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Controller

Palo Alto, California, United States

Who We Are

Lightning AI is the company reimagining the way AI is built. After creating and releasing PyTorch Lightning in 2019, Lightning AI was launched to reshape the development of artificial intelligence products for commercial and academic use.

Focusing on simplicity, sustainability, modularity, and extensibility, Lightning AI streamlines the lifecycle of machine learning development to expand widespread AI adoption. Our aim is to enable individual and enterprise users to build deployment-ready AI tools without having to hire experts or sink resources into in-house infrastructure.

Lightning AI has offices in New York City, Palo Alto, and London, and is backed by $58.6 million in funding from Coatue, Index Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, and Firstminute.

Our Values

We are building a company of people who care deeply about the impact of AI on our society. We value:

  • Integrity: AI is bound to change how we interact with computers, each other, and the world—for the better. We are committed to building an inclusive company and developing ethical AI that improves humanity.
  • Perseverance: Be bold, take the initiative, and make decisions with confidence. We empower our community, clients, and colleagues to tackle the impossible.
  • Curiosity: We are genuinely interested in finding solutions to advance the state of AI research and foster its application in novel products. It's not about whether we can solve the problem, but how.

We also recognize the genuine lack of diversity in our industry, which has to change. One of our goals is to help drive that change. Lightning AI is fully committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of its practices, especially when it comes to growing our team. Our culture promotes inclusion, and we embrace how rewarding it is to work with people from all walks of life.

What we're looking for

We are looking for a controller as our first in-house financial member of the team. This candidate will have vast knowledge and experience in SaaS and GAAP accounting practices. The Financial Controller will play a key role in providing financial insights to support strategic decision-making and driving the company's financial growth. This is an exciting opportunity to get in early at a Series B company and influence the future of the finance team at Lightning AI.

You will be joining the Finance Team and report to our COO. This is a hybrid role based in either our New York City or Palo Alto office with in-office requirements of 2 days per week. The salary range for this role is $180,000-$220,000. 

What you’ll do

  • Oversee all financial operations including accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting for Lightning AI
  • Coordinate and direct the preparation of the budget and financial forecasts and report variances
  • Prepare and publish timely monthly financial statements including balance sheets, income statements and cash flow statements
  • Conduct financial analysis to pinpoint trends, variances, and opportunities for improvement and cost cutting, pertaining to cloud costs specifically
  • Monitor cash flow, liquidity, and financial performance to support effective cash management and decision-making in respects to company runway
  • Manage and comply with local, state, and federal government reporting requirements and tax filings; ensure accuracy and compliance with regulatory standards
  • Support the executive team with key financial information and operational analytics, and drive a culture of accountability in managing the business
  • Develop and document business processes and accounting policies to maintain and strengthen internal controls
  • Leverage previous experience at a professional accounting firm and as a controller at a venture backed SaaS company

 

 

 

 

Benefits and Perks

We offer competitive base salaries and stock options with a 25% one year cliff and monthly vesting thereafter. For our international employees, we work with Velocity Global to pay you in your local currency and provide equitable benefits across the globe.

In the US, we offer:

  • 90% monthly premium contributions towards medical and 100% monthly premium contributions towards select dental and vision plans for you and your dependents
  • Life and AD&D insurance 
  • Flexible paid time off plus 1 week of winter closure
  • Generous paid family leave benefits
  • $500 monthly meal reimbursement, including groceries & food delivery services
  • $1,000 home office stipend
  • $1,000 annual learning & development stipend 
  • 100% Citibike membership (NYC only)
  • $45/month gym membership 
  • Additional various medical and mental health services

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