Chief Accounting Officer

Biotechnology is rewriting life as we know it, from the medicines we take, to the crops we grow, the materials we wear, and the household goods that we rely on every day. But moving at the new speed of science requires better technology.

Benchling’s mission is to unlock the power of biotechnology. The world’s most innovative biotech companies use Benchling’s R&D Cloud to power the development of breakthrough products and accelerate time to milestone and market. 

Come help us bring modern software to modern science.

ROLE OVERVIEW

Benchling is looking for a business-oriented Chief Accounting Officer who will be responsible for overseeing all accounting functions, including corporate accounting, international accounting, consolidations, external reporting, technical accounting, audits, payroll, and global tax. The company is looking for a proven leader, results-oriented, with a track record of accomplishing objectives in a complex environment. Equally important is solid business judgment, high integrity, and the ability to partner with the senior management team to drive Benchling's strategic vision. The successful candidate will regularly collaborate with senior management, the business and functional group personnel worldwide, and our various professional service providers.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in a fast-growth corporate environment, have built organizations to scale for efficiency and rapid growth, and have a history of experience that includes public company environments and public accounting. Prior experience with Subscription businesses/SaaS is strongly preferred.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Direct and lead accounting teams in the oversight of company- wide accounting policies and controls consistent with SEC, US GAAP, and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance
• Plan and direct all accounting activities across the organization, to ensure compliance with GAAP, SEC regulations, SOX, statutory guidelines, and internal financial policies and procedures
• Coordinate the preparation of the company’s financial statements
• Drive external reporting, including presentations and direct communication with the external auditors, the  Audit Committee and the Board
• Provide leadership required to strengthen and grow the Accounting team, with a commitment to recruiting, training, and mentoring
• Provide guidance and training of any relevant new accounting guidance including SEC regulations to the accounting team and the broader organization
• Partner with the FP&A organization to ensure the accuracy of the financial statements through a monthly executive review of revenue, expenses, assets, and liabilities
• Build the technical infrastructure and control environment to support the company's global growth and readiness for public life
• Leverage technology to build scalable/sustainable processes to create efficiencies, streamline accounting operations, and improve the employee experience
• Establish strong relationships with inter-departmental peers and be the go-to accounting source in the Company
• Continually evaluate and optimize month-end close processes, striving to deliver process automation, improved accuracy, and higher customer service
• Develop/enhance, implement and enforce accounting policies and procedures that will improve the overall operation and reduce risks of the business
• Manage insourced and outsourced international accountants for general accounting, payroll, tax, statutory accounts, and compliance
• Manage the annual consolidated external audit working with independent auditors

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, or Business; MBA or Masters in Accounting preferred
• Active Certified Public Accountant (CPA) License highly preferred
• Experience with a Big 4 or other national accounting firm preferred
• Minimum 10 years accounting and finance experience, with a minimum of 8 years in a financial senior leadership position in a public technology company
• Experience managing international accounting functions at both a corporate and a business unit-level for a global publicly-traded company, including consolidating US and non-US financial statements rolling up to the corporate level
• Experience presenting to Board of Directors, Audit Committees and other internal and external decision-makers
• Significant experience in SaaS business models
• Expert knowledge of financial activities, policies, and processes, including multi-currency consolidations, SEC reporting, and Sarbanes-Oxley
• Experience meeting SOX requirements and maintaining effective internal controls over financial reporting
• Must be a proven and effective leader that garners trust and loyalty from team mem