POSITION SUMMARY
Position Title: Accounting Manager
Reports to: Senior Director, Controller
Status: Regular, Full-time, Exempt
Location: South San Francisco, CA
Summary: We are seeking an experienced Accounting Manager to manage day-to-day accounting activities to ensure compliance with U.S. GAAP, internal policies, SOX Controls and external audit. This role requires hands-on payroll expertise.
This position is based in our South San Francisco, CA, location, with flexibility to work remote, and will periodically be required to be on-site.
Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Managing general ledger accounting functions, including, but not limited to: allocations, payroll accounting, fixed assets, accounts payable, accruals and cash.
- Preparing and booking journal entries with a strong understanding of the underlying accounting logic and supporting documentation.
- Owning multi-state payroll accounting and processing in Paylocity, including tax setup and compliance across jurisdictions, payroll journal entries, reconciliations, and troubleshooting.
- Serving as the primary preparer for weekly vendor changes and vendor payment runs, applying strong fraud-prevention judgment to detect and escalate suspicious changes (e.g., bank detail edits, new vendor requests, duplicate payments).
- Managing the employee expense reimbursement program, including administration of the expense reporting system, policy compliance reviews, employee support, and related reconciliations.
- Coordinating Finance-related onboarding and offboarding activities, including system access provisioning, user maintenance, and training for Finance applications and processes.
- Preparing quarterly government census/statistical filings accurately and on time.
- Helping with the 401K, quarterly and year-end financial audit activities.
- Monitoring and analyzing financing accounting data.
- Performing ad hoc analysis and projects as requested.
- Be a trusted business partner and advisor to various stakeholders within Finance and Accounting and across the Company.
- Proactively liaise with external auditors to drive timely closure of PBC requests and auditor inquiries.
This job description outlines the primary duties and responsibilities of the role; however, it is not intended to be all-inclusive. The scope of responsibilities may be modified, expanded, or adjusted at the discretion of the organization to meet evolving business needs.
Qualifications Include:
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance
- 5+ years of relevant accounting experience, including direct, hands-on experience with multi-state payroll
- Demonstrated proficiency payroll processing, tax filings, and reporting - able to work independently in the system without heavy vendor support
- Strong technical accounting skills, including the ability to independently prepare and book journal entries and reconcile complex accounts
- Experience with accounts payable/vendor management controls, with a clear understanding of fraud risk indicators in vendor setup and payment processes
- Excellent verbal and written communication abilities across all levels of an organization
- Ability to prioritize workloads, tasks, meet deadlines and respond to changing priorities in a hyper-growth environment
- Experience with Oracle Fusion, Paylocity, Fidelity and Concur a plus
- Proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint required
- Previous experience in Life Sciences or Biopharma a plus
Pay Range: $123,000 - $132,250 annualized
The stated pay range for this position reflects the San Francisco Bay Area job market. Assembly Bio establishes pay ranges based on geographic work locations. Additional factors such as academic credentials and relevant experience will influence the actual salary offered.
