Controller

About the role

We are seeking an experienced and compliance-driven Controller to lead our accounting organization. This is an exempt, full-time position based at our Northridge, CA office.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the consolidated month-end and year-end close processes, delivering timely, GAAP-compliant financial packages, partial-ESOP footnote disclosures, and variance analyses to executive leadership.
• Supervise, mentor, and develop a mid-sized accounting team, including Accounting Managers, Accountants, Billing Specialists, Payroll Administrators and AP Specialists.
• Maintain and enhance corporate internal financial control frameworks to mitigate risk and safeguard corporate assets.
• Direct DCAA/DCMA audit readiness (including labor floor checks), manage annual incurred cost submissions, and ensure rigorous corporate compliance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).
• Apply ASC 606 standards to complex, multi-year government contracts, evaluating performance obligations, variable consideration, and over-time revenue recognition (input/output methods).
• Oversee filing of state and Federal income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes and business licenses.
• Oversee the accounting for our partial Employee Stock Ownership Plan.
• Partner with our Stock Administration team to ensure accurate accounting for stock transactions.
• Oversee the payroll administration process and ensure the timekeeping system meets strict DCAA compliance guidelines (e.g., daily time entry, employee approvals, supervisor approvals, and audit trails for labor allocations).
• Manage the accurate distribution of direct and indirect labor hours to project cost codes and indirect rate pools for accurate billing and incurred cost tracking.
• Drive process improvements, automate accounting workflows, and optimize financial and timekeeping systems to support growing transaction volumes and complex contract structures.
• Ensure robust project and cost accounting frameworks are maintained to enable tracking of labor utilization and margins across multiple funding structures (FFP, CPFF, T&M).
• Manage the preparation of short-term and annual cash flow forecasts.
• Support the Finance organization in the development and monitoring of indirect rates by providing accurate cost data, actuals analysis, accounting insights, and compliance oversight.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration.
• CPA, CMA, or MBA preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive accounting leadership experience, with at least 4 years explicitly managing accounting functions in a mid-size corporate environment within the GovCon/A&D sector.
• Knowledge of ESOP accounting and preferred.
• Proven expertise in applying ASC 606 within a project-based or percentage-of-completion contract environment.
• Thorough, practical understanding of FAR compliance requirements and DCAA timekeeping rules.
• Advanced proficiency with integrated GovCon ERP and timekeeping platforms (preferably Deltek Costpoint).
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills required.

Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship is required to meet position eligibility.
• Successful passage of a criminal background screen is required to meet position eligibility.
• Selected applicants will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
• Areté will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.
• Successful passage of a Department of Transportation (DOT) drug test is required to meet position eligibility.

Skills

• Compliance-driven mindset.
• Strong leadership and mentoring skills.
• Experience with financial controls and risk management.
• Expertise in accounting standards and regulations.
• Proficiency with accounting software and tools.
• Ability to manage large teams and projects.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Benefits

• Health & Wellness Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance.
• Life and Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance.
• Vision Reimbursement.
• Fitness Reimbursement.
• Financial Company-funded 5% contribution to your 401(k) retirement plan.
• Company-funded 5% contribution to your Employee Stock Ownership Plan.
• Continuing Education Funds.
• Work-Life Balance Flexible Scheduling.
• Paid Time Off (PTO).
• Paid Parental and Bereavement Leave.

What We Value

• Creativity and innovation in solving challenges.
• Integrity and responsibility in all actions.
• Collaboration across teams and specialties.
• Responsiveness in fast-paced environments.
• Passion for national security and excellence.

Experiences and Background We Look For

• (Required Skills)
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration.
• CPA, CMA, or MBA preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive accounting leadership experience, with at least 4 years explicitly managing accounting functions in a mid-size corporate environment within the GovCon/A&D sector.
• Knowledge of ESOP accounting and preferred.
• Proven expertise in applying ASC 606 within a project-based or percentage-of-completion contract environment.
• Thorough, practical understanding of FAR compliance requirements and DCAA timekeeping rules.
• Advanced proficiency with integrated GovCon ERP and timekeeping platforms (preferably Deltek Costpoint).
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills required.