Controller

Job description

## Who we are [Odyssey](https://odyssey.ml) is an AI lab pioneering general world models: causal, multimodal systems that learn to predict and interact with the world over long horizons. This foundational technology promises to revolutionize robotics, science, healthcare, education, gaming, defense, and beyond. Odyssey’s founders previously pioneered the most complex application of physical AI: self-driving cars. They’ve now brought together a world-class research team from DeepMind, Tesla, Waymo, Meta, Apple, and Wayve, who have made significant contributions to language models (DeepMind Gemini), video models (DeepMind Veo), world models (Wayve GAIA), and autonomous systems (Tesla FSD). Odyssey has raised significant venture capital from GV, Amazon, AMD, EQT, NVIDIA, Natural Capital, In-Q-Tel, Elad Gil, Jeff Dean, Guillermo Rauch, Garry Tan, Kyle Vogt, and researchers from OpenAI, DeepMind, MSL, Recursive, and Thinking Machines. ## What we're looking for Odyssey is looking for a Controller to build and lead the accounting function as we enter our next stage of growth. Based in Palo Alto, this is a hands-on leadership role responsible for creating a scalable financial foundation for a rapidly growing Frontier AI company. The Controller will own close, financial reporting, U.S. GAAP, audit, accounting policy, and controls, while building the systems and processes required to scale, including our systems, chart of accounts, cost centers, project accounting, and procurement infrastructure. This person will partner closely with FP&A and leadership on forecasting, financings and board reporting. We’re looking for an experienced accounting leader with strong technical depth and a builder mentality. The ideal candidate has led accounting at a high-growth technology company and is equally comfortable designing the organization we’ll need tomorrow and getting into the details to solve problems today. ## The role This is a builder role. You'll own the integrity of Odyssey's financials while designing the accounting organization, systems, processes, and controls we need to scale. You'll be equally comfortable getting into the details of a close today and building the infrastructure that allows the company to operate at substantially greater scale tomorrow. You'll partner closely with the Head of Operations and leadership team and work across Finance, People, Legal, Operations, and the broader company. ## What you'll do - Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close and ensure timely, accurate financial reporting. - Own accounting policy and compliance with U.S. GAAP. - Lead our external audit and manage relationships with auditors, tax advisors, and other accounting partners. - Build scalable accounting processes, policies, controls, and reporting from the ground up. - Develop our financial systems architecture, including the evolution of our systems, chart of accounts, cost centers, project accounting, procurement, payroll, and related systems. - Establish strong accounting for increasingly complex areas including high-value, multi-year compute and infrastructure commitments, training cost allocations, and capacity planning, ensuring precise tracking, accounting, and reporting of these mission-critical expenses, alongside revenue, equity and stock-based compensation, leases, and multi-entity operations. - Partner with FP&A to ensure actuals, forecasts, budgets, and management reporting operate from a consistent financial foundation. - Build and lead a high-performing accounting organization as Odyssey grows. - Support financings, investor and board reporting, diligence, and other strategic transactions. - Build the accounting and control environment capable of supporting Odyssey through its next stages of growth and, over time, public-company readiness. - Lead the annual 409A valuation process, ensuring rigorous coordination with external legal and accounting partners to maintain compliance and accurate financial reporting. - Lead annual 409A valuation processes, coordinating with external legal and accounting partners to ensure compliance and accurate financial reporting. ## Who you are - You have **10+ years of progressive accounting experience**, including meaningful leadership responsibility. - You've been a Controller, Assistant Controller, or senior accounting leader in a high-growth technology company. - You have deep command of U.S. GAAP and have personally owned complex accounting judgments. - You've led audits and know what excellent financial reporting and controls look like. - You're comfortable designing processes and systems rather than inheriting them. - You're highly analytical and willing to work directly in the details when that's what the company needs. - You can operate effectively in a fast-moving environment where the answer isn't always obvious. - You communicate clearly and can earn the trust of executives, investors, auditors, and operating teams. - You're excited to build a function, not simply manage one. ## Nice to have - CPA. - Big Four public accounting experience. - Experience scaling the finance organization of a venture-backed company through multiple stages of growth. - Experience preparing a company for an IPO or operating within a public-company accounting environment. - Experience with SOX and building internal controls. - Experience with ASC 606, ASC 842, ASC 718, and other complex accounting areas. - Experience with multi-entity and international accounting. - Experience implementing or migrating ERP and financial systems. - Experience with large infrastructure, cloud, compute, or other significant contractual commitments. - Experience supporting major financings, M&A, or other strategic transactions. ## Why Odyssey There are meaningful challenges to overcome. You'll have the opportunity to build something foundational at a company pursuing one of the most ambitious technical problems in AI. You'll have significant autonomy, real ownership, and the ability to shape how Odyssey operates for years to come. We're looking for people who want that responsibility.