of the Fortune 100, and nearly 40% of our members are in the C-Suite. Chief has been recognized as one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential Companies and one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies.

Membership to Chief provides access to a vetted community of senior women executives and valuable insights that shape their leadership. The experience is digital and in-person, allowing members to build connections, engage in compelling discussions, and access resources in ways that are most meaningful to them. Our offerings range from executive coaching and executive education to thoughtful in-person and virtual programming and events that guide leaders through the most pressing topics in business. We have members across the United States with clubhouse locations in NYC, LA, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.

Founded in 2019, Chief is backed by renowned investors including CapitalG, General Catalyst, Inspired Capital, and Primary Ventures.

Our network brings women in leadership together to share their ideas, insight, and influence, and the power of what we’re doing is felt by every member of our team. Our workplace is built on being real and respectful. We help grow careers, maintain our team’s wellbeing, and give everyone a seat at the table. We build teams where diverse voices, identities, perspectives, and experiences are represented and celebrated. Read more about working at Chief: https://chief.com/careers.

About the Role:

The Controller will lead the accounting and financial operations through a transformative period of growth that sees the company’s achievement of sustainable positive Free Cash Flow after years of ‘start up’ investment. This role combines strategic leadership of the build out of a sustainable platform (people, process, systems) for profitable growth with hands-on operational oversight and execution. The Controller is responsible for ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and timeliness of the company’s financial reporting while managing and supporting transformative initiatives such as a billing system overhaul and the launch of new revenue streams.

The Controller will oversee the full accounting function, including month-end close, financial reporting, accounts payable, billing, collections, payroll oversight, tax compliance, and treasury activities. This individual will help strengthen financial rigor across the organization by implementing scalable processes, enhancing internal controls, and managing a high-performing accounting team.

This role will play a critical role in scaling the finance organization, strengthening financial discipline across the business, and building the accounting infrastructure needed to support the company’s next phase of growth.

What You’ll Do:

• Own and direct the company’s entire accounting function, including establishing and enforcing accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls.

• Lead the monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close process, ensuring timely and accurate financial reporting.

• Prepare and review financial statements, management reports, and variance analyses.

• Maintain the general ledger and chart of accounts in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

• Continuously improve close processes and financial reporting procedures to increase efficiency and accuracy.

• Provide technical accounting leadership, researching and documenting complex accounting matters and ensuring compliance with applicable accounting standards.

• Oversee accounting for subscription-based revenue models, including proper application of revenue recognition principles under ASC 606.

• Manage the billing and collections function, ensuring timely invoicing and strong cash collections while optimizing systems and processes.

• Supervise the accounts payable process, including review and execution of weekly payment cycles.

• Manage vendor and contractor payment schedules, administrative policies, and related reporting requirements.

• Partner with business leaders and CFO to create standard contracts and processes for lines of business and review exceptions as they are requested.

• Oversee weekly and semi-weekly Payroll processing, ensuring timely and accurate payroll execution in coordination with HR and external providers

• Own the company’s tax compliance function, working with external tax advisors to ensure timely and accurate federal, state, and local filings.

• Lead the annual financial statement audit, coordinating with external auditors to ensure an efficient and successful audit process.

• Maintain and strengthen the company’s internal control environment.
  Partner closely with FP&A and executive leadership during budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes.

• Provide financial insights and analysis to support operational and strategic decision-making.

• Identify opportunities to improve financial processes, reporting capabilities, and operational efficiency.

• Own the design and evolution of the company’s accounting and financial infrastructure, including systems, processes, and controls required to support continued growth and operational scale.

• Drive automation and process improvements across the accounting function.

• Lead, mentor, and manage a high-performing accounting team of approximately five professionals.

• Build scalable processes and infrastructure to support the company’s continued growth.
  

What You’ve Done and Enjoy Doing:

• 12+ years of progressive accounting experience, including leadership roles

• Strong knowledge of U.S. GAAP and technical accounting

• Deep experience with subscription-based revenue recognition and ASC 606

• Demonstrated experience leading month-end close and full accounting operations

• Strong accounting operations leadership with a proven track record of improving, scaling, and optimizing accounting processes and workflows

• Experience identifying and implementing process improvements, automation, and operational efficiencies across core accounting functions (close, AP, AR, billing, and reporting)

• Experience managing and developing accounting teams

• Highly analytical, detail-oriented, and results-driven with a strong sense of ownership

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to translate financial information for non-financial stakeholdersExperience with NetSuite, Chargebee, Tipalti, ADP, and/or Expensify

• Passion for the Company’s mission, positioning and brand — to empower women in business and spark change from the top

• BA/BS, CPA required

Why You'll Want to Work Here:

• Competitive salary and equity

• Flexible vacation policy

• 20 weeks of paid gender neutral parental leave

• Full medical, dental, and vision packages, 401(k)

• Opportunity to work for a startup focused on driving real change for women in business

• Opportunity to create and attend inspiring experiences and events with leaders of the industry

• Access to our ongoing virtual Chief member exclusive content, including workshops, thought leadership, and iconic speakers

While we’re committed to remaining compliant and adhering to mandates, for us, pay transparency is more than a consideration of what’s lawful and unlawful but rather, an opportunity to disclose what’s required, and what we think is a fair and equitable compensation framework.

At Chief, we want to hire, develop, and retain the best talent, making Chief a top destination to accelerate your career. Our compensation framework is a key part of our vision, and we continually revisit and invest in our philosophy and framework to ensure we remain competitive and relevant, on a quest to achieve our vision.

The pay transparency mandates, as well as our own policies and practices, are a means of narrowing the gender pay gap and fostering an engaged and positive working environment that builds trust, on our mission to change the face of leadership.

The base salaries for this role are:

• Senior Director $250,000

• Vice President $278,000

Placement within these ranges will be based on a candidate’s previous experience in financial system implementation, business transformations, accounting operations management and technical accounting experience.