Controller

LanceDB; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

LanceDB is seeking a Controller to own the accounting function and build the financial infrastructure to support its next growth phase. You’ll partner with Leadership, GTM and Engineering to deliver a reliable close and strong controls.

As the first Controller at a fast-growing tech company, you’ll shape processes, systems and a team to scale with the business and potentially guide future fundraising and audits.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive accounting experience, ideally in high-growth tech or SaaS.
• Proven track record of building accounting functions, systems and controls from the ground up.
• Strong technical accounting foundation with deep US GAAP knowledge.
• Excellent analytical, organizational and communication skills; able to partner with leadership.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day accounting operations (AP, AR, payroll, fixed assets, accruals, prepaids, GL).
• Lead monthly, quarterly and annual close with accurate financial statements.
• Own financial systems and ERP integrations for scalability and automation.
• Oversee tax and compliance with external advisors while maintaining controls.

Skills

Accounting experience 8+ years

Building accounting function

US GAAP knowledge

Analytical and communication skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Adaptability in fast-paced env

Education

CPA or equivalent qualification

Tools

ERP implementation

Finance tech stack

Job description

About LanceDB

AI advances at the speed of its research, and research moves at the speed of its data. LanceDB is the AI-native Multimodal Lakehouse: one system where a researcher curates petabytes of video, audio, and every signal derived from them with a few lines of Python, and the next training run starts as fast as the next idea. Customers like Runway, Midjourney, and Netflix build the future of AI on LanceDB, from frontier and world models to robots and autonomous vehicles.

About the Role

As the Controller at LanceDB, you will own the company’s accounting function and build the financial infrastructure needed to support the next stage of growth.

You'll partner closely with the Leadership team, GTM and Engineering to deliver a reliable financial close, maintain strong financial controls and compliance, and provide leaders with clear and timely financial information.

This is an opportunity to be the first Controller at a fast-growing company and build a critical function from the ground up. You’ll have significant ownership over the accounting function and the opportunity to establish the processes, systems and team that will support LanceDB through its next phases of growth.

What You'll Do

• Own accounting operations: Lead day-to-day accounting operations, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll accounting, fixed assets, accruals, prepaids, and general ledger management.

• Lead financial close and reporting: Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close process, including preparation of financial statements and supporting schedules, to deliver accurate and timely financial results for the company.

• Own financial systems and infrastructure: Own and continuously improve the company's financial systems and accounting technology stack, including the ERP and related integrations, with a focus on scalability, accuracy, automation, and efficiency.

• Manage tax and compliance: Oversee corporate income tax, sales/use tax, payroll tax, and other applicable federal, state, and local tax and licensing requirements in partnership with external advisors.

• Scale the accounting function: Prepare the company for increasing financial complexity, including future fundraising, audit requirements, and potential international expansion, by establishing scalable processes, controls, and reporting infrastructure.

• Partner with leadership: Serve as a trusted financial partner to the CFO, executives, and cross-functional leaders, translating accounting and financial issues into clear business implications and actionable recommendations.

• Build and lead the accounting team: Attract, hire, develop, and retain the accounting team as the company scales. Manage our outsourced accounting firm and serve as a hands‑on leader and mentor to the team.

What We're Looking For

• 8+ years of progressive accounting experience, ideally at a high-growth technology or SaaS company.

• Proven track record of building accounting functions, systems, processes, and controls from the ground up and scale them as the business grows.

• Strong technical accounting foundation and deep understanding of US GAAP.

• Excellent analytical, organizational, communication and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, ambiguous and highly collaborative environment.

• Strong business judgment and the ability to balance strategic thinking with hands‑on execution.

• Experience partnering cross‑functionally with Legal, People, Operations and executive leadership.

• Experience hiring, developing and managing an accounting team.

• Passion for building strong foundations and relationships that enable a company to scale.

Nice to Have (if applicable)

• CPA or equivalent accounting qualification.

• Experience at a venture-backed, Series B or later technology company.

• Experience implementing an ERP and broader finance technology stack.

• Experience with revenue recognition for subscription or usage-based business models.

• Experience supporting investor relations.

• Experience working with lean, distributed and remote-first teams.