# Head of Accounting
**Company:** [HappyRobot](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/happyrobot)
**Location:** San Francisco, CA
**Salary:** $150K-$210K
**Experience:** 10+ years
**Skills:** US GAAP, ERP, NetSuite, Quickbooks, Revenue Recognition, Financial Close, Audit Readiness, Order-To-Cash, Internal Controls, Tax Compliance
**Posted:** 2026-05-08
> Leads accounting function at high-growth AI startup, owning monthly closes, order-to-cash, ERP implementation, audit prep, and compliance. Requires 10-16 years experience, GAAP knowledge, ERP fluency, and builder mindset for 0-to-1 scaling.
## Job Description
## What You’ll Do

- **Own close**: Run the monthly close end-to-end — journal entries, reconciliations, financial statements — with accuracy and improving speed over time. Establish a close calendar and repeatable processes that get tighter every month.
- **Build the accounting foundation**: Design and document accounting policies, internal controls, and workflows from the ground up with the Head of Finance. There is a lot of white space, which is both the challenge and the opportunity.
- **Lead order-to-cash**: Own the full cycle from invoicing through collections — working cross-functionally with Sales and Customer Success to ensure accuracy, reduce time-to-payment, and flag issues early.
- **Drive ERP selection and implementation**: Evaluate our current tools and lead the process of selecting and implementing the right ERP for where we're going. Bring a systems-thinking mindset — understand what integrates well, what will scale, and what the real cost of switching will be later.
- **Identify and adopt the right AI finance tools (including our own)**: We build AI for a living — we expect our own finance function to use it intelligently. Proactively identify where AI-powered tools (for close automation, reconciliation, AP, etc.) can eliminate manual work and improve accuracy.
- **Prepare us for our first audit**: Own audit readiness end-to-end: building audit-ready workpapers, managing the relationship with external auditors, and ensuring we can move through our first audit efficiently and cleanly.
- **Support strategic decisions**: Partner with the Head of Finance on financial analysis, diligence support, and any corporate development activity. You'll be a thought partner, not just a reporter of numbers.
- **Ensure compliance**: Own tax filings (federal, state, local), entity-level compliance, and any relevant regulatory requirements. Know when to manage internally and when to engage outside counsel or advisors.

## Must Have

- **Builder mindset above all else**: You're energized by the 0-to-1 work at a startup to help scale revenue — setting up systems, writing the first version of a policy, figuring out the right process when no playbook exists. You take ownership without being asked.
- **Operationally minded**: You think about accounting in terms of workflows, systems, and business logic — not just debits and credits. You want to understand why a transaction happens, not just how to record it.
- **Scrappy and hands-on**: No task is too junior. You're as comfortable chasing down a late payment as you are presenting a close package to leadership. Any sign of \"that's not my job\" is a non-starter here.
- **Strong foundation, not necessarily deep specialization**: We're not looking for someone who's spent years mastering one narrow technical area. We want someone with solid **GAAP** fundamentals, good judgment on revenue recognition, and the intellectual honesty to know when to ask for help.
- **10–16 years of relevant experience**: Big 4 or national firm experience (2–4 years) is a strong signal — the rigor, audit exposure, and breadth of client work translates well to this role. Experience at a high-growth startup is a plus but not required. What matters is that you're hungry, adaptable, and ready to own something real.
- **Systems fluency**: You've worked with **ERP** systems (**NetSuite**, **QuickBooks**, or similar) and have opinions about what works and what doesn't. Bonus if you've been through an **ERP** selection or implementation before.
- **Clear communicator**: You can explain accounting concepts to engineers, salespeople, and founders without jargon. You're comfortable pushing back when something doesn't make financial sense.
- **Integrity and discretion**: You'll have access to sensitive company and customer financial information. We need someone we trust completely.
**Apply:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/head-of-accounting-at-happyrobot-54d20005-f5f9-437a-af47-4ce93304e4c3
**Canonical:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/head-of-accounting-at-happyrobot-54d20005-f5f9-437a-af47-4ce93304e4c3