Comptroller

Job Description

Comptroller

About the Opportunity
Our client recovers rare earth elements (REE) from the magnets inside end-of-life equipment: hard disk drives, EV and industrial motors, MRIs, and decommissioned wind turbine generators. Its patented extraction process runs at low temperature in a closed loop, with minimal waste, and turns material that is currently shredded as scrap into oxide that goes back into new magnets for clean energy and defense applications.
The stakes are national, not niche. Roughly 95% of the REE supply chain runs through China, demand is growing more than 30% a year, and there is no substitute material. No U.S. companies recover these elements at scale, which is the gap this company was built to close.
It's a small, well-funded, fast-growing company, including non-dilutive federal funding tied to domestic critical minerals work. It is bringing a demonstration facility online and is moving toward full commercial production.
This is a hands-on role for someone who wants to build financial structure, not just maintain it. You'll work closely with an interim CFO and the executive team to bring order, process, and reliable reporting to a company that's growing fast and hasn't had much runway to put deep systems in place. There's real room to grow here as the company and its finance team scale.

What You'll Do
Financial Operations & Controls

• Build and manage the day-to-day accounting function, including the general ledger, month, quarter and year-end close, and account reconciliations
• Design and implement internal controls, policies, and processes that don't exist yet, from the ground up
• Oversee accounts payable, accounts receivable, and treasury/cash management as the company scales
• Manage payroll processing and related compliance requirements

Reporting & Compliance

• Prepare accurate, timely financial statements and management reports for leadership and the board
• Support audits, tax filings, and other compliance requirements as the company matures its reporting obligations
• Partner with outside advisors and auditors to close gaps in financial documentation and process
• Design, implement and maintain internal controls and accounting policies
• Help prepare the finance function for the added scrutiny and structure that comes with rapid growth

FP&A / Corp Dev

• Partner with department leaders to build annual budgets and rolling forecasts
• Deliver variance analysis (actual vs. budget/forecast) with clear narrative on drivers
• Build and maintain KPI dashboards and management reporting packages for leadership and the board
• Support long-range strategic and financial planning, including scenario/sensitivity modeling
• Translate operational data into financial insights that inform business decisions
• Participate in scenario-modeling and due diligence for growth opportunities

Leadership & Collaboration

• Work directly with the interim CFO and executive team on financial strategy and priorities
• Build trust with department leaders by being a resource, not a roadblock, on financial decisions
• Take on work outside a narrow job description as needed. In a small, fast moving company, that's the job
• Help build out the finance team over time, including future hires who may report into this role

What You Bring
Experience

• At least five (5) years of progressive accounting or finance experience, ideally including time at a controller or senior accounting level
• Experience building or significantly improving financial processes and controls at a small or growing company
• Comfort operating without deep corporate infrastructure or a lot of precedent to lean on
• Public company or audit readiness experience is a plus, though not required

Key Skills

• Strong technical accounting knowledge and a genuine willingness to get into the details
• A self-starter mindset. You see what needs to be built and you start building it
• Clear, direct communication with leadership and cross functional teams
• Adaptability and a willingness to pitch in beyond your core role as priorities shift

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field
• CPA a plus

Why Join

• This is a remote role, so location is flexible
• Real influence over how the finance function gets built, not just how it's maintained
• A clear path to grow with the company, including into a CFO role as it scales
• Work tied to a real domestic supply chain problem, with commercial and national security stakes behind it

What Success Looks Like

• Within the first several months, monthly close and reporting run on a reliable, repeatable process
• Financial controls and documentation are in place that would hold up to outside scrutiny
• Department leaders see the finance function as a partner, not just a gatekeeper

A Note on Fit
We understand no candidate will meet every single desired qualification. If your experience looks a little different from what we've identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we'd love to learn more about you!

Contact
Laura Fletcher
Laura@MRCrecruiting.com