Controller

Convergent Research is a non-profit science studio best known for pioneering the Focused Research Organization (FRO): a startup-style team built to tackle one ambitious scientific problem that academia and industry can’t. We’re launching moonshot science projects which may change the trajectory of scientific progress. Today we support 14 FROs and counting across the US, the UK and Chile, with an annual budget of $75 million and growing. Large-scale brain mapping, climate measurement and software for math all have something in common: they each need a nonprofit legal entity, payroll providers, health benefits, boards, contracts, office space, press releases, websites… For every FRO we support, Convergent provides the backend infrastructure that lets them move fast.

About the Role

As the Controller, you oversee the full accounting operation across Convergent, its disregarded entities and its subsidiaries, from the general ledger and monthly close to internal controls, audit and regulatory compliance. You will also build and run our federal grants program: designing the compliance infrastructure, monitoring every award, and executing against 2 CFR Part 200 from award setup to closeout. Reporting to the Head of Finance, you will lead a team of Finance & Accounting Managers and serve as our in-house expert on GAAP and federal grant compliance, weighing in on matters of significance with team, FRO and Convergent leaders.

This is a fully remote position with domestic travel required quarterly for team and organizational onsites, and as needed.

You Are

• A seasoned nonprofit accountant. You bring deep, hands-on experience across the full accounting cycle in nonprofits, including fund accounting, net asset restrictions, multi-entity consolidation, and revenue recognition for contributions, grants and exchange transactions. You enjoy solving complex reconciliation challenges and have a passion for financial accuracy.

• The in-house GAAP expert. You support the Head of Finance in researching and documenting technical accounting positions, such as conditional grants, restricted gifts, leases and intercompany transactions, and leaders rely on your judgment on matters of significance.

• Audit-seasoned. You have participated in more audits and single audits than you can count and have filed just as many 990s. You know what the auditors will ask before they ask it.

• A federal grants program builder. You know all the components of 2 CFR Part 200. You have built federal grant compliance programs from the ground up: written the policies, procedures and control documentation, stood up the systems, and audited them yourself. You are comfortable across agencies and award types, including grants, cooperative agreements and other transactions.

• A people leader. You have led accounting teams, including managers. You set clear standards, review work closely and help your team grow.

• Pleasantly detail-obsessed. You sweat the details, but don’t get hung up on immaterial ones. You know when it’s appropriate to push back for compliance or GAAP sake.

• Systems-savvy. You enjoy working with multiple systems and have a firm grasp of accounting systems. You know when to ask for systems help too!

• A natural collaborator. You can translate a complex journal entry into plain English for a non-finance colleague without breaking a sweat.

You Will

• Own the close. You oversee monthly reconciliation and close across Convergent, its disregarded entities and its subsidiaries, including consolidation and intercompany. You set the close calendar and review standards, and you know the ins and outs of every detail on those balance sheets.

• Lead the accounting team. Manage and develop a team of Finance & Accounting Managers. Set priorities, review their work, and design metrics to measure performance and team successes.

• Build the federal grants program. Design and implement Convergent’s federal grants compliance program under 2 CFR Part 200, including policies and procedures, internal controls, allowable cost review, time and effort reporting, cost allocation, indirect and fringe rate support, and subrecipient monitoring.

• Oversee every award. Make sure the Finance & Accounting Managers manage each federal award across Convergent and its FROs correctly from award setup through closeout. Review their budget-to-actuals, burn rates, cost share, drawdowns and invoicing, federal financial reports, SEFA and procurement documentation such as debarment checks and sole-source justifications, and step in early when risks or errors surface.

• Own audit readiness. Lead preparation for the annual audit and the Single Audit, including PBC requests, supporting schedules, SEFA and corrective action plans, coordinate 990 workpapers with our preparer, and own regulatory financial reporting.

• Own revenue and restrictions. Make sure revenue recognition, donor restriction tracking and releases, payroll allocations and time and effort reporting are accurate across every entity.

• Turn numbers into insight. As first line reviewer of monthly financial reports, you review monthly financials for relevancy, consistency, and completeness, and advocate for changes that make reports useful for decision-making.

• Strengthen systems and controls. Write and maintain accounting SOPs and internal control documentation, improve workflows and systems, and keep controls tight across every entity.

• Lead the in-house transition. Partner with the Head of Finance to move work from our outsourced accounting firm in-house, mapping each task to an owner and keeping the close on track during the handoff.

• Partner on budgets and policy. Support the Head of Finance on the annual budget, financial policies and internal control design, and serve as backup on chart of accounts changes.

• Bring the whole team along. You make financial insights accessible and actionable, whether you're talking to a scientist, an engineer, or a program lead.

In 6 months you will have (6 months goals)

• Learned the business of each FRO and understood its accounting and grant needs.

• Built strong relationships with your team, internal teams, FRO leaders, auditors and external accounting partners.

• Assessed our federal grants compliance against 2 CFR Part 200, delivered a roadmap, and put the priority policies and controls in place.

• Set up award-level monitoring for every active federal award.

• Brought the monthly close onto a consistent calendar with clear review standards across your team.

We Offer (Amazing Benefits)

• A rare chance to build institutional architecture for frontier science and work with some of the smartest and most talented experts from different fields

• Competitive Salary: $176,000. Convergent uses a consistent compensation philosophy across all roles, and we offer a 5-10% premium for those working from especially high cost of labor locations (e.g. NYC, San Francisco) or from our NYC office. This structure helps us keep pay transparent, consistent, and equitable.

• Up to a 6% 401k match because future-you deserves comfort

• Top-tier medical, dental, and vision insurance—majority of options are fully covered for you and your dependents. Stay healthy, my friend

• Company-paid life insurance, AD&D, long- and short-term disability insurance, as well as voluntary supplemental insurance options

• 19 holidays (including a full week off at the end of the year—yes, we enforce it)

• 3 weeks PTO with tenure increases, with separate allotments for sick and parental leave

• Generous fertility benefits and childcare reimbursement—because tiny humans are a big deal

• Education and professional development benefits

• Wellness allowance for fitness and wellness activities (treat yourself to climbing shoes or Calm.com—no judgment)

• 3x/year offsite team retreats and additional opportunities to meet your teammates in person

Convergent Research aims to help fill a structural gap in today's R&D system. We enable fundamental research that requires unusual levels of scale and coordination yet is not rapidly monetizable by industry. We’re bringing together top talent from academia, industry, and startups to build a new model for innovative R&D.

We are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. We believe in hiring individuals based on their unique talents—not on race, color, religion, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law or our company policies. We are more than a proud Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Our goal is to foster a healthy, safe, and respectful environment where all employees are valued and treated with dignity. Harassment of any kind is not tolerated here.