Assistant Controller

At PicnicHealth, we're building the future of non-interventional clinical research, powered by AI and centered on patients. Our mission is to make it radically easier, faster, and more affordable to perform clinical trials and get better treatments to patients. We're replacing the legacy, services-heavy model with a modern, AI-first approach that unlocks insights from rich, multi-modal data—from clinical notes and imaging to lab results—at scale.  By engaging patients directly through our personal health assistant, PicnicAI, which meets them where they’re at and delights them along the way (with an industry leading NPS of 76), patients participate actively in the research they care about.

PicnicHealth is already a trusted partner to 7 of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies. Our work spans 40+ disease areas and has supported over 60 peer-reviewed publications, including an FDA submission that incorporates PicnicHealth data.

Founded in 2014, we’ve raised $100M+ from top investors like Amplify Partners, Felicis Ventures, B Capital Group, and Y Combinator. Our business running non-interventional studies more than doubled last year, and we’re growing even faster in 2025. We’re a team of doctors, patients, data nerds, engineers, and builders, reimagining how clinical research works — and we’re just getting started!

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced Assistant Controller to lead the accounting operations at PicnicHealth. Reporting directly to the CFO, you will be a key leader in scaling our accounting function during a pivotal phase of growth. We are looking for a hands-on, strategic operator who will not only manage the day-to-day but also build the systems, processes, and controls necessary for our future. As our Assistant Controller, you are ultimately responsible for transforming our accounting function from reactive to proactive, creating and transforming the systems and insights that help us make faster, smarter business decisions.

The final level and title will be based on the candidate's experience and leadership capabilities.

What You'll Own and Drive:

• Accounting Operations: Own the entire accounting function, including AR/AP, payroll, general ledger management, treasury, and tax. Ensure the timely and accurate close of our books and deliver financial statements that the leadership team can trust implicitly.
• Internal Controls & Audit Excellence: Design, implement, and maintain a robust internal control environment to mitigate financial risks. Serve as the primary point of contact for external auditors, leading a seamless and efficient annual audit process.
• Strategic Revenue Recognition: Master our revenue streams and own the end-to-end ASC 606 compliance process for our contracts. Partner with Sales and Legal to provide guidance on contract structure.
• Process Scalability & Automation: Move beyond the status quo. Proactively identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies, leveraging technology and AI tools to automate manual workflows, improve data accuracy, and prepare the company's financial infrastructure for its next stage of growth.
• Cross-Functional Business Partnership: Serve as a key partner to the business. Collaborate with FP&A on cash flow forecasting. Work closely with Sales and RevOps on deal desk support, commission structures, and billing.
• Leadership & Team Development: Lead, mentor, and develop our dedicated accounting team. Foster a culture of accuracy, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Who You Are

• A True Owner and Builder: You possess a deep sense of accountability and an operator's mindset. When you see a problem, you own it from diagnosis through resolution. You don't just identify issues; you build solutions.
• Meticulous and Detail-Oriented: You believe that accuracy is non-negotiable. You have a proven ability to deliver financials and reports that are reliable, well-documented, and stand up to scrutiny.
• Proactive and Forward-Looking: You don’t just close the books; you look around corners, anticipate future challenges, and build processes to mitigate them before they become problems. You have a vision for leveraging AI and modern tools to enhance financial controls, create efficiencies, and anticipate future business needs
• A Strong Business Partner: You understand the "why" behind the numbers. You can translate complex accounting concepts into practical business insights and build trusted relationships with cross-functional leaders.
• An Independent Leader: You thrive in a fast-paced environment and can operate with a high degree of autonomy, capable of leading your function while keeping a CFO informed on what matters most.

You are a great fit if you have:

• 10+ years of progressive accounting experience, with a required mix of public accounting (Big 4 preferred) and private industry experience.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Accounting or Finance; active CPA license is a firm requirement.
• Deep technical expertise in U.S. GAAP and ASC 606, particularly as it applies to SaaS and technology companies.
• Hands-on experience with ERP systems (NetSuite strongly preferred) and leading external audit processes.
• Proven experience scaling accounting processes and systems in a high-growth startup environment.
• Experience working directly with C-level executives and presenting financial information.
• Familiarity with sales compensation plan structures and equity administration (e.g., Carta) is a plus.
• Experience with multi-entity business structures

We expect all team members to be amazing in their roles and, ultimately, to move the PicnicHealth mission forward.

What is clinical research and why will PicnicHealth win?

Clinical research is the industry responsible for conducting studies to evaluate the effectiveness of drugs and treatments. Better trials lead to faster, more cost-effective drug development, ultimately resulting in more and improved treatments for patients. However, the process remains highly inefficient. Trials are a major bottleneck in drug development, and the promising advancements in biotech cannot translate to real patient impact unless clinical research becomes faster and more efficient

The industry runs on outdated technology and manual processes. Research sites (hospitals, academic centers, doctors' offices) are overburdened and under-resourced. Contract research organizations (CROs), the organizations that traditionally run clinical trials for life sciences companies, typically throw hundreds-of-thousands of man-hours wrangling sites and cobbling together vendor software. 

PicnicHealth has built technology that uniquely positions us to run faster, cheaper, and more flexible studies while removing burden from sites:

• • PicnicAI (trained on 350M+ clinician annotations over 100k+ patient records) is the only system that can effectively access and structure all participant EMR data trials need
  • Our AI health assistant (NPS of 76 in 2024) guides participants through study activities and enables most to be done at home
  • We're an integrated solution — virtual site, CRO, and software platform — with AI built in from the ground up, initially focusing on non-interventional research. 

Perks & Benefits @PicnicHealth   

At PicnicHealth you get to solve real problems with real solutions, great tech, and great people. We look to attract and retain exceptional performers through a mission that matters, a culture that allows team members to do their best work and be their real selves, and through competitive compensation and benefits packages aligned to the market and our Core Values.

We’re a remote first company, with teammates spread across the US. We support in-person gatherings, including co-working spaces and multi-day onsites,  to build connections and move forward strategic initiatives. Expect to travel 2-4 times a year.  For our team members in the Bay Area, who prefer to work in person we can offer a hybrid set up to work from the SF office on a flexible schedule.

Target Base Salary Range: $140K-200K

The base salary PicnicHealth offers may vary depending upon the scope, complexity, and autonomy of the position and on the candidate’s job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total package will include equity, in addition to a full range of medical and/or other benefits, depending on the position offered. Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation or benefit plans. The total package will include equity, in addition to a full range of medical and/or other benefits, depending on the position offered. Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation or benefit plans. 

You also get:

• Comprehensive benefits including above market Health, Dental, Vision
• Family friendly environment 
• Flexible time off
• 401k plan
• Free PicnicHealth account
• Equipment and internet funds for home office set up 
• Wellness Stipend

Equal Opportunity Statement

PicnicHealth is committed to promoting an inclusive work environment free of discrimination and harassment. We value a diverse and balanced team where everyone can belong.