Junior Controller

Location: Newton, New Jersey

Employment Type: Full-Time, Onsite

Compensation: $110,000 to $140,000

Reports To: Vice President of Finance & Procurement

This role is designed for an experienced accountant with roughly four to seven years of progressive experience who is ready to own the close rather than support it.

This is not a senior staff accountant position and it is not a Controller position. You will own the monthly close end to end, own the integrity of the general ledger and the balance sheet, and review the work of others as the accounting team grows. You will be expected to operate independently, make sound technical judgments, and escalate the issues that warrant escalation.

The right candidate is highly detail-oriented, executes with precision, manages multiple competing priorities, and takes accountability for outcomes. Mistakes will happen, particularly in a fast-growing organization, but you must be able to identify them quickly, understand their root causes, improve the underlying process, and prevent them from recurring.

Planet Networks is at a critical point in its growth trajectory. This role provides a unique opportunity to help build the accounting close, financial reporting capabilities, systems, and internal controls that the company will operate on for years to come.

Job Description

As Junior Controller, you will own the company's accounting close and general ledger, and you will be accountable for the accuracy and completeness of the financial statements that result from them.

Approximately 60% of the role will focus on the close, technical accounting, and financial reporting, including reconciliations, journal entry review, fixed assets and construction in progress, and the preparation of monthly financial statements. Approximately 25% will focus on internal controls, systems, and process improvement. The remaining 15% will focus on review and development of the accounting team and support of the annual audit.

You will work directly with the Vice President of Finance & Procurement, review the work of the Accounting & Finance Associate, and collaborate with employees across the organization, including construction, engineering, customer success, sales, and operations.

This role requires someone who is comfortable working in a fast-paced and evolving environment. Planet Networks is a capital-intensive business that is actively building fiber network assets, and the accounting for that construction activity sits at the center of this position.

Key Responsibilities

Month-End Close and General Ledger

• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close calendar, including task assignment, deadlines, and completion tracking.
• Prepare, review, and approve journal entries and supporting documentation.
• Review balance sheet and bank reconciliations, and ensure reconciling items are investigated and cleared on a timely basis.
• Maintain the general ledger and chart of accounts, and ensure transactions are classified consistently and correctly.
• Review accounts payable and accounts receivable activity for accuracy, cutoff, and appropriate accrual treatment.
• Prepare monthly financial statements and the supporting workpaper package.
• Reduce close cycle time without reducing the quality or reliability of the results.

Technical Accounting and Financial Reporting

• Apply U.S. GAAP to the company's transactions and document the basis for accounting positions taken.
• Research technical accounting questions and prepare memoranda supporting conclusions.
• Maintain accounting policies and ensure they are applied consistently across the organization.
• Support revenue recognition, lease accounting, accrual, and capitalization determinations.
• Prepare schedules, analyses, and reporting requested by lenders, investors, and management.

Fixed Assets and Capital Project Accounting

• Own fixed-asset and capital-project accounting, including additions, transfers, disposals, and depreciation.
• Maintain construction-in-progress schedules and ensure network build costs are captured accurately and placed in service on a timely basis.
• Partner with construction and engineering to align project cost tracking with the accounting records.
• Review capitalization versus expense determinations and ensure treatment is consistent and supportable.
• Reconcile fixed-asset subledgers to the general ledger.

Internal Controls, Compliance, and Audit

• Design, document, and maintain internal controls over financial reporting as the company scales.
• Identify control gaps and implement practical remediation that fits the size of the organization.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for the annual audit or review, including preparation of requested schedules and responses.
• Support tax filings, sales and use tax, regulatory reporting, and other compliance requirements in coordination with external advisors.
• Maintain documentation that allows another qualified person to perform each process.

Systems, Automation, and Process Improvement

• Support the continued implementation and optimization of NetSuite and related financial systems.
• Design and maintain automated reconciliations, workflows, reports, and system controls.
• Identify opportunities to reduce manual work, improve data quality, strengthen controls, and accelerate the close.
• Validate the completeness, accuracy, and reasonableness of information produced by automated processes.
• Document process changes and ensure procedures remain current as the company grows.

Team Development

• Review the work of the Accounting & Finance Associate and provide clear, specific, and timely feedback.
• Set expectations for accuracy, documentation, and deadlines, and hold the team to them.
• Train team members on accounting concepts, systems, and the reasons behind the processes they perform.
• Contribute to hiring as the accounting function grows.
• Participate in special projects and perform other accounting responsibilities as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or a closely related field.
• Four to seven years of progressive accounting experience.
• Experience in public accounting, or a combination of public accounting and corporate accounting experience.
• Demonstrated ownership of a full monthly close, including reconciliations, journal entries, and financial statement preparation.
• Strong working knowledge of U.S. GAAP and the ability to research and support technical accounting positions.
• Experience with fixed assets, depreciation, and capitalization decisions.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including the ability to organize, analyze, reconcile, and interpret large datasets.
• Experience working within an enterprise resource planning system.
• Excellent attention to detail and a low tolerance for errors.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to document accounting conclusions clearly.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines and prioritize effectively.
• Ability to work onsite in Newton, New Jersey.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Public Accountant, or an active CPA candidate.
• Experience using NetSuite.
• Experience in telecommunications, utilities, construction, or another capital-intensive industry.
• Experience with construction-in-progress accounting and large fixed-asset bases.
• Familiarity with ASC 606 revenue recognition and ASC 842 lease accounting.
• Experience leading or supporting an external audit.
• Experience reviewing the work of other accountants.
• Experience using Power BI or another business-intelligence and data-visualization platform.
• Exposure to SQL or Python.
• Experience with automated workflows, system implementations, or accounting-process improvements.

What It Takes to Succeed

• Precision: You consistently produce accurate work and verify information before it is finalized.
• Ownership: You take responsibility for the close and for the numbers that come out of it rather than waiting for others to identify or solve problems.
• Technical judgment: You know which accounting questions require research and documentation, which can be resolved from experience, and which should be escalated.
• Process orientation: You do not simply complete a task. You look for ways to make the process more reliable, efficient, automated, and scalable.
• Review discipline: You review the work of others carefully and give feedback that improves the next submission rather than only correcting the current one.
• Responsiveness: You communicate clearly, meet deadlines, and raise potential issues early.
• Adaptability: You remain effective when priorities, systems, and processes are evolving.
• Accountability: You learn quickly from mistakes and take action to prevent them from recurring.
• Business partnership: You can explain accounting and financial information to employees who do not have finance backgrounds.
• Commitment: You are motivated by the opportunity to help build a finance organization during an important stage of the company's growth.

Compensation

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $110,000 to $140,000 annually. Actual compensation will be determined based on the candidate's experience, qualifications, technical capabilities, and overall fit for the position.