Founding Assistant Controller — Build Our Finance Engine

About Arena Intelligence Arena Intelligence is the open platform for evaluating how AI models perform in the real world. Created by researchers from UC Berkeley’s SkyLab, our mission is to measure and advance the frontier of AI for real-world use. Millions of people use Arena Intelligence each month to explore how frontier systems perform — and we use our community’s feedback to build transparent, rigorous, and human-centered model evaluations. Leading enterprises and AI labs rely on our evaluations to understand real-world reliability, alignment, and impact. Our leaderboards are the gold standard for AI performance — trusted by leaders across the AI community and shaping the global conversation on model reliability and progress. We’re a team of researchers, engineers, academics, and builders from places like UC Berkeley, Google, Stanford, DeepMind, and Discord. We seek truth, move fast, and value craftsmanship, curiosity, and impact over hierarchy. We’re building a company where thoughtful, curious people from all backgrounds can do their best work. Everyone on our team is a deep expert in their field — our office radiates excellence, energy, and focus. About the Role As Assistant Controller, you'll build our accounting function from the ground up — the systems, controls, and infrastructure that support our next phase of growth. This is a rare opportunity to be the first dedicated accounting hire at a company whose customers include the world's top AI labs and enterprises, with a product that's become the industry standard for AI evaluation. Reporting to the Head of Finance, you'll lead all aspects of accounting: from managing day-to-day operations and owning the month-end close, to implementing core systems, standing up internal controls, and driving audit readiness. You'll work across complex enterprise contracts, own revenue recognition, and build the cost accounting framework for a fast-scaling business. You'll partner with an external accounting firm on day-to-day operations as you build out the function. You’ll Own monthly, quarterly, and annual financial closes, delivering GAAP-compliant financial statements and analyses. Manage day-to-day financial operations including AP/AR, expense allocations, balance sheet reconciliations, and invoice reconciliation across major enterprise accounts. Own revenue recognition end-to-end, applying ASC 606 across complex enterprise contracts Design and implement scalable financial systems, processes, and controls to support rapid growth, including leading our first ERP implementation. Manage cash flow and working capital timing across large enterprise billing cycles. Build and maintain a strong internal control environment and establish accounting policies from scratch. Lead audit and tax readiness — serve as the primary liaison for external auditors and ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal tax requirements. Partner with the Head of Finance and leadership to translate data into strategic insights and define the roadmap for building out the accounting function as the company scales. You’ll Have 8+ years of progressive experience in accounting, with a strong track record at high-growth technology startups. Big 4 foundation preferred. Deep expertise in U.S. GAAP, specifically revenue recognition (ASC 606), stock-based compensation, and consolidations. Practical experience leading a company through its first financial statement audit and building internal controls from scratch. Strong background in implementing and managing ERP systems and modern finance tools (e.g., Ramp). CPA certification and strong technical accounting foundation required. A builder mindset: hands-on, resourceful, and comfortable owning both the details and the architecture of the function. Actively leveraging AI in your workflows today — it's already part of how you work, not something you're planning to explore. Bonus Points Experience at a high-growth AI or SaaS startup with enterprise customers. Familiarity with cloud infrastructure cost accounting. Comfortable writing SQL and working in data warehouse environments to pull financial reports and validate data. Experience partnering directly with engineering and infrastructure teams. What we offer We offer competitive compensation and equity aligned to the markets where our team members are based. The base salary range will depend on the candidate’s permanent work location. Comprehensive health and wellness benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and additional support programs. The opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI with a small, mission-driven team A culture that values transparency, trust, and community impact Come help build the space where anyone can explore and help shape the future of AI. Arena Intelligence provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcome people from all backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and abilities. #J-18808-Ljbffr Arena