Assistant Controller

Cohere; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Cohere is seeking an experienced finance leader to own the month-end close, oversee audits, and drive process improvements across the organization. You will partner with cross-functional teams to ensure accurate reporting and strong internal controls as Cohere scales.

The role requires deep GAAP knowledge, leadership, and proficiency with Netsuite, enabling strategic insights and reliable financial operations across multiple entities.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive accounting experience.
• Strong technical accounting skills and deep understanding of GAAP principles.
• Direct experience owning month-end close processes and managing audit relationships.
• Excellence in problem-solving and process improvement methodologies.
• Proficiency with financial systems (Netsuite preferred).
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across departments.

Responsibilities

• Lead and own the complete month-end close process, ensuring timely and accurate financial reporting across all entities.
• Oversee all audit activities, partnering with external auditors and managing internal control documentation.
• Collaborate on special projects including system implementations, process improvements, and acquisition integration efforts.
• Direct general ledger operations, account reconciliations, and financial statement preparation.
• Implement and maintain robust accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure financial accuracy and support business growth.
• Leverage technology solutions to enhance accounting efficiency and accuracy.
• Provide financial insights and recommendations to support strategic decision-making.

Skills

Leadership

GAAP knowledge

Communication

Problem-solving

Tools

Netsuite

Job description

Who are we?

Cohere is the leading security-first enterprise AI company. We build cutting-edge foundation AI models and end-to-end products that are designed to solve real-world business problems. We’re training and deploying frontier models for enterprises who are building AI systems. We believe that our work is instrumental to the widespread adoption of AI and we are looking for folks that want to be part of that. We obsess over what we build. Each one of us is responsible for contributing to increasing the capabilities of our models and the value they drive for our customers. Cohere is a team of researchers, engineers, designers, and more, who are all passionate about their craft. We are a global technology company co-headquartered in Toronto and San Francisco, with key offices in London, New York City, Montreal, Seoul, Germany and Paris.

Join us!

Who are we?

Cohere is at the forefront of AI innovation, building cutting-edge language models and AI systems. Our Finance team plays a critical role in supporting our rapid growth and ensuring operational excellence. We value technical expertise, collaborative problem-solving, and a commitment to accuracy and compliance. This role offers the opportunity to make a significant impact on our financial infrastructure while working at the intersection of finance and transformative technology. As we scale our business and navigate an evolving financial landscape, you'll play a pivotal role in driving operational excellence and serving as a key partner on accounting implications of major business decisions.

In this role, you will:

• Lead and own the complete month-end close process, ensuring timely and accurate financial reporting across all entities
• Oversee all audit activities, partnering with external auditors and managing internal control documentation
• Collaborate on special projects including system implementations, process improvements, and acquisition integration efforts
• Direct general ledger operations, account reconciliations, and financial statement preparation
• Implement and maintain robust accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure financial accuracy and support business growth
• Leverage technology solutions to enhance accounting efficiency and accuracy
• Provide financial insights and recommendations to support strategic decision-making

You may be a good fit if you:

• Have 7+ years of progressive accounting experience, with prior leadership in fast-paced environments
• Possess strong technical accounting skills and deep understanding of GAAP principles
• Have direct experience owning month-end close processes and managing audit relationships
• Demonstrate excellence in problem-solving and process improvement methodologies
• Show proficiency with financial systems (Netsuite preferred, but not required)
• Exhibit strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across departments
• Thrive in high-growth, dynamic environments with evolving priorities
• Have experience buildi