Controller - Aerospace

Controller – Aerospace/Advanced Technology Company

Location:
San Jose, CA (Hybrid; Bay Area candidates strongly preferred)

Salary:
$200,000–$300,000 Base Salary

About the Opportunity

Talentree is conducting a confidential search on behalf of an established aerospace and advanced-technology company developing mission-critical systems for the aerospace sector. The organization operates in a highly technical, regulated, and government-funded environment and requires a Controller with
public-company reporting expertise and government cost-accounting experience
.

The Controller will oversee all accounting operations, enhance internal controls, and ensure disciplined GAAP and SEC compliance. This individual will also support program-level financial visibility across commercial and government-funded contracts.

This role is essential to sustaining financial accuracy, audit readiness, and operational integrity in a complex engineering and manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Leadership & Controls

• Oversee all accounting operations including GL, AP/AR, payroll, cost accounting, revenue recognition, and month-end close.
• Establish, enhance, and enforce internal controls suitable for a public-company environment.
• Ensure GAAP compliance, accurate financial reporting, and audit-ready documentation.
• Maintain compliance with FAR/DFARS cost principles for government contracts.

SEC Reporting & Technical Accounting

• Prepare, review, and support public-company filings including
  Forms 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K
  , along with supporting schedules and disclosures.
• Draft or review
  technical accounting memos
  , including ASC 606, ASC 842, ASC 805, ASC 350, stock-based compensation, and complex transactions.
• Manage PCAOB audit processes and collaborate with external auditors and legal counsel.
• Support quarterly and annual reporting to the Audit Committee.

Corporate Valuations & Compliance

• Manage and support
  409A valuations
  , equity-related accounting, and fair-value measurement analyses.
• Assist with acquisition-related accounting, purchase-price allocations, and valuation support for corporate transactions.
• Ensure compliance with SEC, PCAOB, and federal cost-accounting regulations.

Government Cost Accounting & Program Support

• Maintain and improve
  government cost-accounting structures
  , including indirect rates, allowability, and program-level cost visibility.
• Support
  program managers, engineering, and operations
  with contract analysis, milestone revenue, cost tracking, and audit readiness for DoD/NASA contracts.
• Ensure accurate reporting for cost-reimbursable, fixed-fee, and milestone-based government programs.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Maintain and enhance ERP, cost-accounting, and project-accounting systems (NetSuite, Costpoint, SAP, or similar).
• Implement scalable frameworks for inventory costing, long-term contract accounting, and R&D capitalization.
• Improve controllership processes for a lean, high-performance finance organization.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• 8+ years of progressive accounting experience
  with
  3+ years in a Controller or Assistant Controller role
  .
• Hands-on experience in
  public-company SEC reporting
  (10-K/10-Q preparation and support).
• Strong technical accounting foundation (GAAP, ASC 606/842/805/350).
• Experience in
  government cost accounting
  , FAR/DFARS compliance, or defense/aerospace program accounting.
• Manufacturing or hardware-industry experience in a complex, engineering-driven environment.
• Ability to operate effectively in a lean, hands-on finance function.

Preferred

• CPA or equivalent certification.
• Experience supporting
  corporate valuations
  , 409A processes, fair-value accounting, or M&A activities.
• Exposure to government-funded aerospace programs (NASA, DoD, SBIR/SDA).
• ERP implementation or optimization experience (NetSuite, Costpoint, SAP).
• Bay Area residency or willingness to work hybrid in San Jose.

Who Will Succeed in This Role

• A disciplined, detail-driven Controller with
  public-company rigor
  and
  aerospace/defense cost-accounting experience
  .
• Someone who can strengthen internal controls while improving visibility into complex engineering and program cost structures.
• A finance professional comfortable partnering directly with executives, engineering, operations, and government stakeholders.
• Someone capable of maintaining readiness for PCAOB audits and SEC scrutiny while ensuring program-level financial accuracy.

Why This Role Matters

The Controller will reinforce the financial backbone of an organization working on highly complex, mission-critical aerospace programs. This position ensures that public-company reporting, government-contract compliance, and engineering-driven cost structures are managed with integrity, discipline, and transparency.

Employment Disclaimer

Talentree is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Employment decisions are based solely on qualifications, merit, and business need.