Controller

Description

The Controller at Whitepages owns the accounting and finance functions and is responsible for the month-end close, financial reporting, budgeting, tax, and the company's banking, audit, insurance, and compliance relationships. This leader oversees the work of the accounting team, ensuring accurate, timely, and well-controlled financial results. This is a hands-on role with high visibility to the executive team and the board. This individual is a proactive, self-motivated accounting and finance leader who takes pride in accuracy and attention to detail, with timely, responsible handling of company and staff proprietary confidential information.

This role offers broad ownership in a small, collaborative environment. You’ll work directly with the executive team, with regular access to the conversations behind key business decisions. Decisions get made quickly, and there’s room to improve how things are done, not just keep them running. Because the team is lean, you’ll get exposure well beyond core accounting and the chance to keep learning and expand your skills. As we use AI to take on routine tasks, you’ll help the team build new capabilities and spend more time on analysis and higher-value work, developing your own skills along the way. It’s a good fit for a Controller who wants to stay hands-on, keep growing, and have real influence on how the finance function develops. 

Month-end Close and Accounting Operations  

• Lead the month-end close process and ensure timely, accurate financial reporting
• Review and approve journal entries and reconciliations prepared by the accounting team, including bank, prepaid, fixed asset, lease, accrued expense, payroll, credit card, and expense reimbursement activity
• Review revenue, deferred revenue, in-transit receivable, and transaction fee entries prepared by the Accounting team.
• Calculate the monthly bonus accrual and record annual stock-based compensation expense
• Draft and update technical accounting memos and accounting policies, and design document and maintain internal controls, including segregation of duties and approval workflows
• Drive process improvement and automation, and document procedures so key processes do not depend on one person

Treasury and Banking

• Own the company's banking relationships, including opening and closing accounts and ensuring appropriate cash management
• Review and approve vendor payment activity
• Monitor cash and liquidity; recommend dividend distributions as warranted and oversee payment execution through the transfer agent  

Financial Reporting and Planning  

• Review monthly financial reports and variance analysis, identifying key drivers and trends
• Present the monthly financial summary to the executive team and prepare the board dashboard
• Own the annual expense budget and forecast process in partnership with department leaders
• Serve as the budget checkpoint for new contracts and spend, documenting approval, and flagging variances before commitments are made

Tax and Compliance  

• Manage the tax advisor relationship and oversee the income tax provision and return review process for federal and state filings
• Manage the CT Corp relationship for state registrations and corporate compliance
• Manage the annual R&D tax credit study 
• Oversee capitalization of software development costs under GAAP and coordinate related tax treatment with external tax advisors

Audit and Valuation

• Manage the external auditor relationship and coordinate the annual audit
• Coordinate the annual 409A valuation process 

Leadership and Partnership

• Supervise, coach, and develop the Accounting Team
• Partner with executive leadership and department leaders to turn financial results into clear insight and advise on business decisions and tradeoffs
• Build strong working relationships with Product, Engineering, Payments, and Marketing so changes like new products, pricing, and attribution are accounted for correctly and early
• Influence budget ownership and spend accountability across functional leaders as a firm but trusted advisor

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance or equivalent experience 
• 10+ years progressive accounting and finance experience, including 3+ years in a management role
• CPA preferred
• Strong knowledge of US GAAP, including ASC 606 revenue recognition, ASC 842 lease accounting, and stock based compensation accounting
• Experience owning the month-end close and producing financial statements, management reporting, and board materials
• Experience managing external audits, 409A valuations, and treasury and cash management
• Working knowledge of multi-state tax compliance, including sales tax nexus, non-income tax filings, and state registrations
• Experience with budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis
• Experience designing and maintaining internal controls, including segregation of duties
• Ability to research complex accounting issues and document conclusions
• Experience improving processes and implementing finance systems or automation
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, with advanced Excel skills
• Experience with QuickBooks or other accounting systems; experience with a subscription billing platform (such as Zuora) and tax software (such as Vertex) a plus
• Proven ability to hire, develop, and lead a small accounting team
• Experience in a small or mid-sized company, ideally a subscription or technology business with the ability to be flexible in a fast-moving environment

Whitepages is a nimble, high-impact team of less than 50 team members, operating with the autonomy and ownership of a small company while reaching millions of users. We’re remote-first with a thoughtful hybrid model that balances flexibility and connection. This role is located in Seattle and our Seattle-based employees work from home four days a week and in our centrally located downtown office on Tuesdays, along with designated in-office weeks throughout the year.

Compensation includes a competitive base salary plus participation in both quarterly and annual bonus programs tied to company performance. The base salary range for this role is $175,000–$200,000, plus bonus opportunity. Salary dependent on experience. 

Whitepages is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. We value authenticity and welcome people of all backgrounds to join us in our mission.