Controller - Austria

About Tempo

Based in San Diego, California, Tempo develops thermochemical energy storage (TCES) systems designed for energy-intensive industries. The platform enables industrial operators to shift energy use over time by sourcing power when it is most cost-effective and enables the electrification of high-temperature industrial heat at a cost advantage to using fossil fuels. By storing electricity thermochemically, the system delivers a continuous stream of combustion-free, high-temperature air at up to 1,200°C.

Tempo is backed by leading climate and energy investors, including Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Khosla Ventures, and Prelude Ventures.

For more information, visit www.tempoenergy.com.

Role Summary

Tempo is seeking a Senior Accountant / Finance Manager (m/w/d) to join its Austrian subsidiary, Tempo Energy Innovations GmbH, based in Dornbirn, Vorarlberg. This is a fully remote, permanent position, available full-time at 38.5 hours per week; a part-time arrangement from 30 hours per week is negotiable. The role reports to the Director of Finance & Accounting in the United States and is expected to begin as soon as possible. Both German and English are required as working languages.

The Senior Accountant / Finance Manager will serve as the sole owner of the finance function for Tempo's Austrian entity, with end-to-end responsibility for accounting, payroll, tax, purchasing, and EU grant reporting. This is an individual contributor role, working in close coordination with the Director of Finance & Accounting in the United States and alongside Tempo's external Steuerberater and payroll provider.

Responsibilities

Accounting and Month-End Close

• Own AP, AR, GL, bank and credit card reconciliations, fixed assets and depreciation, accruals, prepaids, and inventory and WIP for prototype and pilot builds.
• Close monthly to the group calendar: reconcile all balance sheet accounts and deliver the close package on deadline.
• Maintain multi-currency accounting (EUR functional, USD group reporting), FX revaluation, and intercompany balances with the US parent and Spanish holding entity.
• Prepare the Jahresabschluss under UGB with our Steuerberater, plus the bridge to US GAAP for group consolidation.
• Deliver monthly management reporting by cost centre and project.
• Support the group audit: PBC schedules, sample support, documentation.

Payroll

• Run the monthly Lohnverrechnung cycle with our external provider; review the payroll register and post payroll journals.
• Administer ÖGK and ELDA filings, Lohnsteuer, DB, DZ, and Kommunalsteuer.
• Maintain employee master data, leave accruals, expense reimbursements, Taggeld and Nächtigungsgeld.
• Allocate personnel cost by project, work package, and cost centre.
• Handle cross-border employment matters with the US team, including A1 certificates and posted-worker filings.

Tax and Statutory Compliance

• File UVA, Zusammenfassende Meldung, and Intrastat via FinanzOnline.
• Apply reverse-charge and intra-community treatment to cross-border purchases across Austria, Germany, Spain, and the US.
• Coordinate Körperschaftsteuer returns and advance payments with external advisors.
• Maintain intercompany and transfer pricing documentation for cost-plus service arrangements.
• Prepare the annual Forschungsprämie claim, including the FFG Jahresgutachten and supporting cost documentation.
• Own the statutory filing calendar.

Purchasing and Procurement

• Run procure-to-pay in NetSuite: requisitions, purchase orders, blanket POs, receipts, and three-way match.
• Act as first-line reviewer for Austrian requisitions, purchase orders, and vendor bills under the purchasing policy and approval authority matrix.
• Onboard and maintain vendor master data: UID validation, bank verification, tax status, sanctions screening.
• Manage payment runs, supplier terms, and Austrian cash requirements; feed group treasury forecasting.
• Track committed and actual spend against budget and grant work packages, including long-lead capital equipment and refractory materials.

EU Grant Accounting and Reporting

• Own financial administration for EU and national grant-funded projects, including Horizon Europe.
• Track grant cost by work package and eligible cost category: personnel, equipment, subcontracting, other direct costs, indirect flat rate.
• Prepare periodic cost claims and Financial Statements in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; ensure personnel-cost methodology, timesheets, and depreciation comply with the Model Grant Agreement.
• Manage Certificates on the Financial Statements where thresholds are triggered.
• Act as financial contact for funding bodies and consortium partners, including FFG and aws.
• Keep grant documentation audit-ready and support grant audits.

Systems and Process

• Operate NetSuite as system of record (multi-subsidiary, multi-currency, multi-book): saved searches, reports, approval workflows, SuiteProcurement.
• Build, document, and automate Austrian finance process with the Director of Finance & Accounting.

Required Qualifications

• Bilanzbuchhalter under the BiBuG, or equivalent qualification in accounting, finance, or controlling (HAK/HLW, FH, university).
• Five or more years of full-cycle accounting in Austria, including sole responsibility for a legal entity’s books and the Jahresabschluss under UGB.
• Working command of Austrian payroll and payroll tax.
• Practical command of Austrian and EU VAT: intra-community supplies, acquisitions, reverse charge.
• Professional fluency in German and English.
• Advanced Excel; ERP-native rather than spreadsheet-dependent.
• Authorisation to work in Austria.

Preferred Qualifications

• EU grant financial reporting (Horizon Europe or Horizon 2020, EU Innovation Fund, FFG or aws programmes), including periodic cost claims and grant audit experience.
• US GAAP and reporting into a US parent company.
• Manufacturing or capital-equipment environment: inventory, work orders, WIP.
• Personalverrechner certification.
• Startup or scale-up experience, ideally hardware.

Physical Demands

• Sitting and standing: Extended periods at a desk performing computer-based design, simulation, and documentation work, balanced with time at a lab bench or in the shop during hardware build and testing
• Lifting and carrying : Lift and carry equipment, test fixtures, or hardware assemblies up to 50 lbs.; heavier items handled with mechanical assistance or team lift
• Hand dexterity: Frequent use of hands for assembly, fabrication, instrumentation hookup, and operation of test and shop equipment
• Visual acuity: Ability to read engineering drawings, inspect hardware, and identify dimensional and surface quality features during fabrication and testing
• PPE compliance: Ability to wear and work effectively in required personal protective equipment, including safety glasses, heat-resistant gloves, safety shoes, and other appropriate gear in high-temperature lab and shop environments
• Safety acumen: Demonstrated understanding of lab and shop safety protocols, including hazard recognition and risk mitigation in environments involving high-temperature equipment, energized systems, and fabrication machinery
• Travel: Occasional travel (estimated <5%) for tool or material pickup

Working at Tempo

Tempo is a lean organization working on exciting challenges, and the people who thrive here share a few things in common beyond their technical skills.

• Clear, direct communication: You professionally say what you mean, lead with empathy, use tact, ask when you're unsure, and keep the people around you informed without being asked. At a company our size, communication gaps are expensive, and good communicators add to success and efficiency!
• Low-ego helpfulness: You're willing to jump in on work that isn't strictly yours, whether that's helping a teammate debug something, lending a hand in the shop, or flagging an issue you noticed outside your lane. No one here succeeds in a silo.
• Intellectual curiosity: You're genuinely interested in how things work, not just your piece of it, but the broader system. Tempo sits at the intersection of chemistry, mechanical engineering, power electronics, and software; the more you understand about the whole, the more valuable you become.
• Business awareness: You understand that your work exists in a business context. You think about cost, timeline, and tradeoffs—not just technical elegance—and you make decisions accordingly.
• Comfort with ambiguity: Processes here are still being built. You can make progress without a perfect playbook, and you know when to ask for direction versus when to use your judgment and move forward.
• Accountability: You own your outcomes, including the misses. When something goes sideways, the instinct here is to fix it and learn from it, not to explain why it wasn't your fault. 

This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the position and is not an exhaustive list of duties, responsibilities, or qualifications. Tempo reserves the right to modify, add, or remove responsibilities as business needs evolve. Employees may be asked to perform duties outside of those listed above from time to time.

Tempo is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.  Tempo participates in E-Verify. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check including employment and education check. 

California Privacy Notice (CCPA) - In connection with your application, Tempo collects personal information that you voluntarily provide, such as your name, contact information, employment history, and other information relevant to your candidacy. This information is collected and used solely for the purpose of evaluating your application and administering the hiring process. Tempo does not sell applicants' personal information. For more information about your rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), please contact HR.

Tempo does not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate profiles from external recruiters, staffing agencies, or third-party search firms. Submission of unsolicited resumes by any external agency — whether to a Tempo employee, hiring manager, or any other representative — does not constitute or imply an agreement for placement fees, and Tempo will not be responsible for any fees related to unsolicited submissions under any circumstances. Any candidate submitted without a prior, fully executed, written fee agreement between the agency and Tempo's Human Resources department will be deemed the sole property of Tempo. Tempo reserves the right to pursue and hire such candidates without obligation to the submitting agency.