Explore 280 open controller jobs at fast-growing tech, startup, and AI companies hiring right now. Own the books, controls, and reporting for the whole company.
Open Positions280 Controller jobs
No roles match “”. .
See all 280 Controller jobs
Create a free account to browse every open Controller role — with better search, filters, and job previews built for finding your next role.
The finance career ladder
Most finance careers start as an analyst building models and pulling the numbers, then grow into a senior or FP&A role that owns forecasting and the story behind the plan. Finance Manager is where you run a real area of the finances end to end.
Above that the path splits by what you like doing. The accounting track goes deep on the books and controls, from Accounting Manager to Controller, owning that everything ties out and closes clean. The strategic track goes broad, from Director to VP of Finance to CFO, owning planning, fundraising, and the runway. Both are real ways up, and the CFO role usually draws from the strategic side.
The pivot point: Finance Manager
This is where the two tracks separate. If you like owning the books and being the source of truth, the accounting and controller path keeps you close to that. If you would rather shape the plan and sit near the fundraising, the strategic Director and VP path fits. The CFO seat usually comes from the strategic side.
What changes as you climb
- FP&A and strategic finance are the fastest paths toward the top finance seat at a startup.
- Accounting and controllership pay well and stay hands-on for people who like the books over the boardroom.
- Tax, treasury, revenue, and investor relations are real specialties that branch off the main ladder.
- The senior leadership roles are few, so a lot of the growth is in the breadth and dollars you own.
Where everyone starts
Illustrative titles and pay. Real ladders vary by company. Counts are live open roles matching each level.
IC vs. Management, side by side
| Individual Contributor | Management | |
|---|---|---|
| Core work | The books, controls, and a clean close | Planning, fundraising, and the runway |
| Judged on | Accuracy and audit-readiness | The quality of the plan and the calls behind it |
| A normal day | Reconciliations, close, and reporting | Models, board decks, and cross-team planning |
| Scope grows by | The complexity of what you account for | The size of the business you plan for |
Kinds of finance
Finance is a wide field. Most people specialize in one area over time, and the day-to-day work looks different in each. Here are the main tracks and what they cover.
Finance jobs: common questions
What does a finance professional do?
It depends on the seat. An FP&A or strategic-finance person builds the models, forecasts, and the plan behind the numbers. An accountant or controller owns the books and makes sure everything closes clean and ties out. At the top, a CFO owns planning, fundraising, and the runway. The field splits into strategic finance, accounting, and treasury or revenue, each with different day-to-day work.
How do I get into finance?
Many people start as a financial analyst out of a business or economics background, or come in from banking, consulting, or public accounting. Accounting roles often want a CPA or an accounting degree; strategic finance and FP&A care more about modeling and judgment. What teams look for is comfort with the numbers and the ability to turn them into a decision.
What is the finance career path?
It usually goes analyst, then senior or FP&A, then Finance Manager. From there it splits. The accounting track goes deep on the books, from Accounting Manager to Controller. The strategic track goes broad, from Director to VP of Finance to CFO, owning planning and fundraising. The CFO seat usually draws from the strategic side, though a strong controller background helps.
Which skills and tools should I learn?
Financial modeling, forecasting, and variance analysis are the core, and Excel plus increasingly SQL are the daily tools. Accounting roles lean on GAAP and a clean month-end close, run through an ERP like NetSuite. FP&A leans on planning tools like Anaplan or Adaptive and BI like Looker. A real grip on unit economics separates the strong operators from the report-runners.
Do you need a degree for finance?
Often, more than in some other fields. Accounting and controllership frequently want an accounting degree and a CPA. Strategic finance and FP&A are more open to a strong analyst from any quantitative background, though a finance or economics degree is common. The higher-stakes and regulated the numbers, the more the credentials matter.
How much do finance roles make?
Pay ranges by track and level. In the US, a mid-level analyst commonly lands in the range shown on this page, controllers and finance directors go higher, and VP and CFO roles include equity at startups. The salary bands above are illustrative; the roles listed here are real open postings.
Explore other roles
Browse open roles in other functions across tech, startup, and AI companies.
The people who design, build, and run the software.
Find the buyers, run the deals, and grow revenue.
Turn raw data into models, metrics, and decisions.
Keep the company running and the trains on time.
Decide what to build and why, then get it shipped.
Get the right people to hear about the product.
Finance jobs by location
View all locations →See where finance roles are concentrated, by state and city.
San Francisco, Los Angeles, Costa Mesa hiring.
New York, New York City, Brooklyn hiring.
London, Bristol, Manchester hiring.