Controller

Attain; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Attain is seeking an exceptional Controller to own and scale the accounting function in a hands-on role based in Chicago with a hybrid schedule. You will drive U.S.

GAAP conclusions, NetSuite workflows, and AI-powered automation, building a scalable finance operation across the company. You'll lead the team of 3 and own close, reporting, tax compliance, audits, and controls while partnering with leaders to enable finance-driven growth.

Qualifications

• Significant accounting leadership experience, ideally as a Controller or senior accounting leader.
• CPA strongly preferred and active.
• Strong U.S. GAAP and technical accounting expertise.
• Experience leading audits and working with external auditors.
• Comfort with modern accounting systems (NetSuite, Ramp) and automation.

Responsibilities

• Own the complete accounting function, including the monthly close and financial reporting.
• Manage accounting operations (AP/AR/billing/collections) and tax compliance.
• Oversee audits, controls, and the accounting technology stack.
• Design and implement automation to improve billing, reconciliations, and reporting.
• Lead and develop a small accounting team and set standards across domains.

Skills

Accounting leadership

U.S. GAAP

Automation

AP/AR/Close

Education

Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

Tools

NetSuite

Ramp

Job description

Built for consumers and companies, alike. In a world driven by data, we believe consumers and businesses can coexist. Our founders had a vision to empower consumers to leverage their greatest asset—their data—in exchange for modern financial services. Built with this vision in mind, our platform allows consumers to access savings tools, earned wages and rewards without cost or hidden fees. In exchange, they give permission to use their real-time data for research, insights and targeted advertising.

At Attain, your contribution will help us build a more equitable and efficient data sharing ecosystem—whether helping consumers access modern financial services or businesses leverage data to achieve better outcomes. You'll have the opportunity to work directly with hands‑on leaders and mission‑driven individuals everyday.

About the Role

We're looking for an exceptional Controller to own and scale our accounting function—not just manage the close, but drive the operational and technical transformation of accounting across the company.This is a hands‑on role for someone equally comfortable with U.S. GAAP conclusions, NetSuite workflows, and AI‑powered automation. You'll combine the rigor of an accounting leader with a builder's mindset and a real willingness to use modern tools to multiply your own impact.You'll own the complete accounting function, including the monthly close, financial reporting, accounting operations (AP/AR/billing/collections), tax compliance, audit and controls, and the accounting technology stack. A core expectation is that you'll use technology and automation to make our accounting organization more efficient and scalable—designing NetSuite workflows, building cross‑system integrations (Salesforce to NetSuite), and automating everything from billing to reconciliations using modern AI tools.

You'll also lead and develop our accounting team (currently 3 people), establish clear ownership and standards across all accounting domains, and become the primary escalation point for accounting decisions and technical solutions. By eliminating senior finance's routine involvement in the close, systems troubleshooting, and operational issues, you'll unlock their capacity for strategic work.

Preferred Qualifications

• Significant accounting leadership experience, ideally as a Controller or in a comparable senior accounting role
• CPA strongly preferred
• Strong U.S. GAAP and technical accounting expertise
• Experience leading audits and working directly with external auditors
• Comfort with modern accounting systems (NetSuite, Ramp, or comparable ERPs)
• Demonstrated ability to improve processes and systems, not just operate them
• Comfortable working with data, APIs, code, and automation
• Willingness to use AI coding tools (Claude, ChatGPT, etc.) as part of your day‑to‑day work
• Ability to operate independently in a fast‑moving, complex environment
• Sound judgment about when to build internally, use automation, engage consultants, or involve engineering

What a Typical Week Might Look Like

• Review and resolve outstanding close items, reconciliations, and accounting questions
• Debug a NetSuite or integration issue—checking logs, diagnosing the problem, and fixing it or escalating with clarity
• Design and implement an automation to eliminate manual accounting work (invoice matching, reconciliations, reporting, etc.)
• Lead a team meeting on close progress, accounting standards, or process improvements
• Partner with Finance or other leaders on complex technical accounting questions and transactions
• Respond to operational accounting questions from across the company
• Continuously identify bottlenecks in processes and opportunities to build or automate solutions

At the End of Your First Year, You'll Have Helped Us

• Own and continuously improve our financial close process, reducing close time and increasing accuracy and team confidence
• Establish a strong, documented control environment that scales with the company and supports future audit and regulatory requirements
• Automate 5-8 meaningful accounting workflows and processes, eliminating hundreds of hours of manual work annually
• Build a knowledgeable, well‑documented accounting team where knowledge isn't concentrated in one or two people
• Transform our accounting technology stack into a modern, integrated system that connects Salesforce, NetSuite, Ramp, and other tools seamlessly
• Own all routine and complex accounting conclusions independently, removing senior finance as the default escalation point
• Establish clear processes and ownership across tax compliance, audit management, AP/AR operations, and accounting systems
• Position the accounting function as a strategic enabler of business growth rather than just a reporting function

This position will be based out of Chicago, Illinois on a hybrid schedule. Please confirm you plan to work out of our Chicago, IL office! *