Controller

Surge AI; United States; Remote; USD 170,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Surge AI seeks a seasoned Controller to own the accounting function end to end as the company scales profitably. You will manage monthly closes, revenue recognition for complex enterprise contracts, and oversee payables, receivables, and payroll across our global workforce.

Build and strengthen internal controls while partnering with the FP&A and Legal teams to ensure compliant, scalable processes. You will lead a hands-on effort to implement scalable accounting systems, collaborate with

Qualifications

• 8+ years of accounting experience at a high-growth company or equivalent
• CPA strongly preferred with GAAP fluency and ASC 606 experience for enterprise revenue
• Experience with international operations including payroll across jurisdictions
• Builder mentality: able to stand up processes and systems from scratch
• Self-sufficient and resourceful; able to work with minimal hand-holding
• Clear communicator who can explain accounting judgments to non-finance audiences
• Hands-on builder who likes getting into the weeds

Responsibilities

• Own monthly, quarterly, and annual close with faster, cleaner, more automated cycles
• Ensure GAAP-compliant financials with revenue recognition for usage-based and milestone-based contracts
• Own accounts payable, accounts receivable, billing, and collections at enterprise scale
• Manage accounting for global workforce, including contractor payments and payroll with a PEO
• Design and implement internal controls and strengthen them as we scale
• Coordinate tax compliance with outside advisors (federal, state, international)
• Manage relationships with external accountants and tax advisors; grow the accounting team
• Evaluate and implement scalable accounting systems and tooling
• Partner with FP&A Director on handoffs between actuals and planning for consistent reporting

Skills

CPA

GAAP fluency

ASC 606

International operations

Builder mentality

Self-sufficient

Clear communicator

Hands-on

Education

CPA certification

Job description

About Us

Our mission is to raise AGI with the richness of human intelligence — curious, witty, imaginative, and full of unexpected brilliance.

Surge was founded by engineers and researchers who dreamed of building the next generation AI. We're building a platform that powers the most powerful models in the world in partnership with companies like Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, and Meta.

At Surge, we believe the path to AGI isn't just about scaling compute—it's about embracing the unlimited ceiling of human intelligence and creativity in the data that shapes these systems. Our platform combines elite human expertise with cutting-edge tools for scalable oversight, from building rich RL environments to conducting rigorous evaluations that go beyond benchmarks. We've run a profitable business from day one without raising venture funding.

The Role

We're looking for our first dedicated internal Controller to own our accounting function end to end. Surge has grown fast and profitably, and our accounting needs have grown with it: complex revenue arrangements with the world's largest AI labs and a global workforce. You'll build the accounting processes and systems that let us scale with confidence, and you'll be hands‑on while you do it.

What You'll Do

• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close, and drive it toward faster, cleaner, more automated cycles

• Ensure GAAP‑compliant financials, with particular depth in revenue recognition for usage‑based and milestone‑based enterprise contracts

• Own accounts payable, accounts receivable, billing, and collections, including invoicing at enterprise scale

• Manage accounting for our global workforce, including contractor payments and payroll in partnership with our PEO

• Design and implement internal controls appropriate for our stage, and strengthen them as we grow

• Coordinate federal, state, and international tax compliance with outside advisors

• Manage relationships with outside accountants and tax advisors, and grow the accounting team over time

• Evaluate and implement accounting systems and tooling that scale with the business

• Partner with our Director of FP&A on the handoff between actuals and planning, so reporting and forecasting run off the same numbers

• Work closely with Legal and People on contract structuring, compensation, and compliance

What We're Looking for

• 8+ years of accounting experience, ideally including time as an Assistant Controller or accounting lead at a high‑growth company

• CPA strongly preferred, with strong GAAP fluency and hands‑on ASC 606 experience for enterprise revenue

• Comfort with international operations, including global payroll and contractor payments across jurisdictions

• Builder mentality: you've stood up processes and systems from scratch, not just inherited them

• Self‑sufficient and resourceful. You figure things out without needing hand‑holding

• Clear communicator who can explain accounting judgments to non‑finance audiences, including leadership

• Hands‑on builder who likes to get in the weeds