Head of Financial Operations/ Controller - Mexico City (Hybrid)

We’re looking for a Financial Operations Lead / Global Controller to join Clara’s dynamic finance team. This role offers a unique opportunity to help scale a best-in-class controllership function at one of the region’s top startups.

In this role, you’ll own controllership end-to-end, from the monthly close to the annual audit, while modernizing how the function operates. We’re looking for candidates with an AI-native mindset and proven experience automating key finance workflows.

You’ll report directly to the CFO and work closely with the country controllers, as well as FP&A, Treasury, Legal, and our external auditors.

We’re prioritizing applicants based in Mexico City and São Paulo, but are open to remote arrangements for the right candidate.

Responsibilities

Controllership

• Own the month-end financial close and consolidation across all our entities.
• Lead our end-to-end annual financial audit, working closely with our external auditor and local controller teams. Plan the audit calendar, resolve technical accounting questions, and manage the relationship through to a signed opinion.
• Take a global perspective on our financial operations, supporting treasury, regulatory, tax, and other relevant requirements. 
• Maintain a strong internal controls environment: policies, close checklists, and account reconciliations as we continue scaling toward public-market expectations.
• Support lenders, investors, and regulators with audited financials and relevant due diligence requests as they arrive.

Transformation

• Own NetSuite as our system of record, while also implementing AI tools and automation across the closing cycle and other key finance team workflows.
• Build a unified controllership operating model across our local teams so every country controller works the same way.

Qualifications

• 8 - 10+ years of accounting or controllership experience, including ownership of multi-entity, multi-currency consolidation.
• Startup and fintech experience is also a plus – you understand the regulatory and operational context of running finance in LatAm.
• Proven track record leading annual audits with a Big 4 firm from planning through opinion, including technical accounting memos.
• Deep, hands-on NetSuite expertise – you can go into the system yourself, not just direct others.
• Demonstrated success deploying AI tools and automation to modernize financial workflows.
• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or business. MBA or CPA is a plus.
• Bilingual proficiency in English as well as Spanish and / or Portuguese is required.