Controller

Job Description

Job Description

Please be aware of recruiting scams!

All legitimate communication from our recruitment team will come from an official calstart.org email address via email, we will not text you about a role you have not applied to or shown interest in. We will not perform any interviews via text or Zoom chat.

CALSTART does not ask for any fees or personal information such as social security numbers or bank details during the recruitment process.

About Us :

CALSTART is a mission-driven industry organization focused on transportation decarbonization and clean air for all.

For over 30 years, it’s been CALSTART’s mission to develop, assess, and implement large-scale, zero-emission transportation solutions to mitigate climate change and support economic growth. CALSTART works with businesses, organizations, governments, and communities to create real-life impact toward clean air and equitable access to clean transportation for all. CALSTART provides scientific, technical and policy support for regulatory development and clean technology and infrastructure acceleration.

About The Role :

The Controller plays a critical leadership role in ensuring the financial integrity and operational excellence of CALSTART’s accounting and finance functions. Reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer, this position oversees all financial accounting and contract billing activities, ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations, funding terms, and internal policies.

You will be responsible for the accurate and timely preparation of financial reports, the management of government contract billing, and adherence to accounting standards set by FASB and the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200). Acting as CALSTART’s subject matter expert in financial accounting, government contracts, and payroll, you’ll provide guidance across teams to ensure fiscal discipline, transparency, and accountability.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on financial leader who excels at balancing strategic oversight with detailed execution. You’ll partner closely with the CFO, project managers, and business development teams to ensure contract compliance, optimize reporting systems, and strengthen internal controls.

This role also serves as CALSTART’s primary liaison to funding agencies, auditors, and regulatory bodies, ensuring that CALSTART maintains its strong reputation for financial compliance and stewardship across its expanding portfolio of federally funded programs.

• This is a hybrid role. The requirement will be to be in the office in person in Pasadena, CA one day a week, on occasion the requirement will be two days a week, depending on the workload

What You’ll Do :

What You’ll Bring to the Table :

Desired Qualifications :

CALSTART values transparency and strives to provide as much information regarding compensation as possible. The salary range for this role is $140,000 - $177,960 . We determine pay based on several factors, including but not limited to job-related skills, qualifications, experience, education, internal equity and other factors relevant to the job.

We understand that not everyone will match the above qualifications 100%. If your background isn't perfectly aligned but you feel you would be a great addition to the team, we'd love to hear from you.

We're a tight-knit team of world-class innovators, business minds, and change agents who believe passionately in our mission and put our team ahead of self. We are committed to the continued development and growth of our employees and invest in your success!

We care about your personal well being as much as your professional success and offer generous benefits to full time employees including : 100% company paid comprehensive health benefits for Medical, Dental, Vision, Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability and Life Insurance, Retirement plan with generous company contributions, FSA for Health and Dependent Care, 3 weeks of vacation time in the first year of employment, 11 paid company holidays, paid sick time, paid family leave, and more!

Our inclusive environment focuses on making decisions based on merit without regard to race, color, hair texture, gender, religion, age, nationality, social or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, LGBTQIA+ status, marital status, pregnancy, disability, genetics, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.