We are looking for a Controller to join our venture studio!
Pre-Amp is Amplitude Ventures’ engine for discovering, incubating, and funding innovation in precision medicine. We partner with promising young scientists, advisors, and entrepreneurs to identify high-potential whitespace and invest in the best ideas, providing the capital and expertise to develop them into world-class biotechnology strategies and companies. We have offices in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver and are seeking driven individuals to join us on our mission.
We are seeking an individual who can start as a Controller to support our venture studio and its company creations. You will be expected to become deeply involved in the operation of the studio and spin-out companies. The role combines two mandates: owning the accounting and control function of the studio, and acting as the finance and operations project lead who stands up the finance function inside each newly created company. You will also support broader studio operations and other initiatives as needed, with the opportunity to take on more as the studio grows.
We are an energetic and diverse team, offering a work environment where every day is rewarding, with new challenges and learning opportunities.
Responsibilities
Studio accounting and control
· Manage Pre-Amp’s accounting functions in partnership with our third-party bookkeepers
· Build, monitor and report on budgets
· Own the month-end close, intercompany reconciliation and consolidated reporting across the studio and its entities
· Maintain audit-ready records and the internal control environment as entities scale
Standing up finance in newly created companies
· Establish the finance function in each new portfolio company: chart of accounts, accounting platform, banking, payroll, expense and procurement controls, and reporting cadence
· Work in conjunction with other Amplitude team members to implement legal, tax, accounting and governance structures to accelerate companies’ ability to raise Series A financing
· Track R&D spend against CRO, CDMO and academic contracts, and against scientific milestones
· Own government funding compliance and claims, including SR&ED, IRAP, Quebec tax credits and grant reporting
· Prepare board, shareholder and investor reporting packages
Project and program management
· Run each company launch as a defined project: milestone plan, workstream owners, dependencies and deadlines across legal, tax, HR, IT and finance
· Coordinate external counterparties - counsel, auditors, tax advisors, bookkeepers, bankers, insurers - to committed dates
· Maintain a single cross-entity calendar of statutory filings, governance obligations and financing milestones
· Lead system implementation and process standardization projects so that each new company launches on a repeatable, documented template rather than a bespoke build
· Support broader studio operations and other initiatives as needed, and take on additional responsibilities as the needs of the studio and its companies evolve
Systems, data and automation
· Own the studio finance technology stack: evaluate, select, implement and document the tools used across entities
· Apply automation and AI tooling to close, reconciliation, reporting and consolidation, and write the standard operating procedures that make those gains durable
Required experience
· 5-7 years minimum of relevant work experience performing and supporting accounting functions; ideally for a high-velocity startup company or an investment fund, or experience in a Big 4 accounting firm or large corporation setting
· Solid understanding of basic accounting principles, and experience applying them across multiple legal entities
· Advanced Excel: financial modelling, Power Query, pivot tables and data models. Comfort with online and cloud-based tools generally
· A CPA designation
· Experience with Xero, QuickBooks Online, Sage Intacct, NetSuite or a comparable cloud accounting platform
· A genuine interest in venture capital and/or healthcare
Bonus points if you have:
- 1-2 years of work experience in a life science or biotech startup
- Experience preparing or supporting SR&ED, IRAP, or Quebec innovation tax credit and grant claims
- Experience implementing an ERP, close-management or FP&A platform (NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Rillet, Campfire, Numeric, Truewind, Mosaic, Pigment, Runway or similar)
- Experience using AI tools to streamline and improve finance processes - transaction categorization, reconciliation, document extraction, variance commentary, or drafting and review
- Bilingual (English and French)
This position will be a perfect fit if you have/are:
- Outstanding computer skills: highly proficient in Excel, PowerPoint and able to quickly learn internal Amplitude data management systems
- Ability to work under pressure, manage time effectively, navigate ambiguity and multi-task
- Collaborative nature, highly motivated person who seeks out additional responsibility and productivity improvements
- Organized, thorough, and detail oriented
- Ability to prepare financial forecasts and pro-forma financial statements
- Good oral and written communication skills and demonstrated ability to produce and deliver clear and concise oral and written presentations
Compensation / Location / Start Date:
- Highly competitive compensation
- Comprehensive healthcare benefits
- Based in Montreal (hybrid)
- Flexible start date
Up for the challenge?
Send your resume and a short summary of why you want to work with us to jobs@amplitudevc.com.
Amplitude is committed to building a diverse team. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, Indigenous identity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and age.
