AI-Forward Controller for Fast-Growth AI Lab

AfterQuery; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

401(k) with Employer Match

Daily Meals stipend

Monthly Wellness Stipend

Job summary

AfterQuery in San Francisco is seeking an in-house accounting leader to own the close, ASC 606 revenue recognition, cost matching, and our first external audit. You will define the AI-native accounting function, select an ERP, and set scalable controls as the company grows.

You will start as the sole accountant, work with a fractional team, and scale the function while guiding tax, equity, and board reporting. A hands-on builder mindset is essential in this fast-moving SF environment.

Qualifications

• Automation you built that replaced accounting work, with results you can quantify.
• ASC 606 experience, ideally with services or usage-based revenue and acceptance terms.
• Independent judgment on accounting policy, backed by memos that hold up with auditors.
• Cost accounting experience, including cost matching for a contractor or expert workforce.
• Advise founders on the accounting impact of deals and decisions before they are made.
• Hands-on experience running a monthly close end to end.
• A Big Four audit foundation and hands-on industry experience.
• A builder who can go from a blank page to a running process without slowing the company down.
• High ownership, low ego, and comfort with direct feedback. You stay accountable for both the monthly grind and the year-long build.
• Comfortable in a 5-day in-office SF environment that prizes speed and direct feedback.

Responsibilities

• Own the general ledger and the monthly close end to end, including reconciliations and journal entry review.
• Own revenue recognition under ASC 606 for large, non-recurring contracts with acceptance terms.
• Own the revenue and cost tie-out from delivery and billing data to the ledger.
• Define cost of goods sold, variable costs and cost matching, including expert and contractor payments and inference.
• Direct the fractional accounting team on operational accounting, including AR, AP, cash and equity.
• Own stock-based compensation accounting and 409A coordination with external valuation specialists.
• Lead the move to accrual-basis US GAAP financials and our first external audit.
• Build the controls and evidence a first audit requires.
• Document material accounting judgments in policies and memos.
• Automate the close with AI and agentic workflows, with review controls that keep it auditable.
• Run the bake-off for an AI-forward ERP and own the implementation.
• Set the roadmap for when to automate, outsource to a vendor, or expand headcount.
• Own tax compliance with external tax advisors, including federal and state filings, estimated payments and contractor information reporting.
• Own the income tax provision and support tax planning, including credits and incentives.
• Own the monthly financial statements and the accounting package for the board.
• Review non-standard contracts with commercial legal and Sales before they are signed.
• Partner with Revenue Operations and People on expert payments and payroll.
• Build the team as the function grows.

Skills

ASC 606

GAAP close

Automation

ERP selection

Education

Bachelor's in Accounting

Big Four experience

Tools

SQL

BigQuery

Python

Job description

AfterQuery in San Francisco is seeking an in-house accounting leader to own the close, ASC 606 revenue recognition, cost matching, and our first external audit. You will define the AI-native accounting function, select an ERP, and set scalable controls as the company grows.

You will start as the sole accountant, work with a fractional team, and scale the function while guiding tax, equity, and board reporting. A hands-on builder mindset is essential in this fast-moving SF environment.