Verified Job
Accounting - Finance
Controller: Government Grants, Contracts & Corporate Finance
Accounting - Finance
#743751
Remote / WFH
Autonomous Therapeutics, Inc.
Job Description
Full job description
The Position
Autonomous Therapeutics is seeking a hands-on and exceptional Controller to help lead the accounting and finance functions of a growing 30-person R&D biotechnology company.
The Controller will own full-cycle corporate accounting, U.S. GAAP financial reporting, U.S. Government award and cost accounting, payroll oversight, tax compliance and planning support, budgeting, cash forecasting, audit support, and financial planning.
The successful candidate must combine controller-level rigor and strategic insight with the ability to work directly in the details. This is a hands-on leadership role, not a position for someone who primarily delegates.
You will join an established three-person accounting and finance function. You will work closely with our highly experienced Vice President of Finance, manage an experienced CPA Senior Accountant, and coordinate with our longstanding external CPA firm.
This structure offers substantial ownership without requiring the incoming Controller to build the accounting function from scratch. We are looking for someone who can preserve what works, identify areas for optimization, strengthen financial systems and controls, and help build a finance function capable of continued growth, future institutional financing, and potential public-company readiness.
About Autonomous
Autonomous Therapeutics is a venture- and U.S. Government-funded biotechnology company founded in 2017 by a team from Harvard Medical School and UCSF. We develop precision medicines for currently incurable viral infections and metastatic cancers.
Our team of chemists, synthetic biologists, immunologists, and in vivo biologists work in a 20,000-square-foot R&D facility outside Washington, D.C. Our R&D has been supported by U.S. Government grants, contracts, and Other Transaction Agreements, as well as venture investment, commercial collaborations, and other private financing.
We operate an active R&D laboratory seven days a week--with nonstop purchasing, payroll, equipment, consultant, vendor, and project-accounting activity.
About You
You are a highly experienced accounting professional who combines deep corporate-accounting knowledge with strong Government-award and cost-accounting expertise.
You can independently close the books, prepare complete GAAP financial statements, analyze direct and indirect costs, review expenditures, reconcile payroll, support audits, forecast cash, and advise leadership on the financial implications of a Government award, commercial agreement, or financing.
You have:
A bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related discipline; CPA certification is highly preferred.
At least seven years of progressively responsible accounting experience.
Deep knowledge of U.S. GAAP and full-cycle corporate accounting.
The ability to independently prepare and analyze balance sheets, income statements, cash-flow statements, and supporting schedules.
Strong knowledge of direct and indirect cost allocation, indirect-cost pools, allocation bases, labor distribution, timekeeping, and Federal cost allowability.
Meaningful experience with Federal grants, Government contracts, cooperative agreements, nonprofit or university research funding, or another regulated project-accounting environment.
Experience with budgeting, forecasting, cash management, and management reporting.
Experience with a sophisticated project-accounting or enterprise accounting system.
Strong analytical ability, attention to detail, judgment, organization, and communication skills.
The willingness to personally perform the detailed accounting and compliance work required by a small operating company.
Also highly valued is experience with: R&D-intensive organizations; corporate tax compliance; NIH, BARDA, or Department of Defense funding; indirect rate proposals; Single Audits; DCAA guidelines; venture financings; investor diligence; or public-company readiness.
What You Will Do
Corporate Accounting & Financial Reporting
Lead monthly and annual close processes.
Prepare accurate balance sheets, income statements, cash-flow statements, and supporting schedules in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
Prepare and review journal entries, account reconciliations, accruals, prepaid expenses, fixed assets, payroll accounting, and revenue-recognition analyses.
Maintain the general ledger and ensure transactions are properly classified by account, project, Government award, department, and cost objective.
Oversee accounts payable, accounts receivable, employee expenses, purchasing activity, cash management, and other day-to-day accounting functions.
Account for the substantial volume of expenditures associated with operating an active research laboratory.
Coordinate with external auditors, tax advisers, payroll providers, banks, valuation firms, and other professional advisers.
Establish practical accounting policies, close procedures, approval processes, and internal controls.
Coordinate with the company’s external CPA firm on Federal, state, and local tax compliance, R&D tax credits, estimated payments, and other tax matters.
Ensure timely and accurate preparation of supporting schedules for income, payroll, sales and use, property, and other applicable tax filings.
Monitor tax deadlines, registrations, notices, and compliance requirements across the jurisdictions in which the company operates.
Government Awards & Cost Accounting
Manage the financial administration of Federal grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, Other Transaction Agreements, and subawards.
Maintain compliant accounting systems and records capable of supporting current Federal awards and potential future Government contracts.
Ensure the appropriate segregation, classification, and allocation of direct and indirect costs.
Analyze and reconcile indirect-cost pools and allocation bases, including fringe, overhead, and general and administrative expenses.
Review project expenditures for allowability, allocability, reasonableness, consistency, and compliance with award terms.
Prepare and review reimbursement requests, drawdowns, invoices, Federal Financial Reports, indirect-rate calculations, and supporting schedules.
Track project budgets, funding limits, periods of performance, obligated and unobligated balances, cost share, and unliquidated obligations.
Ensure that timekeeping, payroll, labor distribution, project costs, and general-ledger activity reconcile.
Support proposals, award modifications, audits, agency reviews, financial reporting, and closeouts.
Apply relevant requirements under U.S. GAAP, 2 CFR Part 200, Federal cost principles, award-specific terms, and, where applicable, FAR and DCAA requirements.
Planning, Systems & Corporate Finance
Prepare operating budgets, project forecasts, cash-flow forecasts, runway analyses, and budget-to-actual reporting.
Give leadership clear visibility into spending, commitments, hiring capacity, funding constraints, indirect-rate performance, and future cash needs.
Support venture financings, investor diligence, board reporting, financial modeling, capitalization records, valuations, and related corporate-finance activities.
Serve as a primary owner of the company’s accounting and project-cost systems.
Use PROCAS to manage the general ledger, labor distribution, project accounting, indirect-cost allocation, billing, and financial reporting.
Oversee payroll through ADP and reconcile payroll, benefits, timekeeping, labor distribution, and project-level labor charges.
Improve reporting, workflows, controls, and financial systems as the company grows.
Review and guide the work of the Senior Accountant while also performing detailed accounting work personally.
Prior PROCAS experience is not required. Experience with Deltek, Oracle, Unanet, JAMIS, or another sophisticated Government-award or project-accounting system is highly relevant.
Why Join Autonomous
Established Finance Team. Join multiple experienced full-time finance professionals, including a highly experienced Vice President of Finance and an in-house CPA Senior Accountant.
Real Ownership. Assume substantial responsibility for the accounting and financial infrastructure of a growing biotechnology company from day one.
Meaningful Work. Support the development of potentially life-saving medicines for infectious diseases and metastatic cancers.
Complexity. Work across GAAP accounting, R&D operations, Federal awards, venture financing, commercial activity, and private-company finance.
Compensation and Benefits. Competitive salary, equity, health, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k) plan with employer matching, and paid time off.
Hiring Information
Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.
Autonomous Therapeutics is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Hiring decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs.
Pay: $150,000.00 - $200,000.00 per year
Benefits:
401(k)
401(k) 4% Match
401(k) matching
Dental insurance
Disability insurance
Employee stock purchase plan
Flexible schedule
Health insurance
Paid sick time
Paid time off
Relocation assistance
Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
The Position
Autonomous Therapeutics is seeking a hands-on and exceptional Controller to help lead the accounting and finance functions of a growing 30-person R&D biotechnology company.
The Controller will own full-cycle corporate accounting, U.S. GAAP financial reporting, U.S. Government award and cost accounting, payroll oversight, tax compliance and planning support, budgeting, cash forecasting, audit support, and financial planning.
The successful candidate must combine controller-level rigor and strategic insight with the ability to work directly in the details. This is a hands-on leadership role, not a position for someone who primarily delegates.
You will join an established three-person accounting and finance function. You will work closely with our highly experienced Vice President of Finance, manage an experienced CPA Senior Accountant, and coordinate with our longstanding external CPA firm.
This structure offers substantial ownership without requiring the incoming Controller to build the accounting function from scratch. We are looking for someone who can preserve what works, identify areas for optimization, strengthen financial systems and controls, and help build a finance function capable of continued growth, future institutional financing, and potential public-company readiness.
About Autonomous
Autonomous Therapeutics is a venture- and U.S. Government-funded biotechnology company founded in 2017 by a team from Harvard Medical School and UCSF. We develop precision medicines for currently incurable viral infections and metastatic cancers.
Our team of chemists, synthetic biologists, immunologists, and in vivo biologists work in a 20,000-square-foot R&D facility outside Washington, D.C. Our R&D has been supported by U.S. Government grants, contracts, and Other Transaction Agreements, as well as venture investment, commercial collaborations, and other private financing.
We operate an active R&D laboratory seven days a week--with nonstop purchasing, payroll, equipment, consultant, vendor, and project-accounting activity.
About You
You are a highly experienced accounting professional who combines deep corporate-accounting knowledge with strong Government-award and cost-accounting expertise.
You can independently close the books, prepare complete GAAP financial statements, analyze direct and indirect costs, review expenditures, reconcile payroll, support audits, forecast cash, and advise leadership on the financial implications of a Government award, commercial agreement, or financing.
You have:
A bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related discipline; CPA certification is highly preferred.
At least seven years of progressively responsible accounting experience.
Deep knowledge of U.S. GAAP and full-cycle corporate accounting.
The ability to independently prepare and analyze balance sheets, income statements, cash-flow statements, and supporting schedules.
Strong knowledge of direct and indirect cost allocation, indirect-cost pools, allocation bases, labor distribution, timekeeping, and Federal cost allowability.
Meaningful experience with Federal grants, Government contracts, cooperative agreements, nonprofit or university research funding, or another regulated project-accounting environment.
Experience with budgeting, forecasting, cash management, and management reporting.
Experience with a sophisticated project-accounting or enterprise accounting system.
Strong analytical ability, attention to detail, judgment, organization, and communication skills.
The willingness to personally perform the detailed accounting and compliance work required by a small operating company.
Also highly valued is experience with: R&D-intensive organizations; corporate tax compliance; NIH, BARDA, or Department of Defense funding; indirect rate proposals; Single Audits; DCAA guidelines; venture financings; investor diligence; or public-company readiness.
What You Will Do
Corporate Accounting & Financial Reporting
Lead monthly and annual close processes.
Prepare accurate balance sheets, income statements, cash-flow statements, and supporting schedules in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
Prepare and review journal entries, account reconciliations, accruals, prepaid expenses, fixed assets, payroll accounting, and revenue-recognition analyses.
Maintain the general ledger and ensure transactions are properly classified by account, project, Government award, department, and cost objective.
Oversee accounts payable, accounts receivable, employee expenses, purchasing activity, cash management, and other day-to-day accounting functions.
Account for the substantial volume of expenditures associated with operating an active research laboratory.
Coordinate with external auditors, tax advisers, payroll providers, banks, valuation firms, and other professional advisers.
Establish practical accounting policies, close procedures, approval processes, and internal controls.
Coordinate with the company’s external CPA firm on Federal, state, and local tax compliance, R&D tax credits, estimated payments, and other tax matters.
Ensure timely and accurate preparation of supporting schedules for income, payroll, sales and use, property, and other applicable tax filings.
Monitor tax deadlines, registrations, notices, and compliance requirements across the jurisdictions in which the company operates.
Government Awards & Cost Accounting
Manage the financial administration of Federal grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, Other Transaction Agreements, and subawards.
Maintain compliant accounting systems and records capable of supporting current Federal awards and potential future Government contracts.
Ensure the appropriate segregation, classification, and allocation of direct and indirect costs.
Analyze and reconcile indirect-cost pools and allocation bases, including fringe, overhead, and general and administrative expenses.
Review project expenditures for allowability, allocability, reasonableness, consistency, and compliance with award terms.
Prepare and review reimbursement requests, drawdowns, invoices, Federal Financial Reports, indirect-rate calculations, and supporting schedules.
Track project budgets, funding limits, periods of performance, obligated and unobligated balances, cost share, and unliquidated obligations.
Ensure that timekeeping, payroll, labor distribution, project costs, and general-ledger activity reconcile.
Support proposals, award modifications, audits, agency reviews, financial reporting, and closeouts.
Apply relevant requirements under U.S. GAAP, 2 CFR Part 200, Federal cost principles, award-specific terms, and, where applicable, FAR and DCAA requirements.
Planning, Systems & Corporate Finance
Prepare operating budgets, project forecasts, cash-flow forecasts, runway analyses, and budget-to-actual reporting.
Give leadership clear visibility into spending, commitments, hiring capacity, funding constraints, indirect-rate performance, and future cash needs.
Support venture financings, investor diligence, board reporting, financial modeling, capitalization records, valuations, and related corporate-finance activities.
Serve as a primary owner of the company’s accounting and project-cost systems.
Use PROCAS to manage the general ledger, labor distribution, project accounting, indirect-cost allocation, billing, and financial reporting.
Oversee payroll through ADP and reconcile payroll, benefits, timekeeping, labor distribution, and project-level labor charges.
Improve reporting, workflows, controls, and financial systems as the company grows.
Review and guide the work of the Senior Accountant while also performing detailed accounting work personally.
Prior PROCAS experience is not required. Experience with Deltek, Oracle, Unanet, JAMIS, or another sophisticated Government-award or project-accounting system is highly relevant.
Why Join Autonomous
Established Finance Team. Join multiple experienced full-time finance professionals, including a highly experienced Vice President of Finance and an in-house CPA Senior Accountant.
Real Ownership. Assume substantial responsibility for the accounting and financial infrastructure of a growing biotechnology company from day one.
Meaningful Work. Support the development of potentially life-saving medicines for infectious diseases and metastatic cancers.
Complexity. Work across GAAP accounting, R&D operations, Federal awards, venture financing, commercial activity, and private-company finance.
Compensation and Benefits. Competitive salary, equity, health, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k) plan with employer matching, and paid time off.
Hiring Information
Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.
Autonomous Therapeutics is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Hiring decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs.
Pay: $150,000.00 - $200,000.00 per year
Benefits:
401(k)
401(k) 4% Match
401(k) matching
Dental insurance
Disability insurance
Employee stock purchase plan
Flexible schedule
Health insurance
Paid sick time
Paid time off
Relocation assistance
Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
