Financial Controller

WorkWhile; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work culture

Unlimited PTO

401(k)

WFH stipend

Office in San Francisco

Job summary

WorkWhile in San Francisco is seeking a Corporate Controller to build a world-class accounting function from the ground up. You’ll be the CFO’s right hand, leading high‑volume payroll, multi‑stream revenue, ERP migration, and AI‑driven automation.

This venture-backed role combines financial leadership with strategic influence across tax, treasury, equity, and external reporting, with a hybrid work culture, in-person off-sites, unlimited PTO, a 401(k), and a home-office stipend.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive accounting experience, with at least 3 years as Controller at a venture-backed technology company.
• Deep technical accounting expertise in ASC 606 revenue recognition and multi-element arrangements.
• ERP implementation experience migrating to NetSuite or Sage Intacct.
• Experience managing multi-state payroll compliance and nexus analysis.

Responsibilities

• Own core accounting operations: GL, Payroll, P2P, O2C, and R2R.
• Lead revenue recognition, treasury, equity, and tax compliance activities.
• Oversee external audits, reporting, and ERP migration efforts.
• Build scalable processes with AI-driven automation and data integrity focus.
• Manage onshore/offshore accounting teams and collaborate across time zones.

Skills

Accounting leadership

Technical accounting

ERP implementation

Payroll compliance

Financial reporting

Education

CPA

Tools

NetSuite

Sage Intacct

BigQuery

Job description

WorkWhile is on a mission to help workers earn a better living and live better lives. More than 80 million Americans work hourly jobs - often with unpredictable schedules, near-minimum wages, and few benefits - leading to real financial instability. We're fixing that by matching enterprise customers across logistics, food production, retail, hospitality, events, and managed services with a quality hourly workforce, while giving workers stable income and unmatched benefits like next-day pay, free telehealth, and financial services.

WorkWhile is evolving from a high-growth temporary labour marketplace into a comprehensive workforce platform for enterprises with fintech offerings workers. The result is a multi-business-model company with a genuinely complex, interesting financial landscape.

Backed by Khosla Ventures and recognized by the Inc. 5000 for 10x growth, WorkWhile is reshaping the future of work.

The Opportunity

This is not a "maintain the books" Controller role. This is a build-it role.

As Corporate Controller, you'll serve as the CFO's right hand in architecting a world-class accounting function from the ground up - one capable of supporting high-volume transaction processing, multi-stream revenue recognition (Marketplace + SaaS + Fintech), and banking-level treasury operations. You'll lead an ERP migration, deploy AI-driven automation, and own the technical accounting for business models that most Controllers never get to work across simultaneously.

If you're a technically deep CPA who wants to do more than close the books - someone who wants to shape financial infrastructure at a venture-backed, mission-driven company - this role is built for you.

What You'll Own

1. Core Accounting Operations

• Full-cycle accounting ownership: General Ledger (GL), Payroll, Procure-to-Pay (P2P), Order-to-Cash (O2C), and Record-to-Report (R2R)
• Data integrity: Partner with Data Science to ensure financial data in the ERP (NetSuite/Intacct) aligns precisely with operational data sources (BigQuery, Metabase)
• High-volume payroll: Manage complex weekly and daily payroll runs for a nationally dispersed workforce, with distinct treatment for W2 employees (taxes, benefits, withholdings) and 1099 independent contractors
• Month-end & year-end close: Own the close calendar, drive down close cycle times, and ensure a clean, audit-ready general ledger at all times

2. Technical Accounting & Compliance

• Revenue Recognition (ASC 606): Author technical accounting memos and policy for multiple evolving revenue streams - including "Principal vs. Agent" gross-to-net calculations for marketplace revenue and subscription revenue recognition for the Newday SaaS product
• Fintech & Treasury Accounting: Build accounting workflows for WorkWhile Wallet and W2 Early Pay - including daily liquidity management for payroll funding, high-volume card transaction reconciliation (Marqeta, Stripe), and accounting for potential credit losses on worker advances
• Equity & Stock-Based Compensation: Manage equity plan administration and ASC 718 accounting
• Multi-jurisdiction Tax Compliance: Oversee federal, state, and local tax filings; manage payroll tax nexus across all states where W2 workers operate; address sales tax implications for SaaS products

3. Audit & External Reporting

• Audit leadership: Own the external audit relationship end-to-end - drive the first company financial audit, prepare PBC schedules, manage fieldwork, and deliver audited financial statements on time
• Investor & lender reporting: Prepare accurate, well-documented financials for board reporting, debt covenant compliance, and future fundraising due diligence
• ERP migration: Lead the evaluation and implementation of a scalable ERP upgrade, including integration with billing, payroll, and payments systems
• AI & automation: Proactively identify and deploy AI agents for reconciliation, invoice processing, and anomaly detection - reducing manual workload and improving accuracy
• Collections & DSO optimization: Strengthen billing and collections processes, managing invoicing nuances across Enterprise and SMB client segments
• Team development: Manage and mentor the internal accounting team and oversee the offshore BPO team, ensuring seamless collaboration across time zones

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive accounting experience, with at least 3 years as a Controller or Assistant Controller at a venture-backed technology company
• Deep technical accounting expertise in ASC 606 revenue recognition, including multi-element arrangements and gross vs. net revenue treatment
• Proven track record of ERP implementation - specifically migrating from QuickBooks to NetSuite, Sage Intacct, or equivalent
• Experience managing multi-state payroll tax compliance and nexus analysis for a company with a distributed workforce

Preferred / Bonus Qualifications

• Industry experience in Marketplace, Fintech (lending, ledgering, prepaid cards), or SaaS business models
• Hands-on experience with Stripe, Marqeta, or similar payment processors from an accounting and reconciliation standpoint
• Experience managing hybrid onshore/offshore accounting teams or BPO relationships
• Exposure to SQL, BigQuery, or BI tools (Looker, Metabase) for financial data analysis

You’ll Thrive Here If You:

• Are the kind of person who investigates a variance until it's fully explained - not just deemed immaterial
• Can translate complex accounting positions (like Gross vs. Net revenue) clearly for non-finance stakeholders, investors, and lenders
• Are energized by ambiguity and want to build, not just maintain
• Have a strong bias for action and take pride in operational excellence
• Competitive base salary + equity in a high-growth, venture-backed company
• Hybrid work culture with office in San Francisco
• In-person company off-sites
• Unlimited PTO
• 401(k)
• WFH stipend to support your home office setup

WorkWhile has a diverse, mission-driven, and supportive culture—we look for people who want to take ownership, are energized by ambiguity, and strive to make a lasting impact. If this resonates with you, we’d love to chat!