Accounting & Finance Director

The Company

Sofar is on a mission to connect the world’s oceans. We design, build, and deploy the largest privately owned network of marine weather sensors to power the world’s best marine weather forecasts. Our data helps our customers to increase efficiency and reduce emissions, delivering tools to governments and other stakeholders to understand impacts of climate change on extreme weather and ocean health. We live on Planet Ocean, and our goal is to create the ocean intelligence needed to ensure a sustainable future.

The Role

The Accounting & Finance Director will own the Company’s  financial reporting and analysis functions. This will include interfacing with an external accounting team to close monthly financials, developing and managing FP&A reporting, providing investor updates, handling inventory reconciliation, ensuring timely tax compliance, managing accounts payable receivable, and establishing key processes to help set the company up for sustainable growth.

The ideal candidate will be as excited about day-to-day accounting as they are about opportunities to tackle complex accounting issues and create a foundation for lasting success. This person will work closely with our Head of Operations, Bookkeeper, and eventually work to build out a team as the company grows. We expect you to thrive in an ever-changing company that is scaling, handle competing priorities, and execute with precision to ensure the current processes continue to flow properly.

This position will work onsite from our headquarters in San Francisco.

Some of the critical responsibilities your role will own include: 

• Developing U.S. GAAP compliant accounting rules and procedures
• Tracking revenue recognition across the Company’s various product lines
• Working with the production and engineering teams to establish inventory cost accounting processes 
• Work closely with leadership as teams plan out present and future hiring needs
• Identify and present strategic cost-saving opportunities across the organization
• Managing government grants and supporting outgoing proposals
• Managing bookkeeping for proper expense classification as well as accounts payable
• Oversee invoicing and the accounts receivable operations
• Assist audit and tax preparations by gathering support and preparing schedules
• Lead process improvement initiatives resulting in better controls & timing, particularly around inventory management and cost accounting
• Lead the optimization of existing platforms and migration(s) to other new platforms

About You

• 5+ years of accounting and finance experience, ideally for manufacturing, services, and SaaS companies
• Certified Public Accountant with excellent knowledge of US GAAP standards
• Ability to interact and interface confidently with all levels of management and external stakeholders
• Strong technical knowledge base of inventory cost accounting treatments
• Extreme organization and attention to detail, with a strong analytical capacity
• Capacity to coordinate complex interdisciplinary projects with teams and deep dive into detailed financials and transactions
• Strong communication skills (both written and verbal) and adaptability in a changing work environment
• Experience with Quickbooks and commonly used financial tools such as Bill.com, Brex, Expensify, and other similar programs)
• High proficiency in Microsoft Excel

Bonus Points

• Big Four public accounting firm experience
• Experience working in a high growth startup environment
• Experience building and managing teams
• Familiarity with government contracting requirements, including knowledge of FAR, DFARS and DCAA standards
• Familiarity with SALT requirements, particularly sales tax and interstate employment 
• A working knowledge of IFRS

Employee Conduct

It is the responsibility of every employee to contribute to a positive work environment through cooperative and professional interactions with co-workers, customers, and vendors.

Equal Employment Opportunity

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other factors prohibited by law.