Founding Controller - AI Infrastructure

Founding Controller - AI Infrastructure Location: Remote, some travel Salary: $200,000- $225,000 base plus bonus and equity The Opportunity: This is a rare opportunity to join a high-growth AI Infrastructure startup at inception. As their Founding Controller, you will build the accounting and finance function from first principles-designing the systems, controls, and workflows that deliver real-time financial visibility and scale as the enterprise expands. Operating as a strategic partner to the CFO, you will be our first dedicated accounting leader: senior enough to architect the global financial framework, yet pragmatic enough to dive into technical details and construction accounting. We are looking for an autonomous builder who sees finance not merely as a back-office function, but as a core enabler of execution, speed, and capital efficiency. Key Responsibilities Core Accounting, Consolidations & Reporting End-to-End Ownership: Own all US GAAP accounting operations across all group entities, leading the full monthly close cycle from journal entries through to consolidated financial statements. CFO Partnership: Collaborate directly with the CFO to provide actionable financial insights, variance analyses, and operational data that support strategic decision-making. Fixed Assets & Capital Projects (CIP) Asset Lifecycle Management: Establish best-in-class policies across the full fixed asset lifecycle (capitalization, depreciation schedules, impairment, disposals). Construction-in-Progress (CIP): Own project accounting for ongoing capital initiatives, working closely with operations, engineering, and site development teams to track milestone expenditures. Procure-to-Pay & Spend Governance Procurement Controls: Design and enforce end-to-end Procure-to-Pay (P2P) workflows, including purchase order (PO) approvals, vendor onboarding, and spend controls. Complex Contracts: Review and account for intricate, milestone-based vendor and infrastructure supply agreements., Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries (“we,” “our,” or “Vaco by Highspring”) respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies.

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Systems, Automation & Process Design Expand and optimize NetSuite (or equivalent tier-1 ERP) modules to support multi-entity growth and project tracking. Leverage modern automation tools, AI scripts, Zapier workflows, or Python/code to eliminate manual reconciliations and streamline operational handoffs. Audit, Tax & Compliance Serve as the primary point of contact for external auditors, managing year-end audits and technical accounting schedules end-to-end. Oversee federal, state, and local tax compliance in coordination with external tax partners. Required Qualifications & Background Active CPA license required, with foundational training in public audit (Big 4 or regional tier) ensuring a deep command of US GAAP. MUST have experience in an asset-heavy or capital-intensive sector (e.g., Data Centers, Energy, Utilities, Telecommunications, or Industrial Tech). Proven track record building accounting processes or ERP platforms from scratch within early-stage, high-growth environments. Hands-on proficiency with multi-entity group structures, intercompany eliminations, and enterprise ERPs (NetSuite strongly preferred). Tech-forward builder comfortable leveraging modern software tools or lightweight scripting to automate workflows. Exposure to public company reporting standards or SOX/internal control environments is preferred.

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:

• the individual’s skill sets, experience and training;
• licensure and certification requirements;
• office location and other geographic considerations;
• other business and organizational needs.

With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses.

Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring’s use of AI can be found here (https://www.highspring.com/ai-use-notices/). Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client’s use of AI products in hiring.