Accountant & Bookkeeper

About Alpha Design AI

Alpha Design AI builds ChipAgents™, the industry's first AI-agent platform that accelerates RTL design and verification. We serve semiconductor innovators - from fast-growing startups to top-10 chipmakers - helping them ship silicon faster, with higher quality and lower cost. Backed by top-tier investors and leading AI researchers, we are scaling rapidly and expanding our operations team.

About the Role

We're hiring an in-house accountant and bookkeeper to own day-to-day GL accounting and the monthly close while keeping our books fully GAAP-compliant. You'll move from external audit into a hands-on operating role: instead of testing other companies' numbers, you'll produce ours. This is a high-ownership seat for someone ready to step out of public accounting and build deep expertise in how a real business runs its books.

What You'll Do

Own full-cycle bookkeeping: AP, AR, payroll journal entries, expense coding, bank and credit card reconciliations, and fixed asset / prepaid schedules.

Drive the monthly, quarterly, and annual close, including accruals, deferrals, revenue recognition (ASC 606), lease accounting (ASC 842), and stock-based comp entries as applicable.

Prepare GAAP-compliant financial statements (income statement, balance sheet, cash flow) and supporting schedules with audit-ready workpapers.

Reconcile balance sheet accounts monthly and investigate variances against budget and prior period.

Maintain the chart of accounts and accounting policies; document procedures so the close runs the same way every month.

Serve as the primary point of contact for our external auditors during the annual audit, including PBC list management and technical memos.

Support sales tax filings, 1099 prep, and coordination with our tax preparers.

Partner with FP&A on month-end reporting packages and ad-hoc analysis for leadership.

Help evaluate and implement improvements to our accounting tech stack (ERP, AP automation, expense management).

What We're Looking For

Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance.

2–6 years of audit experience at a Big 4 or strong mid-tier firm (BDO, Grant Thornton, RSM, Moss Adams, Crowe, Baker Tilly, or similar).

Working knowledge of US GAAP, including hands-on exposure to ASC 606 and ASC 842.

CPA license or active candidate (passed at least two sections).

Strong Excel skills (pivots, lookups, SUMIFS, basic modeling); comfort working in an ERP such as QuickBooks Online.

Audit-trained attention to detail, with the judgment to know when "good enough" is appropriate for an operating company.

Clear written communication — you can write a memo explaining a technical position to non-accountants.

Self-directed; you don't need a senior to assign tasks to know what month-end requires.

Nice to Have

Industry experience relevant to SaaS, manufacturing, or professional services.

Exposure to system implementations or migrations.

Experience supporting a financial audit from the client side.

Compensation

Base salary depends on experience, CPA status, and exact scope. Posting-specific ranges:

Santa Barbara, CA: $80,000 – $120,000 base, plus annual bonus

Santa Clara, CA: $100,000 – $150,000 base, plus annual bonus and equity

Candidates with a CPA license and direct ASC 606 / 842 experience should expect the upper half of the range. Total comp also includes health/dental/vision, 401(k) with match, PTO, and CPE / CPA renewal support.