Head of Accounting, 23andMe
$220-300k
2+ days a week in office (Palo Alto, CA)
DNA genetic testing for health, ancestry and more
Be an early applicant
DNA genetic testing for health, ancestry and more
501-1000 employees
Be an early applicant
$220-300k
2+ days a week in office (Palo Alto, CA)
501-1000 employees
Company mission
To help people access, understand, and benefit from the human genome.
Role
Who you are
- CPA, required CMA or MBA strongly preferred
- Netsuite Social Impact experience strongly preferred
- Minimum 15+ years in progressive finance leadership experience with increasing scope and accountability; ideally as a Director of Accounting level leader in a Non-Profit, health/research, or a complex multi-revenue organization
- Demonstrated ownership of enterprise-grade financial reporting: leading multi-step month-end close, establishing close governance, ensuring balance sheet integrity, and producing management/board-ready financials
- Deep expertise owning and improving end-to-end revenue streams (earned revenue and/or contracts/grants): billing/invoicing strategy, AR/collections oversight, cash application and unapplied cash resolution, deferred revenue management, revenue analytics, and policy governance
- Track record of designing and operating internal controls and finance governance appropriate for scale, including close controls, review standards, delegation, and segregation-of-duties considerations in an outsource environment
- Extensive experience partnering cross-functionally with Operations/Programs, Development/Fundraising, Legal/Contracts, and Executive Leadership, with demonstrated ability to influence and align stakeholders
- Current and in-depth knowledge of US GAAP is required
- Strong systems aptitude; able to drive requirements, improve workflows and oversee enhancements
- Ability to prioritize in real time; know what’s important
- Detailed oriented with a strong bias for action, ability to proactively dig into the details and resolve issues
- Executive Leadership and ability partner cross-functionally
- Excellent problem solving and analytical skills
- Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills
- Transparent and self-aware. Listens and learns from others
What the job involves
- We’re looking for a Head of Accounting to join our Finance Team to lead core accounting operations and strengthen financial infrastructure. In this role, you will lead accounting operations with a focus on financial close, reporting, treasury, and compliance (including audit and relevant tax filings), while enhancing processes, strengthening controls, and improving operational effectiveness
- Results driven non-profit finance leader focused on revenue both earned and philanthropic, supported by strong reporting fundamentals
- You will partner closely with FP&A and cross-functional leaders to support revenue and expense tracking, contribute to forecasting insights, and ensure reporting processes evolve to support organizational growth
- We are a group of individuals passionate about genetic discovery. 23andMe Research Institute is a nonprofit medical research organization that enables people everywhere to access their genetic information, learn about themselves, and participate in the world's largest crowdsourced research initiative
- The Institute aims to be the world's most significant contributor to scientific advancement, uniting people with the common goal of improving health and deepening our understanding of DNA — the code of life
- Lead day-to-day accounting operations, ensuring compliance with US GAAP and nonprofit financial reporting requirements (including net asset classifications)
- Act as accountable owner for in-house and outsourced accounting team performance: SLAs, quality checks, escalation paths, and continuous improvement
- Translate leadership needs into clear requirements and timelines; managing internal finance and accounting outsource teams with clear SOPs and deliverables
- Coach internal stakeholders on finance processes and improve cross-functional collaboration (Ops, Programs, Dev/Fundraising, Legal/Contracts)
- Support and manage fund accounting activities, including restricted and unrestricted funds, grant tracking, and donor reporting requirements
- Oversee ASC 606 earned revenue accounting and inventory accounting operations
- Deliver on leadership/board-ready financials and variance narratives
- Support optimization and effective use of accounting systems and tools, including ERP (Netsuite Social Impact), close management tool (FQ), Ramp, and JPM Access
- Lead initiatives to improve efficiency through automation, standardization, and process optimization
- Partner with the accounting leadership to support audit readiness and coordinate with external auditors
- Develop and maintain accounting policies, procedures, and documentation to support consistency and compliance
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, including IRS filings (Form 990), grant compliance, sales tax and regulatory reporting
- Help maintain and strengthen internal controls to safeguard organizational assets and promote financial integrity
- Identify financial risks and recommend mitigation strategies
- Partner with the CFO and FP&A on budgeting, forecasting, and long-range financial planning
- Collaborate with Development, Grants, Legal, HR, and Operations teams to ensure accurate financial tracking and reporting
- Support Board and Audit Committee reporting as needed
Our take
23andMe offers its customers a vision into their ancestry and health through genetic testing carried out via kits sent through the mail. Results can show users their risk of more than 100 health conditions thanks to a tube of saliva at one end and a lot of technology at the other.
This access to genetic insight has helped the company sell more than 15 million test kits in the last 15 years. This remains the core component of the business. Access to millions of customers DNA however has given the company a vast collection of genetic material, allowing 23andMe to expanded into the drug development space where it is collaborating with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline.
23andMe is not without competition, with other big names including Ancestry and MyHeritage. The company has faced challenges, from weak demand for kits and a failed subscription model to a data breach and bankruptcy. Still, its acquisition by Regeneron in 2025 gives it a fresh star and 23andMe will go on operating, contributing to medical research, while protecting user privacy.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
10% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 10 rounds)
Dec 2020
$82.5m
SERIES F
Jul 2018
$300m
GROWTH EQUITY VC
Total funding: $802.9m
Company benefits
- Comprehensive health, vision, and dental plans
- Family planning, support, and leave for parents
- Mental healthcare
- Student loan assistance
- Flexible time off
- Dog friendly office
Company HQ
Old Palo Alto, Palo Alto, CA
Leadership
Anne Wojcicki
(Founder & CEO)Anne studied Biology at Yale before working as a Healthcare Analyst for Investor AB, Ardsley Partners, Andor Capital, and Passport Capital for a combined 7 years. They leveraged this clinical experience to found 23andMe in 2006 and have served as the company's CEO since.
Salary benchmarks
We don't have enough data yet to provide salary benchmarks for this role.
Submit your salary to help other candidates with crowdsourced salary estimates.
Share this job
View 7 more jobs at 23andMe