Controller

Crux AI; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Base salary + bonus

Health, dental, and vision

Life insurance

401(k) with 4% company match

Job summary

Crux AI, a U.S.-based integrated AI infrastructure company, seeks a senior leader to architect its financial backbone.

Reporting to the CFO, you will build ERP, chart of accounts, asset tracking, and financial tooling for multi-entity, international operations with automated close cycles.

This role demands 10+ years in accounting with public-company experience, and hands-on leadership to recruit and mentor a lean team toward US GAAP and SOX readiness.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive accounting experience, with at least 3+ years in a senior leadership role (VP, Controller, or Director) within a high-growth tech or capital-intensive hardware/infrastructure business.
• Deep domain familiarity with asset accounting (depreciation models, lease accounting, supply-chain commitments, or high-volume hardware procurement).
• Direct experience taking a company public (S-1 preparation, PCAOB audits) or operating within a publicly traded technology firm.

Responsibilities

• Report to the CFO and lead ERP system construction and scaling with key connections to core business systems.
• Develop an AI-forward operational accounting function.
• Implement public-company-grade internal controls.
• Assist in navigating complex capex and revenue recognition models.
• Drive inaugural PCAOB audits in preparation for public listing.
• Contribute broadly and maintain controllership responsibilities.
• Partner across Finance, HR, IT, and Legal.

Skills

Leadership

GAAP Expertise

PCAOB Audits

Public company

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting

Tools

ERP software

Job description

Built to set the gold standard for integrated AI infrastructure

Crux AI is a newly formed, U.S.-based integrated AI infrastructure company created to remove the physical and operational constraints on consequential AI ambitions. Crux brings together power, high-density data centers, TPU silicon, networking, orchestration software, and ongoing operations as one integrated system.

Crux is being capitalized to plan every layer together, develop each one to demanding standards, and operate the whole system with efficiency and reliability. That gives hyperscalers, frontier AI labs, sovereign customers, enterprises, and AI-native companies greater freedom to pursue the AI they are here to create.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

This is a ground-up opportunity to architect the financial backbone of a capital-intensive physical and virtual infrastructure business, grounded in an AI-first model.

In this role, you will:

• Reporting to the CFO, lead ERP system construction and scaling with key connections to core business systems.
• Develop an AI-forward operational accounting function.
• Implement public-company-grade internal controls.
• Assist the organization in navigating and planning for complex capex and revenue recognition models.
• Drive our inaugural PCAOB audits in preparation for public listing.
• Contribute broadly and have full controllership responsibilities.
• Partner across Finance, HR, IT, and Legal.

SIGNALS OF SUCCESS

After 60 days in this role:

• Completed a full assessment and gap analysis of our current state.
• Prioritized key projects based on collaboration with the CFO and other business leaders.
• Adapted to a fast paced environment.

After 6 months:

• Demonstrated an AI-forward and automated approach to this role.
• Stood up our enterprise ERP, chart of accounts, fixed asset tracking, and financial tooling to support multi-entity, international operations with automated close cycles.
• Established formal financial reporting cadences, flux analysis, and board-ready reporting packages.

After 1 year:

• Recruit, mentor, and lead a lean, high-performing accounting team spanning ERP, corporate accounting, technical accounting, accounts payable/receivable, and payroll.
• Rapidly accelerate close cycle toward the goal of a public company standard.
• Establish and defend accounting policies under US GAAP, specifically addressing. capitalization, complex revenue recognition, and debt & structured financing
• Architect an internal control environment that smoothly transitions from private growth into Sarbanes-Oxley compliance post-listing.
• Direct external audit partnerships, with a path to convert inaugural private audits directly into PCAOB-compliant audits.
• Demonstrate consistent operational excellence and impeccable attention to detail.
• Implement innovative approaches to accounting programs and team.

EXPERIENCES, ATTRIBUTES AND MINDSET THAT INDICATE A GOOD MATCH

Experiences

• 10+ years of progressive accounting experience, with at least 3+ years in a senior leadership role (VP, Controller, or Director) within a high-growth tech or capital-intensive hardware/infrastructure business.
• Deep domain familiarity with asset accounting (depreciation models, lease accounting, supply-chain commitments, or high-volume hardware procurement).
• Direct experience taking a company public (S-1 preparation, PCAOB audits) or operating within a publicly traded technology firm.

Attributes

• You are outcome driven and hands on. Comfortable rolling up your sleeves to write initial journal entries and vendor policies on day one, while maintaining the strategic vision to lead a scaled machine by year two. This is a builder's seat, not a supervisory one.

Mindset

• You have a high tolerance for ambiguity. Youabsorb ambiguity and navigate complexity rather than passing it along

Nice to have (preferred, not required):

• Hardware, infrastructure or data center industry experience
• Experience in both start up and scaled enterprises

Salary Range Information

The annual salary range for this position has been estimated based on market data and other factors. However, a salary higher or lower than this range may be appropriate for a candidate whose qualifications differ meaningfully from those listed in the job description.

About Crux

• We offer generous base, bonus and additional incentive based compensation
• Health, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents
• Company-paid life insurance and disability
• Full suite of other optional benefits
• 401(k) Plan with 4% company match (USA employees)