Controller

About Build AI

Build AI is the data hyperscaler for Physical AI. We're vertically integrated across hardware, manufacturing, logistics, collection, and model training to scale the physical labor dataset orders of magnitude faster than anyone in the world.

Job Summary

We're hiring a Controller to build and own the accounting infrastructure behind Build's global operations. The role reports to the Chief Operating Officer.

This is not a conventional startup accounting role, and it is not a reporting seat. Build designs and manufactures its own hardware in Shenzhen, collects data inside working factories across a growing number of countries, and operates high-volume payments across a distributed global data-collection network. There are foreign entities, foreign bank accounts, inventory, intercompany transactions, and a finance function that has to be built from scratch, at speed, underneath all of it.

You will own the accounting function end to end - close, consolidation, international entities, manufacturing and inventory accounting, treasury, tax and audit coordination, controls, and systems. You will be hands-on from day one, you will do most of the work yourself before you hire anyone - leveraging AI seamlessly and exhaustively - and you will build the infrastructure while the company grows from a founding team to hundreds across multiple continents.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the monthly and annual close and produce accurate, timely consolidated financial statements across Build's US, China, and India entities

• Own global accounting operations: entity-level books, intercompany transactions and reconciliations, foreign currency accounting, consolidation, and coordination with local accountants and statutory requirements in each country

• Build the accounting infrastructure for a hardware and manufacturing business - inventory, WIP, standard and actual costing, COGS, fixed assets, capitalization, depreciation, purchasing, and a deployed device fleet that is capital equipment rather than product we ship

• Own payment operations across a distributed global collection network - contractor, vendor and partner payments across countries, including the tax, withholding and control architecture that needs to work at ten thousand payees as well as at ten

• Own treasury across US and foreign bank accounts - cash controls, payments, FX, entity funding, banking relationships, KYC, and cross-border movement in jurisdictions where money does not move freely

• Own revenue and receivables: recognition against delivered hours, the discipline between contracted value, backlog, delivered revenue and run rate, deferred revenue, and collections on 60-day terms while our own collection costs are paid in 15

• Own core accounting operations - GL, AP, AR, payroll accounting, reconciliations, accounting policies - and establish the chart of accounts, close calendar, controls, and approval architecture needed to support rapid growth without creating bureaucracy nobody asked for

• Select and implement Build's accounting and ERP architecture, and automate the workflows that would otherwise become headcount

• Own audit readiness before anyone asks for it, and coordinate external auditors, tax advisors, and local accounting providers

• Partner with tax advisors on US and international tax compliance, transfer pricing, indirect taxes, and cross-border entity structure, and own Delaware public benefit corporation reporting obligations

• Support financing and investor diligence with accurate, decision-ready financial reporting and the underlying schedules - including borrowing base and covenant reporting as debt facilities come into place

• Be the person who unblocks - a new entity, a new bank account, a vendor that needs to be paid in a currency we have never paid in - measured in days, not quarters

• Build and lead the accounting team as the company scales, hiring behind you and staying in the ledger longer than is comfortable

You may be a good fit if you have (Must-have qualifications)

• 8+ years of progressive accounting experience, including owning or playing a senior role in the accounting function at a rapidly growing company

• Deep knowledge of US GAAP and experience owning close, consolidation, financial reporting, and accounting operations

• Significant experience with international and multi-entity accounting: foreign subsidiaries, intercompany transactions, consolidation, and foreign currencies

• Hands-on cost accounting experience for inventory and manufacturing - you have costed a physical unit, not only deferred a subscription

• Experience managing foreign bank accounts, cross-border cash movement, and funding international operations

• Comfortable being the entire department before you are the head of one

• Willing to be in San Francisco in person, and to get on a plane to Shenzhen or India when the answer is on the floor

Strong candidates may also have experience with (Nice-to-have qualifications)

• Experience in hardware, robotics, automotive, or another complex physical-goods business

• Accounting operations in China - PRC entities, banking, FX controls, local statutory accounting, and cross-border transactions

• Accounting operations in India - GST, TDS, FEMA, statutory payroll, and payouts at volume

• Designing high-volume payment operations across countries, including contractor, vendor, partner, tax and withholding considerations

• Customs, duties, and import/export for a company that moves its own hardware between countries

• Transfer pricing, international tax, and global treasury operations

• Big Four public accounting experience

• Scaling an accounting organization through rapid revenue, geographic, and operational growth

Benefits

• Competitive pay

• Medical, dental, and vision packages with generous premium coverage

• $500 per month credit for waiving medical benefits

• Housing subsidy of $2k per month for those living within walking distance of the office

• Relocation support for those moving to San Francisco (Financial District) or Shenzhen (Nanshan)

• Various wellness benefits covering fitness, mental health, and more

• Daily lunch and dinner in our office

• Unlimited compute budget subject to ROI justification

• Unlimited Codex and Claude credits

• Travel

How we're different

Build believes in the Bitter Lesson. By taking a general approach of learning from humans, our addressable market is all physical labor.

We are a fully in-person team in San Francisco (Financial District) and Shenzhen (Nanshan), and greatly value engineering skills. We do not have boundaries between engineering and research, and we expect all of our technical staff to contribute to both and work across disciplines as needed.

Build AI is an equal opportunity employer. We review every application. If you do not meet every bullet, still apply. Questions: [email protected]