Cost Accountant

The Cost Accountant will play a key role in Oklo’s accounting function, with primary responsibility over cost identification and coding for Oklo’s capital project spend, including for plant and inventory workstreams. This role partners closely with project controllers, procurement, accounts payable, and other stakeholders to make appropriate GAAP accounting conclusions for spend, including for capitalization and GL allocation of plant and fixed asset costs. The Cost Accountant will execute internal controls supporting Oklo’s SOX environment, assist internal and external auditors, and deliver accurate monthly and quarterly close schedules. The ability to apply accounting policy consistently, investigate variances, and stay organized across a growing asset base will be a critical success factor.

A second critical aspect of this role will be managing and overseeing the Company’s fixed assets register. This role will maintain the register and ensure assets are accurately classified, supported, and placed in service on a timely basis. The Cost Accountant will also run monthly depreciation, prepare related journal entries and roll-forwards, and reconcile the fixed asset subledger to the general ledger as part of the month-end close.

Specific responsibilities may include:

• Partner with project controllers, procurement, accounts payable, and other stakeholders to review project spend for proper capitalization treatment under company policy.
• Maintain complete supporting documentation for capitalization conclusions, asset records, depreciation, and disposals in accordance with accounting policy and internal controls.
• Support internal and external audits by providing fixed asset schedules, transaction support, control evidence, and timely responses to inquiries.
• Partner with project controllers, procurement, and accounts payable to confirm asset descriptions, ownership, location, useful life, cost center, and placed-in-service status.
• Align with project team for single source of truth related to capital project portfolio reporting as empowering projects teams to focus on progressing their projects.
• Manage the capital project lifecycle, including additions, transfers, placed-in-service dates, disposals, retirements, and other changes to the fixed asset register.
• Monitor construction-in-progress balances and coordinate the timely transfer of completed projects into the appropriate fixed asset categories.
• Run monthly depreciation, validate system calculations, and prepare or post the related journal entries as part of the month-end close.
• Reconcile the fixed asset subledger to the general ledger each month and research and resolve reconciling items promptly.
• Prepare fixed asset journal entries for additions, transfers, disposals, impairments, reclassifications, and other required adjustments.
• Prepare monthly and quarterly fixed asset roll-forwards, capital expenditure schedules, and related financial reporting support.
• Coordinate periodic physical inventories and asset verification procedures and investigate identified discrepancies.
• Identify opportunities to improve and automate fixed asset accounting, capitalization review, reconciliation, and reporting processes.
• Support other accounting responsibilities and special projects as assigned as the Company’s operations and asset base continue to grow.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field
• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience, including fixed asset or cost accounting responsibilities
• Experience managing fixed asset additions, depreciation, disposals, reconciliations, and capitalization assessments
• Strong knowledge of U.S. GAAP, fixed asset accounting principles, and Microsoft Excel

Bonus Qualifications:

• Experience using NetSuite and NetAsset fixed asset management software
• Experience using Zip
• CPA or CMA is a plus
• Master’s degree in accountancy
• Fast growth startup or public company experience

Competencies

• Analytical - reviews transaction detail, identifies capitalization indicators, and explains changes in fixed asset balances
• Policy oriented - applies the Company’s capitalization policy and U.S. GAAP consistently and documents conclusions clearly
• Attention to detail - maintains accurate asset records, depreciation calculations, journal entries, and reconciliations
• Problem solving - researches and resolves subledger, general ledger, and asset-level discrepancies in a timely manner
• Organization - manages multiple assets, projects, schedules, and close deadlines across a growing business
• Communication - works effectively with accounting and cross-functional stakeholders to obtain support and resolve open items
• Systems proficiency - works comfortably with large transaction populations, accounting systems, and Microsoft Excel
• Process improvement - identifies practical ways to strengthen controls, improve accuracy, and streamline fixed asset processes

Critical for Oklo:

• Passionate about clean energy
• Passionate about making advanced fission a reality
• Willing and able to learn quickly
• Willing to think differently and do things in new ways
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, highly iterative startup environment
• Excited to think creatively, critically, and reflectively about the problems they are solving
• Willing to propose novel and creative solutions to technical problems
• An excellent writer in a modern active voice
• Able to communicate technical content and results verbally

Who you are:

A startup person: You aren’t driven by titles or hierarchy, and prefer efficiency to excess process. You don’t need or expect to have a lot of guidance but you enjoy working in a fast-paced team.

Motivated: You are self-motivated. You bring an enthusiasm to the team, and imbue a sense of passion that goes beyond clocking in and clocking out.

A team-player: Oklo genuinely is a team. We aren’t about taking credit for ourselves, and we aren’t about pushing blame to others.

An excellent communicator: We need a person who is not only technically competent but also a clear and upbeat communicator.

Creative: Being creative means that when things fall outside clear scopes or processes or problems arise without clear solutions, you are able to identify it as well as invent ways to solve a problem or fill a need without micromanagement.

Detail-oriented: This focus is a big part of excellence, consistency, and quality.