Director of Finance

About the role

Location: Austin, TX. FLSA Status: Exempt. Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt.

CMG is a federally licensed energetics manufacturer on a mission to fill the arsenal and rebuild America's defense industrial base. Founded in 2025 and headquartered in Texas, CMG is developing next-generation automated manufacturing processes to produce military-grade explosives — including RDX, HMX, associated formulations, and load/assembly/pack services — at scale. With a robust pipeline, CMG is growing rapidly and needs financial infrastructure to match its mission. This is CMG's first Director of Finance: a true ground-floor, build-from-scratch opportunity. Today the company operates with predominantly outsourced accounting and finance support; this role takes total ownership of the accounting function, rationalizes and consolidates what exists, and builds the financial infrastructure that will carry CMG from early-stage startup to a scaled defense manufacturer — reporting directly to the CEO with a direct line to Senior Leadership and the Board. This is not a maintenance role; it has significant white space, and the right person will thrive in it, defining the function as much as executing it.

Key Responsibilities

• General Ledger & Month-End Close: own the full GL and drive a clean, timely monthly close in coordination with other partners and the executive team; produce accurate, timely financial statements (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow).
• AR/AP Management: oversee accounts receivable and payable, ensuring timely billing on government contracts and disciplined vendor payment processes.
• Government Contract Accounting: manage cost accounting and financial compliance for DoD/USG contracts, including FAR/DFARS requirements, DCAA audit readiness, and Cost Accounting Standards (CAS).
• Outsourced Provider Management: manage existing outsourced accounting relationships; assess other partners or bring responsibilities in-house as the company scales.
• Financial Controls & Compliance: establish and enforce internal controls; ensure compliance with US GAAP and federal contracting/regulatory requirements.
• Audit & Investor Reporting: prepare and manage the annual financial review; support board and investor-level reporting.
• Cash Flow & Forecasting: maintain real-time visibility into cash position; deliver rolling forecasts and variance analysis to leadership.
• Systems & Infrastructure: evaluate and implement accounting software and ERP systems appropriate for a government contractor; build the tech stack to support rapid scale.
• Team Building: recruit and develop an internal accounting team as the company grows; define the org structure and make the hiring calls.
• FP&A / Forecasting: work alongside the executive team and other strategic partners to drive long-term financial planning and analysis.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance required.
• Active CPA license.
• 4+ years of progressive accounting or finance experience, with at least 2 years in a Controller or core finance role.
• Direct experience with government contracting, specifically defense-related contracts (DoD, Army, Navy, DoE, or similar agencies).
• Working knowledge of FAR/DFARS, DCAA audit requirements, and Cost Accounting Standards (CAS).
• Proven ability to build or significantly restructure/scale an accounting function — startup or high-growth company experience is a strong plus.
• Hands-on operator: comfortable doing the work personally while building the team and systems around it.
• Strong US GAAP technical foundation and sharp attention to detail.
• High tolerance for ambiguity and a bias toward ownership.

Clearance

Clearance: Not required; an active clearance or cleared-environment experience is a plus.