Senior Accountant

Luminary helps engineering companies be more competitive by getting to market faster, creating new, better products, and reducing development risk. We do this with our Physics AI platform, the fastest and easiest way to build and deploy models to understand and instantly predict physical reality with precision. Customers span industries from automotive and aerospace, to leading sporting equipment providers, including Otto Aviation, Joby Aviation, Piper Aircraft and Trek Bikes. Luminary is a Series B company and is headquartered in San Mateo, California.

We're looking for a Senior Accountant who wants to help build the financial foundation of a fast-growing SaaS company. The ideal candidate will play a key role in the month-end close, bringing Big 4-caliber rigor to a startup environment, while driving the systems, controls, and processes that will scale with us as we grow.

Key duties, responsibilities, and deliverables:

• Support the monthly, quarterly, and annual close process in partnership with the Controller
• Own journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, and supporting schedules
• Oversee AP/AR, prepaid expenses, fixed assets, and general ledger integrity
• Design, implement, and maintain internal controls as the company scales toward audit-readiness 
• Lead or support the annual external audit — preparing documentation, schedules, and liaising directly with auditors
• Own multi-state tax compliance and coordinate with external tax advisors on filings when needed
• Drive process improvements and automation, including ERP/accounting system enhancements (e.g., NetSuite, QBO)
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Sales and Ops on contract terms, billing, and revenue implications
• Take on ad hoc projects and special analyses as the finance function matures

Expertise and qualifications: 

• Strong working knowledge of US GAAP, with hands-on ASC 606 revenue recognition experience
• Experience with modern accounting/ERP systems preferred (NetSuite or QuickBooks Online, Ramp, Rippling, or similar); comfort adopting new tools in a fast-changing environment
• Advanced Excel/Google Sheets skills; financial modeling experience a plus
• Demonstrated ability to manage a full close cycle independently, start to finish
• Experience building or improving internal controls and process documentation
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate numbers into business insight
• Excellent written and verbal communication; comfortable presenting to non-finance stakeholders and leadership
• High attention to detail balanced with an ability to move fast and prioritize in an ambiguous, high-growth environment

Background and experience:

• 3–5 years of progressive accounting experience
• Big 4 public accounting background strongly preferred (audit or transaction advisory experience valued)
• Prior in-house experience at a SaaS or subscription-based company preferred, particularly with revenue recognition for recurring-revenue models
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field; CPA license or active pursuit preferred
• Experience operating in a high-growth or startup environment — comfortable with limited process and building things from scratch
• Track record of working cross-functionally beyond traditional accounting/finance silos