Controller

Job description

#### **About Simbe** Simbe Robotics is a leading retail technology company providing in-store intelligence solutions that help retailers improve inventory availability, shelf execution, pricing accuracy, and operational performance. Our autonomous robots, computer vision systems, and multimodal data platform are transforming how retailers understand and manage their stores. Simbe supports some of the world’s largest retailers across a rapidly growing base of enterprise deployments. #### **The Role** Simbe is hiring its first Controller to own and scale the company’s accounting function. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can quickly take command of the monthly close, financial reporting, audit, controls, revenue recognition, inventory accounting, and outside accounting relationships while building the systems and team required for Simbe’s next phase of growth. Simbe combines hardware, recurring software, enterprise deployments, contract manufacturing, and an expanding international footprint. The right candidate will bring strong accounting judgment, operating discipline, and the ability to move comfortably between detailed execution and company-level financial leadership. This is a builder’s role. You will not inherit a fully mature accounting organization. You will assess how accounting operates today, establish clear ownership and processes, identify immediate improvements, and build a scalable function capable of supporting continued enterprise growth, recurring annual audits, lender and Board reporting, and international expansion. You will work closely with the COO, CFO and Finance Director and will serve as the company’s primary authority on accounting matters. #### ### Responsibilities #### **Own the Monthly Close and Financial Reporting** - Take ownership of the monthly, quarterly, and annual close, initially working hands-on within today’s process and evolving it toward a reliable 5–7 business-day close. - Ensure timely and accurate financial statements, account reconciliations, journal entries, accruals, consolidations, and supporting schedules. - Develop clear close calendars, ownership matrices, review procedures, and documentation. #### **Lead Accounting Policy and Technical Accounting** - Serve as Simbe’s primary internal authority on GAAP accounting and financial reporting. - Establish and document accounting policies across revenue recognition, inventory, cost of goods sold, leases, debt, warrants, stock-based compensation, fixed assets, internally developed software, and other complex transactions. - Evaluate new customer agreements, financing arrangements, and business initiatives for accounting implications. #### **Own Revenue and Contract Accounting** - Lead revenue recognition and contract accounting for enterprise customer arrangements that may include hardware, subscription software, implementation, support, services, and other performance obligations. - Establish scalable processes for deferred revenue, customer deposits, unbilled receivables, contract assets, contract liabilities, and other related balances. - Partner with Sales, Customer Success, Legal, and Operations to ensure customer contracts are structured, documented, billed, and accounted for appropriately. #### **Own Inventory and Hardware Accounting** - Establish accurate and scalable accounting processes for inventory, standard costs, cost of goods sold, reserves, purchase commitments, contract manufacturing, logistics, and deployed assets. - Ensure reliable reconciliation of inventory and hardware activity across Simbe, manufacturing partners, logistics providers, and customer deployment locations. - Develop appropriate policies for capitalization, depreciation, impairment, excess and obsolete inventory, warranty reserves, and related hardware costs. #### **Lead Audit Readiness and External Reporting** - Serve as the primary point of contact for Simbe’s external auditors. - Own the audit plan, PBC process, financial statements, technical accounting documentation, supporting workpapers, and resolution of audit questions. - Build a year-round audit-ready environment rather than relying on an annual cleanup process. - Support financial diligence for future financings, strategic transactions, and other corporate initiatives. #### **Build Internal Controls** - Design and implement practical internal controls appropriate for Simbe’s size, complexity, and stage of growth. - Establish clear approval processes, segregation of duties, documentation standards, and controls across purchasing, payments, payroll, revenue, inventory, treasury, and financial reporting. - Continuously improve controls as the company scales. #### **Oversee Accounts Receivable and Collections** - Own the accounting processes supporting invoicing, cash application, accounts receivable, collections, and customer account reconciliation. - Partner with the finance data analyst and commercial teams to ensure billing and collections keep pace with enterprise deployment volume. - Establish clear reporting and escalation processes for overdue balances, billing issues, customer disputes, and cash collection performance. #### **Manage Tax and Outside Accounting Relationships** - Own relationships with external tax, audit, valuation, and accounting service providers. - Coordinate federal, state, local, sales and use, property, and international tax compliance. - Evaluate which activities should remain outsourced and which capabilities should be brought in-house as the company grows. - Manage provider transitions where needed. #### **Own Lender Reporting and Covenant Compliance** - Own reporting, compliance certificates, covenant calculations, and supporting schedules for Simbe’s debt facilities. - Maintain accurate and timely reporting to lenders and proactively identify potential compliance or liquidity issues. - Partner with the CFO on treasury, cash management, and financing-related reporting. #### **Partner with FP&A** - Partner closely with the Finance Director on budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, and management reporting. - Ensure actual results, accounting classifications, and underlying financial data are accurate, timely, and decision-ready. - Support variance analysis and provide clear explanations of accounting and operational drivers. #### **Build the Accounting Organization** - Develop the appropriate operating model for Simbe’s accounting function across internal employees, contractors, and outside providers. - Hire, manage, and develop additional accounting talent as the company scales. - Create clear responsibilities, career paths, performance expectations, and operating procedures for the team. #### **Lead Financial Systems Evolution** - Improve the effectiveness and integration of Simbe’s current financial systems and processes. - Assess and lead the company’s eventual transition from QuickBooks Online to a more scalable ERP and close-management environment as transaction volume, inventory complexity, entities, and reporting requirements increase. - Identify opportunities to use automation and AI to improve close management, reconciliations, reporting, audit preparation, and accounting operations. #### **Support Executive, Board, and Investor Reporting** ## **Own the Monthly Close and Financial Reporting** - Take ownership of the monthly, quarterly, and annual close, initially working hands-on within today’s process and evolving it toward a reliable 5–7 business-day close. - Ensure timely and accurate financial statements, account reconciliations, journal entries, accruals, consolidations, and supporting schedules. - Develop clear close calendars, ownership matrices, review procedures, and documentation. ## **Lead Accounting Policy and Technical Accounting** - Serve as Simbe’s primary internal authority on GAAP accounting and financial reporting. - Establish and document accounting policies across revenue recognition, inventory, cost of goods sold, leases, debt, warrants, stock-based compensation, fixed assets, internally developed software, and other complex transactions. - Evaluate new customer agreements, financing arrangements, and business initiatives for accounting implications. ## **Own Revenue and Contract Accounting** - Lead revenue recognition and contract accounting for enterprise customer arrangements that may include hardware, subscription software, implementation, support, services, and other performance obligations. - Establish scalable processes for deferred revenue, customer deposits, unbilled receivables, contract assets, contract liabilities, and other related balances. - Partner with Sales, Customer Success, Legal, and Operations to ensure customer contracts are structured, documented, billed, and accounted for appropriately. ## **Own Inventory and Hardware Accounting** - Establish accurate and scalable accounting processes for inventory, standard costs, cost of goods sold, reserves, purchase commitments, contract manufacturing, logistics, and deployed assets. - Ensure reliable reconciliation of inventory and hardware activity across Simbe, manufacturing partners, logistics providers, and customer deployment locations. - Develop appropriate policies for capitalization, depreciation, impairment, excess and obsolete inventory, warranty reserves, and related hardware costs. ## **Lead Audit Readiness and External Reporting** - Serve as the primary point of contact for Simbe’s external auditors. - Own the audit plan, PBC process, financial statements, technical accounting documentation, supporting workpapers, and resolution of audit questions. - Build a year-round audit-ready environment rather than relying on an annual cleanup process. - Support financial diligence for future financings, strategic transactions, and other corporate initiatives. ## **Build Internal Controls** - Design and implement practical internal controls appropriate for Simbe’s size, complexity, and stage of growth. - Establish clear approval processes, segregation of duties, documentation standards, and controls across purchasing, payments, payroll, revenue, inventory, treasury, and financial reporting. - Continuously improve controls as the company scales. ## **Oversee Accounts Receivable and Collections** - Own the accounting processes supporting invoicing, cash application, accounts receivable, collections, and customer account reconciliation. - Partner with the finance data analyst and commercial teams to ensure billing and collections keep pace with enterprise deployment volume. - Establish clear reporting and escalation processes for overdue balances, billing issues, customer disputes, and cash collection performance. ## **Manage Tax and Outside Accounting Relationships** - Own relationships with external tax, audit, valuation, and accounting service providers. - Coordinate federal, state, local, sales and use, property, and international tax compliance. - Evaluate which activities should remain outsourced and which capabilities should be brought in-house as the company grows. - Manage provider transitions where needed. ## **Own Lender Reporting and Covenant Compliance** - Own reporting, compliance certificates, covenant calculations, and supporting schedules for Simbe’s debt facilities. - Maintain accurate and timely reporting to lenders and proactively identify potential compliance or liquidity issues. - Partner with the CFO on treasury, cash management, and financing-related reporting. ## **Partner with FP&A** - Partner closely with the Finance Director on budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, and management reporting. - Ensure actual results, accounting classifications, and underlying financial data are accurate, timely, and decision-ready. - Support variance analysis and provide clear explanations of accounting and operational drivers. ## **Build the Accounting Organization** - Develop the appropriate operating model for Simbe’s accounting function across internal employees, contractors, and outside providers. - Hire, manage, and develop additional accounting talent as the company scales. - Create clear responsibilities, career paths, performance expectations, and operating procedures for the team. ## **Lead Financial Systems Evolution** - Improve the effectiveness and integration of Simbe’s current financial systems and processes. - Assess and lead the company’s eventual transition from QuickBooks Online to a more scalable ERP and close-management environment as transaction volume, inventory complexity, entities, and reporting requirements increase. - Identify opportunities to use automation and AI to improve close management, reconciliations, reporting, audit preparation, and accounting operations. ## **Support Executive, Board, and Investor Reporting** - Ensure financial reporting is accurate, consistent, explainable, and ready for review by the CFO, executive team, Board, lenders, and investors. - Communicate accounting matters clearly and directly, including complex judgments, risks, and recommended actions. ### Required Qualifications - 8–12+ years of progressive accounting experience, including meaningful leadership responsibility as a Controller, Assistant Controller, Director of Accounting, or similar role. - Experience owning or substantially leading the accounting function at a smaller, high-growth, or earlier-stage company. - Experience within a mature, at-scale accounting organization and a clear understanding of what strong accounting processes, controls, and reporting look like. - Strong working knowledge of U.S. GAAP and the ability to independently make and document accounting judgments. - Experience with hardware, SaaS, subscription, hardware-as-a-service, or other business models combining physical products and recurring revenue. - Meaningful experience with revenue recognition under ASC 606, including multi-element or enterprise customer contracts. - Experience with inventory, cost accounting, contract manufacturing, fixed assets, or other hardware-related accounting. - Experience leading external audits and maintaining an audit-ready accounting environment. - Demonstrated ability to build accounting processes, systems, controls, and teams from the ground up. - Strong systems fluency, including experience with QuickBooks Online or a comparable general ledger, an FP&A platform such as Planful, accounts payable systems such as , tax platforms such as Avalara, and payroll or PEO systems. - Experience evaluating, implementing, or operating within a scalable ERP environment. - Strong, direct communicator who can work effectively across Finance, Operations, Sales, Customer Success, Legal, and executive leadership. - Comfort presenting financial and accounting matters to the CFO and, over time, the Board. - Venture-backed, private equity-backed, or other high-growth company experience. - Multi-entity and international accounting. - Demonstrated use of applying AI tooling to close, reconciliation, and reporting workflows. ### Preferred Qualifications - Active CPA license. - Big Four or other public accounting experience. - Experience with robotics, connected devices, industrial technology, manufacturing, or enterprise technology. - Experience preparing a company for a significant financing, strategic transaction, or public-company readiness. - Experience implementing NetSuite or a comparable ERP. - Experience with debt, warrant, equity, and stock-based compensation accounting.