Financial Controller

🌍 About Hopae

At Hopae , we're building the world's most trusted digital identity platform — private, secure, and built for real life. We believe identity should be in your control — not locked behind outdated systems or centralized gatekeepers.

Our product, Hopae Connect, lets businesses verify real people across borders through a single API — no need to build country-by-country integrations themselves. Our technology powers instant, privacy-first verification across fintech, credentials, supply chain, and gaming — for IDV providers, e-signature platforms, and enterprises who need identity to just work, everywhere.

Backed by top global investors, Hopae operates across Seoul, Paris, Luxembourg, and San Francisco , bringing together exceptional talent from over 10 nationalities. We move fast, think globally, and build products that define the future of identity.

💡 Why You’ll Love It Here

- Global DNA: Work with exceptional peers across Seoul, Paris, and San Francisco
- High Impact: Build technology shaping the global trust and identity landscape
- Ownership Culture: No micromanagement — full trust, full accountability
- Elite Standards: Work fast, learn fast, and grow with world-class peers
- Inclusive & Respectful: 10+ nationalities, diverse perspectives, one vision
- Growth Mindset: Access mentorship, leadership visibility, and continuous learning

About the Role

Hopae is a global technology startup building the identity network that lets anyone prove who they are, anywhere, instantly. We're looking for an experienced, hands-on Financial Controller to independently manage our accounting and financial operations in Korea and support financial reporting across our international entities.

This is a hands-on role with full ownership of the accounting function. You'll be responsible for everything from day-to-day bookkeeping and reconciliations to financial statements, compliance, and improving financial processes.

We're looking for someone who combines strong technical accounting expertise with sound judgment, excellent communication skills, and a collaborative, practical approach. You'll work closely with colleagues across the company, solve problems together, and establish reliable financial processes without unnecessary complexity.

What You'll Do

- Own the accounting function: Independently manage bookkeeping, journal entries, reconciliations, month-end close, and preparation of accurate financial statements.
- Manage financial operations: Handle accounts payable, accounts receivable, expense reimbursements, payroll coordination, banking, and cash management.
- Ensure compliance: Take responsibility for Korean accounting, tax, statutory filings, and regulatory reporting, coordinating with external advisors where necessary.
- Support international accounting: Manage intercompany transactions and reconciliations, multi-currency accounting, and financial reporting across Hopae's international entities.
- Manage external providers: Coordinate directly with accountants, tax advisors, auditors, and payroll providers.
- Establish practical financial controls: Put in place simple, effective processes that ensure accuracy, accountability, and compliance without unnecessary bureaucracy.
- Improve efficiency: Simplify existing workflows, eliminate unnecessary steps, and automate where it delivers clear value.
- Collaborate across the business: Work closely with colleagues across functions and geographies, communicate financial information clearly, and solve operational and financial challenges together.

Provide financial visibility: Deliver timely financial information, cash flow reporting, and analysis to support business decisions.

What We're Looking For

- 10+ years of progressive accounting and finance experience , including at least 3–5 years with full responsibility for an accounting function.
- Proven experience independently managing accounting end to end
- Strong technical accounting expertise, including financial statements, reconciliations, month-end close, and statutory reporting.
- Deep knowledge of Korean accounting standards, tax regulations, and compliance requirements.
- Experience with international accounting, multiple legal entities, intercompany transactions, and foreign currencies.
- Excellent communication skills and fluency in Korean and English , with the ability to communicate clearly, proactively, and constructively across different functions, cultures, and time zones.
- Collaborative problem-solving: Able to work through challenges with colleagues, consider different perspectives, and reach practical solutions together rather than working in silos.
- Strong judgment, integrity, attention to detail, and accountability.
- Pragmatic and commercially minded: Able to distinguish what is essential from what is nice to have, and implement solutions appropriate for a lean, pre-Series A startup.
- Highly organized, self-directed, and comfortable performing both senior-level accounting work and routine transactional tasks.
- Comfortable challenging unnecessary complexity constructively and finding simpler ways to achieve the same outcomes.

Preferred, but not required

- Korean CPA or equivalent accounting qualification.
- Experience with IFRS and consolidated financial reporting.
- Experience implementing or improving accounting systems and automation.
- Experience in a startup

What Success Looks Like

- Accurate, timely accounting and month-end close.
- All tax, statutory, and regulatory obligations completed correctly and on time.
- Reliable management of payments, expenses, payroll coordination, and cash.
- Accurate intercompany reconciliations and international reporting.
- Clear, dependable financial information for management.
- Strong working relationships, proactive communication, and effective collaboration across the company.
- Problems are identified early, discussed openly, and resolved collaboratively.
- Simple, efficient, well-controlled financial operations without unnecessary systems, processes, or administrative overhead.

⚡️ Fast Facts

- 💰 $13.5M+ raised from top global investors
- 📦 2.6M+ downloads of our sd-jwt-js library
- 🌍 10+ nationalities across 3 hubs
- 🔬 82 eID research projects completed
- 🌐 3 projects accepted into the OpenWallet Foundation

🎁 Benefits & Culture

- Unlimited PTO
- Remote-friendly work model
- Real ownership from Day 1
- High-impact, global product
- Multicultural, respectful team

🧭 Interview Process

- Recruiter Intro Call (30 min) – Get to know Hopae
- Functional or Technical Interview (45 min) – Dive into your skills
- Culture Fit Conversation (45 min) – Collaboration & alignment
- Offer 🎉

Note: The process may vary slightly depending on the role.

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