Controller

About the role

About Us At Antares, our long-term mission is to make clean energy abundant from Earth to the Asteroid Belt. We’re fueled by the belief that advanced nuclear energy can strengthen our military, solve the climate crisis, elevate global living standards, and expand humanity's presence in outer space. To achieve our mission, we’re building mass-producible, inherently safe, deployable microreactors that can be used terrestrially, underwater, and in space. The Antares team hails from SpaceX, the White House, the Pentagon, the Department of Energy, MIT, Rigetti Computing, General Atomics, Relativity Space, Ursa Major, and National Laboratories like Idaho, Oak Ridge, Los Alamos, and Savannah River. Antares has raised over $600M in venture capital from top-tier investors and has hundreds of million-dollars on contract with the military services, NASA, and the Department of Energy. About the Team As the first Controller at Antares, you will build and scale the accounting function that supports the next generation of advanced nuclear technology. As the company grows from research and development into commercial deployment, you will establish the financial systems, controls, and processes that enable the business to operate efficiently and scale with confidence. This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys building from the ground up, improving processes, and solving complex challenges. You will partner across the organization to ensure our financial infrastructure evolves alongside the business while maintaining the highest standards of accuracy, compliance, and operational excellence. Roles and Responsibilities: You will be responsible for: - Owning the monthly, quarterly, and annual close process, ensuring timely, accurate, and GAAP-compliant financial reporting. - Building and continuously improving the company's accounting policies, internal controls, and financial reporting processes. - Preparing financial statements and supporting schedules for management, investors, lenders, and external auditors. - Leading technical accounting matters, including revenue recognition, stock-based compensation, fixed assets, leases, accruals, and equity accounting. - Establishing scalable processes across accounts payable, payroll, treasury, purchasing, and expense management. - Partnering with external auditors, tax advisors, and valuation specialists to support annual audits, tax filings, and regulatory compliance. - Collaborating with Finance to support budgeting, forecasting, fundraising, and strategic financial initiatives. - Developing accounting processes to support manufacturing operations, inventory, cost accounting, and government contracting. - Evaluating and implementing accounting systems, ERP solutions, and automation tools that improve efficiency and scalability. - Partnering cross-functionally with Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Legal, and People to build financial processes that support a rapidly growing organization. Basic Qualifications: - Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field. - 5+ years of progressive accounting experience, including public accounting and industry experience. - 3+ years in a Controller, Assistant Controller, or equivalent leadership role - Strong knowledge of U.S. GAAP and financial reporting requirements. - Experience leading monthly close and preparing audited financial statements. - Experience working with external auditors and tax advisors. - Strong ERP and accounting systems experience (QuickBooks, NetSuite, Sage Intacct, or similar). - Advanced Excel skills and strong financial systems aptitude. Preferred Skills & Experience: - Excellent communication and organizational skills with strong attention to detail. - Experience building the accounting function at a high-growth startup from the ground up. - Venture-backed startup experience - Experience with manufacturing, inventory accounting, standard costing, and cost accounting. - Experience with government contracting, DCAA compliance, FAR/DFARS, or grant accounting. - Knowledge of revenue recognition (ASC 606), lease accounting (ASC 842), and stock compensation (ASC 718). - Experience implementing ERP systems and finance automation tools. - Familiarity with procurement, AP automation, expense management platforms (Ramp, Silkline, etc.), and financial reporting software. - Experience managing equity accounting, cap table reporting, and 409A-related accounting. - Proven ability to build teams, improve processes, and thrive in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment. - Demonstrated ability to communicate financial information clearly to executives, investors, and board members. Location - We are located in Torrance, CA in a 322,000 square foot, brand new facility featuring large open spaces for team collaboration, R&D, and production, as well as easy access to the 405, 105, and 110 freeways. Our facility is in the heart of Los Angeles' vibrant emerging tech ecosystem alongside many other high growth startups and enterprises. Culture At Antares, we like to specifically tie each role to our founding document’s set of values–here are the top five cultural values we think you should believe at your core to be successful: - Think in Systems - Energy and Defense are complex ecosystems with numerous stakeholders with competing priorities, conflicting policies, perverse incentives, and emergent and path-dependent properties. First principles thinking alone is insufficient. Think probabilistically and then take action. “If you want to be certain, then you are apt to be obsolete.” Over-optimizing the components often degrades the system - Obsess over the End User - The customer and end user are often not the same. We will never build globally competitive commercial products if we lose sight of our end users and their entire interaction with the product life cycle - Be Unconstrained by Convention - Our only limits are the laws of physics. Many, even experts, will say what we are working on is impossible. They said the same about SpaceX reusing rockets. Generationally impactful companies, by definition, must accomplish the seemingly impossible. If it were easy, it would have already been done. Never shy away from a solution because it has never been tried before, and never choose to do something because that's “how it's always been done” - Go Where the Work Is - Never miss a chance to meet a customer, user, or stakeholder face to face, even if that means hopping on a plane. If you can’t make it, find a teammate who can channel your intentions and go in your place. Deep work can be done from anywhere, but we believe teams are built in person, and aim to maximize our time together - Operate in the Grey - Embrace nuance in pursuit of truth. Question every fundamental assumption Equal Opportunity Antares is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, competence, and qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status. ITAR REQUIREMENTS To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here https://www.pmddtc.state.gov/?id=ddtc_kb_article_page&sys_id=24d528fddbfc930044f9ff621f961987.