Senior Accounting Manager

Specter; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Specter is seeking a Senior Accounting Manager to build the accounting function from the ground up in a fast-growing hardware company. You will own close processes, financial reporting, controls, and ERP implementation, with the goal of scalable financial infrastructure as we scale.

You will personally execute early on and later hire a team, working cross‑functionally with operations, engineering, and supply chain to reflect the business accurately and prepare for audits and growth.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive accounting experience, with hands-on execution heavy roles.
• CPA strongly preferred; Big Four background a plus, especially with manufacturing or hardware clients.

Responsibilities

• Own the monthly close end to end: journal entries, reconciliations, accruals, and financial statements.
• Build inventory, cost, and manufacturing accounting processes for a scaling hardware business.
• Develop reporting systems and interfaces with other company systems.
• Establish internal controls and accounting policies for a venture-backed company preparing for audits.
• Coordinate tax compliance with external advisors across multiple jurisdictions.
• Lead annual audit preparation and work with external auditors.
• Hire and manage a growing team of accountants as the company scales.

Skills

Ownership mentality

Cross‑functional collaboration

Hands-on execution

Education

CPA (preferred)

Tools

ERP system

Job description

About Specter

Specter's mission is to help customers automate the physical world.

Today, we build video sensors with state-of-the-art AI agents that answer any question, anywhere in their environments. Our systems can automatically detect and reason about any physical activity captured on camera, from security incidents (e.g. perimeter intrusion, theft, LPR), to safety monitoring (e.g. PPE detection, injured people), to operational efficiency (e.g. material tracking, congestion monitoring). We offer both long range wireless and wired sensor variants to suit any deployment.

Specter has proven success across several verticals and is now scaling quickly. The company's operating system is being built now: the financial discipline to plan and allocate resources, the compliance and vendor processes required to serve high-stakes customers, and the operating cadence that helps leadership make better decisions faster.

About the Role

We are looking for a Senior Accounting Manager to build and own the accounting function from the ground up. This is the company's first senior accounting hire. You will report into finance leadership and serve as the foundation on which Specter's financial controls, reporting, and accounting infrastructure are built as we scale.

This is not a role where you inherit a team and maintain existing systems. Today, there is no accounting organization. You will build it: the processes, the controls, the close, the systems, and eventually the team. Initially, you will personally own much of the execution, and over time you will hire a team. Your main objectives are to improve reporting, strengthen controls, and scale the function to support a growing hardware business.

Specter designs, manufactures, and deploys physical products. The accounting complexity is meaningful: inventory, cost of goods, contract manufacturers, fixed assets, production tooling, and multi-element revenue arrangements. The ideal candidate is energized by that complexity and wants to build the systems to drive flawless execution.

What You Will Do

• Own the monthly close end to end: journal entries, account reconciliations, accruals, and financial statement preparation
• Build and maintain inventory accounting, cost accounting, and manufacturing accounting processes to support a scaling hardware business
• Build the reporting systems and infrastructure that accounting and finance need to operate, and coordinate with other systems across the company
• Establish internal controls and accounting policies appropriate for a venture-backed company preparing for future audits and growth
• Improve AP/AR processes and support cash management alongside finance leadership
• Produce accurate, timely financial reporting for leadership, the board, and investors
• Work closely with Operations, Supply Chain, and Engineering to ensure financial data reflects the reality of the business
• Coordinate tax compliance with external tax advisors, including federal, state, and sales tax obligations across multiple jurisdictions
• Manage annual audit preparation and coordinate with external audit firms
• Hire and manage a team of accountants as the company’s growth continues to accelerate

What We Are Looking For

• 8+ years of progressive accounting experience, with meaningful time spent in hands‑on, execution‑heavy roles
• CPA strongly preferred. Big Four public accounting background is a plus, particularly with manufacturing or hardware clients
• Experience with inventory accounting, manufacturing accounting, and cost accounting in a hardware or physical‑product environment
• Experience implementing or owning an ERP system
• Experience managing or supporting annual financial audits
• Comfort operating with limited structure and building processes from scratch
• Strong ownership mentality: you do the work, not just manage the work
• Ability to work cross‑functionally with non‑finance teams (operations, engineering, supply chain) and translate between operational and financial realities
• Experience at a venture‑backed or high‑growth company is a plus