Corporate Controller

Corporate Controller

Garden Grove, CA

Harbinger is an American commercial electric vehicle (EV) company on a mission to transform an industry starving for innovation. Harbinger's best-in-class team of EV, battery, and drivetrain experts have pooled their deep experience to bring a first-of-its-kind EV platform to support the growing demand for medium-duty EVs and Hybrids. Harbinger: Familiar Form, Revolutionary Foundation.

Position Summary

The Corporate Controller owns the accuracy, integrity, and scalability of Harbinger's financial close, controls, and reporting, and ensures the company's financial records comply with US GAAP and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. This is a builder's role: someone who has seen what a mature accounting function looks like and has the judgment and drive to move Harbinger from where it is today to that end state without losing rigor along the way. The right person is comfortable rolling up their sleeves in a fast-moving, resource-constrained environment, holds a hard line on controls even under deadline pressure, and has previously built (not just maintained) accounting infrastructure at a startup or high-growth company.

Key Responsibilities

Close, Reporting & Controls

• Own the end-to-end month-end and quarter-end close, driving toward an aggressive, well-defined close timeline while building in the checks that protect accuracy as the close gets faster
• Ensure financial statements and supporting records comply with US GAAP and applicable statutory and regulatory filing requirements
• Design, implement, and personally hold the line on financial reporting controls. This role is accountable for controls actually being followed, not just documented
• Maintain and evolve the chart of accounts and P&L structure so it keeps pace with the business (new revenue lines, new cost categories, new entities)
• Exercise sound judgment on materiality and risk, and know when to escalate versus resolve independently

Systems & Scalability

• Assess the current state of accounting systems and processes and build a roadmap to get Harbinger to where a company at its next stage needs to be by anticipating scale rather than reacting to it
• Own or closely partner on ERP strategy (NetSuite) and spend management tooling, driving automation across close and reporting workflows
• Actively identify and implement process, systems, and documentation improvements across the accounting function to increase efficiency, accuracy, and scalability
• Bring firsthand experience implementing systems or tools in a prior role

Tax & Compliance

• Oversee income tax, sales/use tax, and other statutory tax compliance in partnership with outside tax advisors
• Serve as the primary point of contact for external auditors and drive the annual audit process
• Maintain audit- and controls-ready documentation appropriate to the company's stage, with an eye toward what will be needed as Harbinger matures, including internal controls testing and SOX readiness

Cost & Technical Accounting

• Ensure inventory, standard costs, and COGS are accurately reflected as production scales. We are a manufacturing business and cost accounting rigor matters
• Own or oversee capitalization vs. expense determinations, revenue recognition, and technical accounting memos for complex or non-routine transactions
• Advise on the accounting treatment of equity compensation programs and other non-standard transactions
• Act as a key finance partner when the business launches a new product or expands into a new country by getting ahead of the accounting, tax, and reporting implications rather than reacting after the fact

Business Partnership & Leadership

• Partner closely with the FP&A team to support budget-to-actual variance analysis and provide clean, timely actuals
• Lead, coach, and develop a team spanning the entirety of the accounting function
• Set the standard for pace and rigor being able to personally step into the detail when a deadline demands it, not just delegate and monitor

Required Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance required
• CPA required
• 10+ years of progressive accounting experience, including a mix of public accounting (Big 4 or national firm) and industry
• Demonstrated experience owning a month-end close process at scale
• Experience designing and implementing financial reporting controls
• Experience with NetSuite or a comparable ERP
• People management experience

Nice to Have

• Startup or high-growth company experience
• Manufacturing, automotive, or hardware/EV industry background
• Experience with large capital equipment or facility buildout accounting
• Standard costing or inventory-heavy environment experience
• Experience with equity compensation programs
• Exposure to public company reporting requirements or IPO readiness
• ERP implementation experience
• Experience with modern spend management systems (e.g., Ramp, Airbase, Coupa)
• Experience supporting a company scaling into new products or geographies

Key Benefits & Perks: Comprehensive Health, Dental & Vision (HDV) 100% employee covered Early-stage Stock Options Robust Retirement Savings (401k, HSA, FSA) Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) & Parental Leave Annual Vacation Bonus Wellness & Fertility Benefits Cell Phone Stipend Complimentary Meals & Stocked Kitchens

California Pay Range

$230,000 - $280,000 USD