Controller, Finance & Banking, Financial Manager

Overview

At 1st Avenue Power, we are on a mission to deliver simple, fast-to-deploy, customer-centric and intelligent power systems leveraging solar energy to provide inexpensive and reliable clean energy worldwide. We aim to empower communities, businesses, and nations with sustainable and equitable energy solutions.

Join a groundbreaking team at the forefront of the clean energy transition. The Controller will be the foundational leader of our accounting and financial operations. Reporting directly to the CEO/CFO, this role will be responsible for building our accounting infrastructure from the ground up, with an immediate focus on GAAP-compliant financial statements and scalable financial systems.

About the Role: The ideal candidate is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with public accounting experience (ideally Big
4) and a track record of managing the financial complexities of a high-growth startup. This is a hands-on role for a leader who will execute daily accounting functions while driving strategic change, managing key external relationships, and building a high-performing, geographically distributed team.

• Foundational Accounting & Reporting
• Establish GAAP reporting framework and processes to produce 1AP’s first official U.S. GAAP financial statements, including footnotes and disclosures.
• Monthly close management: lead end-to-end monthly and year-end close processes with timely, accurate results.
• General Ledger & compliance: oversee all GL activity, reconciliations, journal entries, GAAP adherence, and tax compliance.
• Audit readiness: prepare schedules and serve as main point of contact for external auditors.
• Payments & expense management: streamline corporate expenses, accounts payable, vendor payments, corporate cards, and employee expense reporting.

• Strategic Systems & Operations
• Financial systems implementation: design, select, and implement scalable ERP, GL, and integrated tools.
• Internal controls: establish policies and procedures to safeguard assets and ensure data integrity.
• Process optimization: drive automation to accelerate close cycles as the company scales.

• Leadership & Relationship Management
• Team building: recruit and manage a high-caliber, distributed accounting team with clear performance metrics.
• Bank relations: manage relationships with banks and financial institutions, cash flow, treasury, and debt covenant compliance.
• Affiliate collaboration: serve as finance liaison for the parent family office and affiliates, ensuring alignment of policies across entities.
• Other duties as assigned

• Education & Certification:
  Active CPA license required;
  Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• Experience:
  
  7+ years of progressive accounting and finance experience; 3+ years as a Controller or equivalent in a renewable energy or high-growth startup environment.
• Technical Expertise:
  Deep GAAP knowledge and experience applying GAAP to complex business issues; proven experience designing and implementing financial systems.

• Public accounting background with Big 4 or large national firm experience (audit preferred).
• Renewable energy industry experience preferred.
• Startup/high-growth environment experience; experience leading distributed accounting teams.
• Salary and benefits considerations: competitive compensation; health insurance; retirement plan with employer match.

• Compensation: $180,000 - $250,000 USD
• Health Insurance: 100% employee premium coverage under a Gold-level PPO; dental & vision plan coverage.
• Retirement: 401(k) plan with 6% employer match.

1AI Energy and 1st Avenue Power are committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under applicable law. If you need assistance completing an application, please contact our personnel representative.