Controller

Mendaera; San Mateo (CA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 226,000; Full time

Job summary

Mendaera is seeking a Controller in San Mateo, CA, to build and lead the accounting function. This hands-on role requires strong accounting leadership and deep US GAAP expertise. You will manage all accounting operations and collaborate closely with leadership.

With an annual salary range of $185,000 - $226,000, this position offers the chance to shape the company's financial processes in a startup environment.

Qualifications

• Meaningful accounting leadership experience with genuine ownership.
• Deep US GAAP technical accounting expertise.
• Hands-on experience with manufacturing cost accounting.

Responsibilities

• Lead all aspects of accounting operations including the close process.
• Own technical accounting for complex areas like revenue recognition.
• Partner with operations on manufacturing cost structures.

Skills

Accounting leadership experience

Technical accounting expertise

Hands-on experience with standard costing

Familiarity with SAP S/4HANA

FDA-regulated environment experience

Education

CPA preferred

Tools

SAP S/4HANA

Job description

Controller

San Mateo, CA

Mendaera is developing technology that will enable all healthcare providers to do more for their patients. Our platform combines real-time imaging, robotics, and artificial intelligence to make precise and consistent intervention more accessible. Our aim is to eliminate barriers in the patient journey, accelerate recovery, delight customers, and reduce cost of care.

About This Role

We are looking for a controller who wants to build not just manage, this is a hands‑on role at a company that moves fast, operates in a highly regulated environment, and holds itself to a high standard of financial rigor. You'll own the accounting function and have a direct impact on how this company scales. The right person for this role thrives without a big team behind them, brings judgment and initiative in equal measure, and gets energized by solving problems that don't have an established playbook yet.

What You'll Own

• Lead all aspects of accounting operations including the monthly, quarterly, and annual close process end to end, hands on
• Own technical accounting for complex areas including revenue recognition (ASC 606), lease accounting (ASC 842), equity compensation (ASC 718), and capitalized R&D
• Own cost accounting and standard costing for manufactured products BOM reviews, variance analysis, overhead absorption, and inventory valuation
• Partner with operations and supply chain on manufacturing cost structures, production variances, and margin analysis
• Serve as the accounting team's primary power user of SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud, partnering with leadership on ongoing optimization and driving adoption within the finance function
• Manage the relationship with our outsourced accounting firm, overseeing day-to-day coordination and ensuring quality and accuracy of their work
• Build and maintain a lean but solid internal controls environment, with an eye toward SOX readiness as the company grows
• Build and develop the accounting team over time including hiring, mentoring, and structuring the function for scale

What We're Looking For

We care more about what you've actually done and how you think than how your resume reads. That said, here's what tends to matter in this role:

• Meaningful accounting leadership experience, with genuine ownership not just oversight of the close, the controls, and the numbers
• Deep US GAAP technical accounting expertise; CPA strongly preferred
• Hands‑on experience with standard costing and manufacturing cost accounting robotics or hardware manufacturing experience a real plus
• Comfortable in SAP S/4HANA; Public Cloud familiarity a bonus
• Experience in FDA‑regulated or ISO 13485 environments preferred
• Has built processes from scratch before not just inherited and maintained them
• Comfortable being the one who figures it out, not the one who waits for a playbook
• Clear communicator who can translate accounting complexity into plain language for the rest of the business

Who Thrives Here

• You've worked at a startup or high‑growth company before and know what that actually means day to day
• You're not waiting for a team of five before you start you're comfortable being the team for a while
• You have strong opinions about how things should be done, but you hold them loosely when the situation calls for it
• You'd rather build the right thing than implement someone else's template
• Attitude and curiosity matter more to you than title and credentials

Why This Role

You'll be joining at the stage where it's still possible to shape how this company operates for the long term. The accounting function is yours to build. You'll have real exposure across the business, close partnership with leadership, and the opportunity to grow alongside the company. If you want a role where your fingerprints are on everything and the work is genuinely interesting, this is it.

The Logistics

• This is a on‑site/hybrid role
• Compensation: The annual salary range for this role is $185,000 - $226,000.