Head of Accounting

HappyRobot; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Equity in a high-growth startup

Comprehensive benefits including healthcare

Opportunity for ownership and autonomy

Job summary

HappyRobot, a high-growth AI startup in San Francisco, is seeking a Head of Accounting. This role involves building the accounting function from the ground up, ensuring the accuracy of financial processes, and leading ERP selections. Ideal candidates will have 10-16 years of experience, operational insight, and a builder mindset. The position offers competitive compensation, including equity, and comprehensive benefits. Join a talented team to make a significant impact in AI-driven business solutions.

Qualifications

• You're energized by building systems from scratch in a startup.
• You consider accounting in terms of workflows, not just numbers.
• You're comfortable with all tasks, big and small.
• You have a solid understanding of GAAP principles.
• Experience in audit environments is beneficial.
• You can choose effective ERP and finance tools.
• Strong communication skills with non-accounting professionals.
• You handle sensitive information with integrity.

Responsibilities

• Own the monthly close process and improve it over time.
• Design and document accounting policies and workflows.
• Manage the order-to-cash cycle collaboratively with teams.
• Lead ERP tool selection and implementation process.
• Utilize AI tools to streamline accounting tasks.
• Prepare for future audits by managing documentation.
• Support the Head of Finance in strategic financial decisions.
• Ensure compliance with relevant tax and regulatory requirements.

Skills

Builder mindset

Operationally minded

Scrappy and hands-on

Integrity and discretion

Clear communicator

Education

Relevant experience (10-16 years)

Accounting fundamentals (GAAP)

Tools

ERP systems (NetSuite, QuickBooks)

Job description

About HappyRobot

HappyRobot is the infrastructure for enterprises to build and orchestrate AI workforces. Our AI workers don’t just communicate – they make decisions, take action, and run operations autonomously across voice, email, and enterprise systems. Born in Y Combinator (S23) and backed by a16z and Base10 with over $60M raised, we power critical operations for global enterprises worldwide.

Our platform is battle‑tested in the most demanding environments – where AI has real consequences. We started in logistics, built our own voice stack, models, and orchestration layer from the ground up, and are now bringing that infrastructure to every enterprise that runs the real economy. Learn more about our vision in our manifesto.

Role Overview

HappyRobot is hiring a Head of Accounting – a builder and owner who will bring our accounting function in‑house and establish the financial foundation for our next phase of growth. Reporting directly to the Head of Finance, you’ll be the company’s accounting lead: closing the books, owning order‑to‑cash, preparing us for our first audit, selecting and implementing the right ERP and AI‑powered finance tools, and designing the processes and controls that will scale with us. This is a hands‑on, high‑ownership role at a critical inflection point – not a role for someone who wants to maintain what exists, but for someone energized by building from scratch. You need to be operationally sharp, deeply curious about how the business works, and willing to roll up your sleeves every single day.

What You’ll Do

• Own close: Run the monthly close end‑to‑end – journal entries, reconciliations, financial statements – with accuracy and improving speed over time. Establish a close calendar and repeatable processes that get tighter every month.
• Build the accounting foundation: Design and document accounting policies, internal controls, and workflows from the ground up with the Head of Finance. There is a lot of white space, which is both the challenge and the opportunity.
• Lead order‑to‑cash: Own the full cycle from invoicing through collections – working cross‑functionally with Sales and Customer Success to ensure accuracy, reduce time‑to‑payment, and flag issues early.
• Drive ERP selection and implementation: Evaluate our current tools and lead the process of selecting and implementing the right ERP for where we’re going. Bring a systems‑thinking mindset – understand what integrates well, what will scale, and what the real cost of switching will be later.
• Identify and adopt the right AI finance tools (including our own): Proactively identify where AI‑powered tools (for close automation, reconciliation, AP, etc.) can eliminate manual work and improve accuracy.
• Prepare us for our first audit: Own audit readiness end‑to‑end – building audit‑ready workpapers, managing the relationship with external auditors, and ensuring we can move through our first audit efficiently and cleanly.
• Support strategic decisions: Partner with the Head of Finance on financial analysis, diligence support, and any corporate development activity. You’ll be a thought partner, not just a reporter of numbers.
• Ensure compliance: Own tax filings (federal, state, local), entity‑level compliance, and any relevant regulatory requirements. Know when to manage internally and when to engage outside counsel or advisors.

Must Have

• Builder mindset above all else: You’re energized by the 0‑to‑1 work at a startup to help scale revenue – setting up systems, writing the first version of a policy, figuring out the right process when no playbook exists. You take ownership without being asked.
• Operationally minded: You think about accounting in terms of workflows, systems, and business logic – not just debits and credits. You want to understand why a transaction happens, not just how to record it.
• Scrappy and hands‑on: No task is too junior. You’re as comfortable chasing down a late payment as you are presenting a close package to leadership. Any sign of “that’s not my job” is a non‑starter here.
• Strong foundation, not necessarily deep specialization: We want someone with solid GAAP fundamentals, good judgment on revenue recognition, and the intellectual honesty to know when to ask for help.
• 10–16 years of relevant experience: Big 4 or national firm experience (2–4 years) is a strong signal – the rigor, audit exposure, and breadth of client work translates well to this role. Experience at a high‑growth startup is a plus but not required.
• Systems fluency: You’ve worked with ERP systems (NetSuite, QuickBooks, or similar) and have opinions about what works and what doesn’t. Bonus if you’ve been through an ERP selection or implementation before.
• Clear communicator: You can explain accounting concepts to engineers, salespeople, and founders without jargon. You’re comfortable pushing back when something doesn’t make financial sense.
• Integrity and discretion: You’ll have access to sensitive company and customer financial information. We need someone we trust completely.

Why Join Us?

• Opportunity to work at a high‑growth AI startup, backed by top investors.
• Rapidly growing and backed by top investors including a16z, Y Combinator, and Base10.
• Ownership & Autonomy – Take full ownership of projects and ship fast.
• Top‑Tier Compensation – Competitive salary + equity in a high‑growth startup.
• Comprehensive Benefits – Healthcare, dental, vision coverage.
• Work with the best – Join a world‑class team of engineers and builders.

Our Operating Principles

• Extreme Ownership: We take full responsibility for our work, outcomes, and team success. No excuses, no blame-shifting – if something needs fixing, we own it and make it better. This means stepping up, even when it’s not “your job.” If a ball is dropped, we pick it up. If a customer is unhappy, we fix it. If a process is broken, we redesign it. We don’t wait for someone else to solve it – we lead with accountability and expect the same from those around us.
• Craftsmanship: Putting care and intention into every task, striving for excellence, and taking deep ownership of the quality and outcome of your work. Craftsmanship means never settling for “just fine.” We sweat the details because details compound. Whether it’s a product feature, an internal doc, or a sales call – we treat it as a reflection of our standards. We aim to deliver jaw‑dropping customer experiences by being curious, meticulous, and proud of what we build – even when nobody’s watching.
• We are “majos”: Be friendly & have fun with your coworkers. Always be genuine & honest, but kind. “Majo” is our way of saying: be a good human. Be approachable, helpful, and warm. We’re building something ambitious, and it’s easier (and more fun) when we enjoy the ride together. We give feedback with kindness, challenge each other with respect, and celebrate wins together without ego.
• Urgency with Focus: Create the highest impact in the shortest amount of time. Move fast, but in the right direction. We operate with speed because time is our most limited resource. But speed without focus is chaos. We prioritize ruthlessly, act decisively, and stay aligned. We aim for high leverage: the biggest results from the simplest, smartest actions. We’re running a high‑speed marathon – not a sprint with no strategy.
• Talent Density and Meritocracy: Hire only people who can raise the average; ‘exceptional performance is the passing grade.’ Ability trumps seniority. We believe the best teams are built on talent density – every hire should raise the bar. We reward contribution, not titles or tenure. We give ownership to those who earn it, and we all hold each other to a high standard. A‑players want to work with other A‑players – that’s how we win.
• First‑Principles Thinking: Strip a problem to physics‑level facts, ignore industry dogma, rebuild the solution from scratch. We don’t copy‑paste solutions. We go back to basics, ask why things are the way they are, and rebuild from the ground up if needed. This mindset pushes us to innovate, challenge stale assumptions, and move faster than incumbents. It’s how we build what others think is impossible.

The personal data provided in your application and during the selection process will be processed by Happyrobot, Inc., acting as Data Controller.

By sending us your CV, you consent to the processing of your personal data for the purpose of evaluating and selecting you as a candidate for the position. Your personal data will be treated confidentially and will only be used for the recruitment process of the selected job offer.

In relation to the period of conservation of your personal data, these will be eliminated after three months of inactivity in compliance with the GDPR and legislation on the protection of personal data.

If you wish to exercise your rights of access, rectification, deletion, portability or opposition in relation to your personal data, you can do so through [e-mail] subject to the GDPR.

For more information, visit https://www.happyrobot.ai/privacy-policy.

By submitting your request, you confirm that you have read and understood this clause and that you agree to the processing of your personal data as described.