What is the role?

The Controller at Sidewalk Labs will be a key leader on the Finance team and will be responsible for the strategic direction and execution of our controlling, reporting, audit, and tax work. Specifically, the Controller will be critical to developing the team with the right people, processes, and technology to meet the expanding needs of the company, including meeting high standards for compliance processes and internal audit.

Our plan includes several business units that are entering rapid growth phases and will increasingly need direct accounting resources. In this role, you need to be able to grow the technical team to meet those needs and balance oversight with allowing the embeds to empower the teams to make decisions. 

The Controller role reports directly to our Chief Financial Officer, Holly Lim, and has substantial exposure to leaders across the company. We think this is an excellent opportunity for a leader who knows how to scale financial operations and wants to do interesting work in a multi-disciplinary company focused on urban innovation.

Key Workstreams (and examples)

Finance Leadership

• Together with the CFO and Director of Finance, you serve as a key member of the finance leadership team and drive cross-functional initiatives. We will need to both collaborate and divide and conquer to achieve all of our goals.
• Invest time in managing the current team members and use your leadership skills to build out the Accounting team.to support scaling the business.  

Financial Reporting

• Prepare monthly, quarterly and annual financial statements with continuous improvements in clarity and accuracy in the reporting packages quarter-over quarter. Work with the executive leadership team on a monthly basis presenting financial results, or in the preparation of the Board of Directors materials.

Audit

• Own the relationship and be the primary liaison with external auditors. 
• Drive the quarterly reviews and annual audit cadence.
• Establish an internal audit function.

Controlling

• Manage the financial close process.
• Direct all aspects of accounting operations, overseeing all transactions related to the general ledger.
• Partner with the CFO to determine accounting and tax implications for all material business decisions.
• Build out a comprehensive internal control environment.

Treasury

• Maintain banking relationships
• Hedge foreign currency exposure as appropriate

Tax

• Address global growth ambitions in a tax efficient manner.
• Assist in setting and overseeing internal transfer pricing schemes.
• Manage tax compliance, audits and disputes.
• Build out an internal tax function that supplements external resources.

What You Will Achieve

In addition to driving financial accuracy and control of our accounting function, the near-term emphasis will be on partnering with internal stakeholders to redesign the core operational accounting and business processes and achieve material improvements in scalability and productivity. 

Within 3 months, you...

1. Have fully arrived and integrated at Sidewalk, meeting the team, stakeholders, and understanding our processes and resources;
2. Have developed a view on the maturity of our processes and systems and recommended a prioritized action plan;
3. Are fully running your operational workstreams.

Within 6 months, you...

1. Delivered three or more process or system improvements based on your action plan;
2. Developed process and technology to support thoughtful corporate allocations and centralized service charges;
3. Became the trusted leader for your team, and developed a view on how to best continue to support their growth and contributions.

After 12 months, you...

1. Can point to multiple measures in which your functions have scaled with the business and still improved.