Senior Accountant

Madrona Venture Labs; San Carlos (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Nautilus, a proteome analysis company, is seeking a Senior Accountant to join our growing accounting team in California. The role supports a well-controlled month-end close and oversees accounts payable, reporting to the Associate Director of Accounting.

The role requires strong technical accounting depth, cross-functional collaboration, and offshore coordination as the company scales from pre-commercial to commercial operations. CPA preferred and experience with NetSuite is a plus.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of progressive accounting experience including general ledger, month-end close, and accounts payable.
• CPA preferred or degree in Accounting/Finance.
• Solid working knowledge of U.S. GAAP incl. accruals and prepaid expenses.
• Experience in a SOX-compliant environment with controls documentation and testing.
• Experience with enterprise financial systems; NetSuite is a plus.
• Strong Excel skills (VLOOKUP, SUMIFS, Index/Match, pivot tables).
• Detail-oriented with ability to manage competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication and collaborative skills with cross-functional teams; remote/offshore relationships.
• Continuous improvement mindset and flexibility to grow with the company.

Responsibilities

• Execute the monthly accounting close, including journal entries for accruals and prepaids, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Prepare and review balance sheet reconciliations monthly; resolve reconciling items promptly.
• Maintain internal controls per SOX 404; update narratives, risk control matrices, and supporting docs.
• Identify opportunities to improve close efficiency; drive implementation with Accounting and cross-functional teams.
• Partner with FP&A and cross-functional teams on accrual estimates and amortization schedules.
• Support work papers for quarterly reviews and the annual audit.
• Assist with policy implementation, system improvements, and scaling during growth.
• Participate in or lead ad-hoc tasks and projects as needed.

Skills

GAAP knowledge

SOX compliance

Excel proficiency

Analytical skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Accounting degree

Tools

NetSuite

Job description

At Nautilus, we have a big and important mission: improve the health of millions by unleashing the potential of the proteome to accelerate drug development and enable a new world of precision and personalized medicine. We are developing a single-molecule protein analysis platform of unprecedented sensitivity, scale, and ease of use that we believe will democratize access to the proteome – one of the most dynamic and valuable sources of biological insight. To accomplish this, we are pursuing deep, hard science with an entrepreneurial mindset and creating a world-class team of builders, innovators, and dreamers across a wide range of disciplines.

We are seeking an exceptional individual to join our growing accounting team. The Senior Accountant will play a critical role in maintaining the integrity of our financial records, supporting a well-controlled month-end close, and overseeing the accounts payable function. This is a highly visible role that requires both technical accounting depth and the ability to collaborate cross-functionally across our organization and with our offshore team. The position will report to the Associate Director of Accounting.

Responsibilities

• Execute the monthly accounting close process, including preparation of journal entries for accruals, prepaids, and other general ledger accounts; ensure entries are accurate, well-supported, and posted on schedule.
• Prepare and review balance sheet account reconciliations on a monthly basis; investigate and resolve reconciling items in a timely manner.
• Maintain a strong internal control environment in accordance with Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) 404 requirements; prepare and update process narratives, risk control matrices, and supporting documentation for assigned control areas.
• Identify opportunities to improve close efficiency, reduce manual work, and strengthen controls; drive implementation in collaboration with the Accounting team and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Partner with FP&A and cross-functional teams on accrual estimates, prepaid amortization schedules, and other inputs for month end close.
• Support the preparation of work papers and schedules for quarterly reviews and the annual audit.
• Assist with the implementation of accounting policies, system improvements, and other projects as the company scales from pre-commercial to commercial operations.
• Participate in or lead ad-hoc tasks and projects as needed.

Requirements

• A minimum of 4+ years of progressive accounting experience, with meaningful exposure to general ledger accounting, month-end close, and accounts payable.
• Degree in Accounting or Finance, or equivalent experience; CPA preferred.
• Solid working knowledge of U.S. GAAP, including accrual accounting and prepaid expense treatment.
• Experience operating within a SOX-compliant environment, including ownership of controls documentation and testing.
• Experience working with enterprise financial systems (NetSuite is a plus).
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in Excel (VLOOKUP, SUMIFS, Index/Match, pivot tables).
• Detail-oriented with the ability to manage competing deadlines in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Excellent communication skills and a collaborative working style; comfortable partnering with cross-functional teams and managing remote/offshore relationships.
• A continuous improvement mindset and flexibility to grow with the company.