Assistant Controller, Client Onboarding

Assistant Controller, Client Onboarding

Topo is hiring key team members for its accounting team. If you’ve ever been interested in working at a startup as a member of the initial team, this is it!

Topo provides fractional embedded accounting and finance support to venture-backed companies. Topo’s customers look to us as early-stage company experts focused on helping their companies succeed.

We are looking for a strong Assistant Controller to join our Client Onboarding team and help new Topo clients start on a clean, well-built foundation. You’ll work hands-on with CEOs and leadership team members at dynamic software and services companies during their first 30–60 days with Topo, getting their books, systems, and processes into shape so they’re ready for long-term success.

This position can be remote based in the US. The company is headquartered and based in Indianapolis, Indiana.

About this role: Every new Topo client starts with onboarding. In this role, you’ll help take clients from signed agreement to fully operational in roughly 30–60 days: assessing their current systems and books, setting them up in Topo’s systems, cleaning up historical accounting, and putting sound processes in place before handing them off to the Topo team that will support their accounting on an ongoing basis. We’re looking for a high agency person with a strong understanding of and an interest in startups, who enjoys bringing order to messy books and thrives working across several new clients at once. This role will become increasingly strategic as the individual grows within Topo.

What You’ll Do:

- As the Onboarding Assistant Controller you will kick off new client engagements, gathering system access, documents, and background on the client’s business and accounting history.
- Assess each client’s current accounting systems, chart of accounts, tech stack, and historical books to identify cleanup needs, gaps, and risks.
- Set up new clients in Topo’s systems and tools, including chart of accounts design or restructuring, bank and credit card feeds, and integrations with payroll, billing, and expense platforms.
- Perform historical cleanup, including account reconciliations, catch-up bookkeeping, reclassifications, and adjusting entries, so balances are accurate and supportable.
- Run the client’s first month-end closes with Topo, establishing close checklists, reconciliation schedules, and reporting packages, and support initial budget and cash flow setup where in scope.
- Document and implement accounting processes and workflows (e.g., AP, AR, payroll, revenue, and expense management), recommending improvements where needed.
- Coordinate with tax advisors, and prior accountants to obtain records and resolve open items, ensuring timely and accurate completion of deliverables.
- Support and guide Topo team members assisting on onboarding engagements.
- Research technical accounting questions that arise during cleanup and setup, and provide guidance internally and to clients.
- Prepare complete handoff documentation and support a smooth transition to the ongoing Topo accounting team.

What You’ll Need:

- You’re organized and demonstrate a high attention to detail and accuracy.
- You’re a self-starter who can put ideas into action.
- You love working with numbers and helping people.
- You enjoy diagnosing and cleaning up messy books, and you take pride in leaving things better than you found them.
- You’re comfortable working directly with clients, asking good questions, and setting clear expectations during a period of change.
- You can manage several onboarding engagements at different stages, keep each on track against tight timelines, and write clear documentation others can pick up and run with.
- You have the ability to quickly shift from high-level strategic thinking to tactical execution.
- 4+ years in public accounting, corporate accounting or finance, or similar experience, including month-end close, reconciliations, and cleanup or catch-up accounting.
- Excellent quantitative skills with strong experience in spreadsheet software and familiarity with Quickbooks; experience implementing or migrating accounting systems and integrated tools is a plus.
- Ability to embrace ambiguity, uncertainty, and changing business landscapes.
- CPA strongly preferred.

What We Value:

TRUST

Our team members operate in a high-trust role with customers. Trustworthy team members exhibit: uncompromising integrity, empathy, attention to detail, and the ability to exceed expectations.

OWNERSHIP

Our customers love working with us because we care about the success of their companies as much as they do. Our team members take ownership of the relationship with customers through consistency, responsiveness, and thought partnership.

INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY

Our customers look to us for guidance on industry standards, recommendations on best practices, and thought leadership. Team members should combine personal experience as well as internal and external resources to be learning machines that will result in strategic insight to the companies we support.

Topo Advisors is an equal-opportunity employer, and we value diversity at our company. We don’t discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for sponsorship now or in the future.