What are the responsibilities and job description for the Controller position at GeneFab?
LOCATION: Onsite in Alameda, CA (with regular coordination with Taipei, Taiwan HQ)
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Own all aspects of the accounting function for GeneFab across U.S. and Taiwan entities, including general ledger, month-end and quarter-end close, consolidations, technical accounting, and the production of GAAP-compliant financial statements.
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Serve as a hands-on, working leader who personally executes core accounting tasks while orchestrating a small internal team and a network of external consultants, fractional specialists, audit firms, tax advisors, and outsourced service providers to deliver the full controllership function.
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Take direct, day-to-day ownership of accounts payable and cash management, including vendor onboarding, invoice review and approval workflows, direct vendor communication on payment terms and timing, weekly payment runs, cash positioning, short-term cash forecasting, bank reconciliations, and intercompany funding between the U.S. and Taiwan entities.
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Lead the monthly close calendar end-to-end, including journal entries, accruals, prepaid amortization, fixed asset and CapEx accounting, lease accounting (ASC 842), revenue recognition (ASC 606) for service-based and milestone-driven CRDMO contracts, and stock-based compensation (ASC 718).
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Establish, document, and continuously improve a scalable system of internal controls appropriate for a pre-IPO biopharmaceutical organization, with particular emphasis on segregation of duties, expenditure controls, and SOX-readiness across a lean internal team.
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Manage the annual external audit and quarterly review processes as the primary point of contact, preparing PBC schedules, technical accounting memos, and supporting documentation, and resolving auditor inquiries with minimal disruption to operations.
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Oversee tax compliance in partnership with external tax advisors, including federal, state, and local income tax, sales and use tax, R&D tax credits, transfer pricing between U.S. and Taiwan entities, and indirect tax matters relevant to a global CRDMO.
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Direct payroll operations and equity administration in coordination with HR and external providers, ensuring accurate recording, reconciliation, and tax treatment of compensation, benefits, and equity awards; manage banking relationships, treasury operations, debt and lease compliance, and the company’s insurance program in coordination with external brokers and counsel.
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Partner with FP&A and operations leadership to translate the general ledger and cost accounting structure into actionable insight on program-level profitability, labor utilization, and cGMP suite economics, ensuring that financial reporting ties cleanly to operational and cost-of-goods reporting.
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Serve as the accounting lead for ERP implementation, optimization, and integration with AP automation, expense management, billing, and treasury platforms; maintain accounting policies, the chart of accounts, and the controllership policy manual; and support IPO readiness in close partnership with the CFO and external advisors, including remediation of historical accounting matters, preparation of carve-out and pro-forma financials, and stand-up of public-company-grade close, reporting, and SOX processes.
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High level of personal ownership, organizational discipline, and attention to detail, with the operating temperament required to thrive in a fast-paced, resource-constrained CRDMO environment supported primarily by external partners; familiarity with operating across the 16-hour U.S./Taiwan time difference is a plus.
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Polished interpersonal skills and savvy needed to manage financial discussions and negotiations with external teams, vendors, and clients.
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BS/MS in Accounting or Finance with 12 years of progressive accounting experience, including 5 years in a Controller, Assistant Controller, or equivalent leadership role within a biopharmaceutical, CDMO, CRDMO, or cell and gene therapy environment.
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Active CPA license required; Big Four or national firm audit background strongly preferred.
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Demonstrated experience as a hands-on, working Controller in a lean organization—comfortable personally executing journal entries, reconciliations, AP runs, and cash forecasts while simultaneously directing external consultants and service providers.
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Deep, current expertise in U.S. GAAP, including ASC 606 (revenue from service and milestone contracts), ASC 842 (leases), ASC 718 (stock-based compensation), and ASC 730 (R&D), with working knowledge of IFRS and U.S. GAAP reconciliation in a U.S./Taiwan dual-entity structure.
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Proven track record managing accounts payable end-to-end and operating a disciplined cash management program, including weekly cash forecasting, intercompany funding, and vendor risk management in a capital-intensive environment.
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Experience leading external audits and quarterly reviews as the primary client-side owner, including drafting technical accounting memos and managing complex auditor requests with limited internal staff.
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Strong working knowledge of cost accounting, inventory, and CapEx accounting in a cGMP manufacturing or technical development setting; experience with program-level or job-cost accounting for biopharma services is highly preferred.
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Pre-IPO and IPO-readiness experience, including SOX scoping and remediation, S-1 financial statement preparation, and stand-up of public-company close and reporting processes, is strongly preferred; experience managing tax compliance and transfer pricing in coordination with external advisors across U.S. and international jurisdictions is a plus.
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Hands-on experience implementing or optimizing modern ERP systems (e.g., NetSuite, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics) and integrating AP automation (e.g., Bill, Tipalti, Ramp), expense management, and treasury tools; advanced Excel skills required.
About GeneFab
GeneFab is a contract manufacturing and synthetic biology biofoundry focused on cell and gene therapies. GeneFab was formed in 2023 with a vision to combine industry leading expertise in synthetic biology with advanced cGMP capabilities in order to accelerate the development and commercialization of genetic medicines. GeneFab offers its customers an extensive technology platform and know-how that spans early stage product design, technical development, and cGMP compliant production. GeneFab's technology platform includes bioinformatic-guided discovery of cell type promoters, directed evolution of small molecule-regulated gene switches, and the engineering of highly sensitive kill switches for enhanced safety and control of cellular therapies.
We are committed to an inclusive and diverse GeneFab. We believe that different perspectives lead to better ideas, and better ideas allow us to better understand the needs and interests of our diverse GeneFab team. We welcome people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives and are an equal opportunity employer.
Salary : $210,000 - $260,500