Controller

Key Responsibilities

Financial Reporting & Close

• Lead the preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
• Own the company’s close process, ensuring timely, accurate, and scalable financial reporting while continuously improving close timelines, process quality, and operational efficiency.
• Oversee general ledger activity, account reconciliations, consolidation processes, and overall financial statement integrity.
• Develop and deliver high-quality financial reporting packages for executive leadership, the Board stakeholders, and, as applicable, Audit Committee audiences.
• Establish reporting standards, review mechanisms, and operating rhythms that support accuracy, accountability, and executive-level decision-making.

Technical Accounting

• Serve as the company’s senior technical accounting leader, owning accounting policies, technical memos, and conclusions across complex areas including revenue recognition under ASC 606, inventory, leases under ASC 842, stock-based compensation, business combinations, and other areas as the company scales.
• Monitor, assess, and lead implementation of new accounting pronouncements and evolving reporting requirements.
• Advise the CFO and executive leadership on the accounting implications of strategic initiatives, transactions, customer contracts, financing activities, acquisitions, and new business models.
• Partner with Legal, FP&A, Operations, Supply Chain, and external advisors to ensure accounting positions are well-documented, supportable, and aligned with company objectives.

External Reporting & Readiness

• Build financial reporting processes, documentation, and governance practices aligned with public-company standards and increasing external scrutiny.
• Partner with external auditors, legal counsel, and other advisors on complex reporting, disclosure, and compliance matters.
• Contribute to the company’s readiness for enhanced external reporting requirements, including preparation for future liquidity events, large-scale financing, public-company expectations, or other significant corporate milestones.
• Support the preparation of materials for Board and Audit Committee engagement, including financial reporting updates, audit matters, control environment updates, and key accounting judgments.

Audit, Tax & Compliance

• Serve as the primary executive liaison for external auditors, managing the annual audit and any interim or quarterly review processes.
• Ensure audit readiness through disciplined documentation, strong accounting processes, timely issue resolution, and a proactive approach to auditor engagement.
• Oversee tax compliance in partnership with external providers, including federal, state, local, and international filings as applicable.
• Ensure accounting and reporting processes are designed to support compliance with regulatory, contractual, and government contracting requirements where applicable.

Risk, Controls & Compliance

• Design, implement, and maintain a scalable internal control framework that supports the company’s growth, operational complexity, and reporting obligations.
• Partner with Internal Audit or equivalent functions to identify key risks, evaluate control effectiveness, and ensure appropriate mitigation strategies are in place.
• Continuously evaluate and strengthen business process controls across accounting, payroll, procurement, inventory, financial reporting, and related workflows.
• Drive a culture of compliance, accountability, and strong financial stewardship across the organization.

Leadership & Team Building

• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing accounting organization capable of supporting the company through its next stages of growth.
• Develop the accounting team structure, hiring roadmap, operating model, and career progression pathways aligned with business needs.
• Establish a culture of ownership, accuracy, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Balance executive-level leadership with hands-on execution, particularly in areas where processes, systems, or teams are still being built.
• Serve as a trusted partner to the CFO and executive team on accounting strategy, organizational design, risk management, and financial infrastructure.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner closely with FP&A to support forecasting, budgeting, performance analysis, and executive reporting.
• Collaborate with Legal on contracts, compliance matters, equity compensation, corporate governance, and transaction support.
• Work with Operations and Supply Chain on inventory accounting, cost accounting, manufacturing processes, and operational reporting.
• Support executive leadership with timely financial insights, reporting, and analysis that inform strategic decisions.
• Partner with HR on payroll, equity compensation, headcount planning, and related accounting processes.
• Act as a senior Finance partner across the organization, translating accounting and control requirements into practical, scalable business processes.

Systems & Infrastructure

• Evaluate, implement, and optimize ERP and financial systems, including NetSuite or equivalent platforms.
• Drive automation, data integrity, and scalability across accounting workflows, reporting processes, close activities, reconciliations, and financial operations.
• Ensure alignment between financial systems, operational systems, and reporting requirements.
• Lead system upgrades, integrations, and process redesign efforts as the company scales.
• Establish financial systems infrastructure that supports auditability, operational efficiency, and executive-level visibility.

Qualifications & ExperienceRequired

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field; CPA required.
• 12+ years of progressive accounting and finance experience, including senior leadership experience within a complex or high-growth environment.
• 7+ years of people management experience, including experience building, leading, and scaling accounting teams.
• Prior experience operating in a public-company environment or similarly complex, highly regulated reporting environment.
• Deep expertise in U.S. GAAP, technical accounting, financial reporting, consolidations, and internal controls.
• Proven experience designing, implementing, and scaling internal control frameworks.
• Strong experience managing external audits and serving as the senior point of contact for external auditors.
• Demonstrated ability to lead in fast-paced, high-growth environments with increasing operational and reporting complexity.
• Strong executive presence, sound judgment, and the ability to communicate effectively with senior leadership, Board stakeholders, auditors, and external advisors.

Preferred

• Big 4 public accounting background.
• Experience supporting a company through a significant liquidity event, large-scale financing, acquisition, public-company readiness process, or transition to a more complex reporting environment.
• Experience in defense technology, aerospace, manufacturing, hardware, SaaS, or hardware-enabled software environments.
• Strong background in inventory accounting, cost accounting, and manufacturing-related accounting processes.
• Experience with international entities, consolidations, and multi-entity structures.
• ERP implementation or optimization experience; NetSuite strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with government contracting requirements and related compliance frameworks.
• Experience building accounting functions in founder-led, venture-backed, or private-equity-backed companies.

Success Profile

• The successful Controller will be a strategic, hands-on finance executive who can build structure, improve rigor, and lead the accounting function through scale.
• This person will bring a builder mindset, strong technical judgment, and a bias toward action. They will be highly organized, detail-oriented, and process-driven, with the ability to create clarity in ambiguous environments.
• They will be a trusted partner to the CFO, executive team, and cross-functional leaders, capable of influencing at all levels while maintaining the highest standards of integrity, accuracy, and quality.
• Key attributes include:
• Strategic thinker with strong execution capability
• Hands-on leader with a “roll up your sleeves” mentality
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and process-oriented
• Strong communicator with executive and Board-level presence
• Builder mindset with experience creating scalable infrastructure from the ground up
• High integrity and commitment to financial accuracy, compliance, and quality
• Results-oriented leader with a track record of scaling teams, systems, and processes
• Comfortable operating in environments with increasing external scrutiny and reporting expectations
• Strong collaborator who can partner across Finance, Legal, HR, Operations, Supply Chain, and executive leadership

First 90–180 Day Priorities

• Assess the current accounting organization, systems, close process, reporting cadence, controls environment, and team capabilities.
• Identify gaps in financial reporting, audit readiness, internal controls, systems infrastructure, and scalability relative to best-in-class standards.
• Develop and begin executing a roadmap to strengthen the close process, improve reporting quality, and accelerate monthly and quarterly reporting timelines.
• Establish a prioritized internal controls and audit-readiness roadmap, including documentation standards, control ownership, and key risk areas.
• Build strong relationships with the CFO, executive team, cross-functional partners, external auditors, tax advisors, and other key stakeholders.
• Develop a team structure and hiring plan to scale the accounting organization in alignment with company growth.
• Evaluate ERP and financial systems infrastructure and define a roadmap for optimization, automation, or implementation.
• Create a clear operating rhythm for accounting, reporting, audit preparation, controls, and cross-functional finance support.