Senior Accountant-Commercial Accounting

ABOUT SLATE

At Slate, we’re building safe, reliable vehicles that people can afford, personalize and love—and doing it here in the USA as part of our commitment to reindustrialization. The spirit of DIY and customization runs throughout every element of a Slate, because people should have control over how their trucks look, feel, and represent them.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Slate Auto is seeking a Senior Accountant to join our Commercial Accounting team. Reporting to the Manager, Commercial Accounting, this role is the primary executor of warranty and service parts accounting—owning the day-to-day journal entries, reconciliations, and close deliverables that support the team's warranty liability methodology and financial reporting.

As an early member of the Commercial Accounting team, you will help build foundational processes and controls that scale with the business. The ideal candidate brings strong technical accounting and warranty accounting experience, understands the downstream accounting implications of operational decisions, and partners effectively across Finance, Sales, Operations, Legal, and FP&A. This person is proactive, highly analytical, and comfortable establishing controls, solving complex accounting issues, and contributing to a high-growth automotive or EV setting—with deep technical grounding in ASC 450.

Candidates living in, or able to relocate to the Detroit metro area are preferred.

WHAT YOU GET TO DO

• Prepare and post journal entries for warranty accruals and service parts, including monthly expense accruals, claim settlements, and inventory adjustments, in support of the warranty liability methodology and procedures.
• Prepare quarterly and annual warranty accrual calculations, true-up schedules, and supporting workpapers for management review and financial statement disclosures.
• Support external audit preparation by assembling reconciliations, workpapers, and supporting schedules for warranty-related audit requests.
• Maintain and apply the warranty liability methodology—preparing roll-forwards, updating assumption inputs, and flagging shifts in claims experience for management review
• Support cross-functional initiatives with Sales, Operations, Legal, Engineering, and FP&A by providing accounting data, analysis, and conclusions that ensure warranty programs and contractual terms are accurately reflected in the financial statements.
• Partner with FP&A by providing actuals data, accounting context, and variance explanations to support warranty expense forecasting and budget development.
• Execute and continuously improve accounting processes and internal controls for warranty and service liabilities, surfacing ideas that support scalability, automation, and SOX readiness.
• Identify and escalate accounting implications of new products, services, and operational changes, and assist in documenting conclusions prior and during product launch.
• Identify and surface opportunities for process improvement within SAP, partnering with IT to enhance data accuracy, reporting, and operational insight.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance; CPA or CPA candidates preferred
• 4+ years of relevant accounting experience; public accounting experience strongly preferred
• Solid understanding of warranty and contingent liability accounting under ASC 450, with hands-on experience preparing accruals, roll-forwards, and reconciliations
• Experience with service parts or spare-parts inventory accounting under ASC 330, including COGS, reserves, and cycle-count reconciliation
• Proficiency with ERP systems (SAP preferred) and comfort working with IT on integrations and transaction flow design
• Advanced Excel skills; strong analytical mindset with close attention to detail
• Proven ability to build processes from scratch in a fast-paced, high-growth environment
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with demonstrated initiative and independent thought
• Automotive, EV, or manufacturing experience preferred
• Self-starter with a positive mindset and genuine excitement for building something from the ground up in a start-up environment
• Agile and adaptable workstyle and comfortable navigating ambiguity, shifting priorities, and evolving processes as the business scales
• Natural problem-solver who digs into complexity, asks the right questions, and finds practical solutions without waiting to be directed
• One-team mentality with an emphasis on collaboration, generous with knowledge, and motivated by shared wins over individual recognition
• Excellent communicator with the ability to translate accounting conclusions clearly for non-accounting partners and escalate issues proactively to the Manager, Commercial Accounting.

SALARY RANGE

The compensation for this position is the range Slate reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for the position taking into account the wide variety of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including job-related knowledge; skillset; experience, education and training; certifications; work location; and other relevant business and organizational factors.

Annual Base Pay Range:  $85,431 - $140,840 USD

ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Slate offers a wide range of competitive benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, vacation, and 401k. The successful candidate may also be eligible to participate in the equity program and/or a discretionary annual incentive program, subject to the rules governing such programs.

WORK AUTHORIZATION REQUIREMENT

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis.  We are unable to offer visa sponsorship at this time.

WHY JOIN TEAM SLATE?

At Slate, we’re fueled by grit, determination, and attention to detail. The start-up spirit of ingenuity and resourcefulness move our business forward. Team Slate fosters a culture of excellence, innovation, and mutual respect, and is motivated by shared principles.

• Safety First

• Delight Customers

• One Team

• Relentless Improvement

• Fast, Frugal, and Scrappy

• Respectful Collaboration

• Positive Legacy

WE WANT TO WORK WITH PEOPLE THAT REFLECT THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE OPERATE.

Slate is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, marital status, parental status, cultural background, organizational level, work styles, tenure and life experiences. Or for any other reason.

Slate is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at

[email protected].