Controller

This position is for a funded start-up client seeking a full-time Controller to lead accounting and financial operations for their growing commercial and government business. Working closely with the CEO and COO, you will build the systems, processes, and financial discipline required to guide business decisions, maintain audit-ready operations, and support the company's continued growth. Location: Herndon, VA Responsibilities: Accounting and Financial Operations General ledger ownership: chart of accounts, month-end and year-end close, account reconciliations, and the accuracy of the financial statements. Accounts payable and receivable, including the vendor and billing relationships behind them. Cash management and short-term forecasting. Expense and corporate card policy administration (currently run through the COO), including Expensify workflow, approval routing, and reconciliation. Procurement Management Manage end-to-end procurement and purchase order systems, ensuring compliance with competitive bidding policies, documentation standards, and approval thresholds. Align procurement workflows with government acquisition regulations and cost management best practices. Contracts Financial Management Oversee financial performance of active contracts, including budget-to-actual tracking and profitability analysis. Collaborate with USG Project Manager to ensure accurate milestone billing, revenue recognition, and timely contract closeouts. Monitor contract-specific funding, burn rates, and potential overruns to provide proactive financial guidance. Government Cost Accounting and Compliance Timekeeping and labor cost allocation discipline appropriate to government contracts, including indirect rate structure (fringe, overhead, G&A) as the company's contract mix requires it. Audit-ready books: the documentation trail that supports both internal decision-making and external audit or a future DCAA-adjacent review. Coordination with the COO on contract-level cost reporting, invoicing, and deliverable-linked billing. Financial Planning and Reporting Lead financial modeling and margin analysis for product and service pricing to ensure profitability across distinct commercial and government revenue streams. Budgeting and forecasting, and the variance analysis that turns numbers into decisions for the CEO and COO. Board- and leadership-ready financial reporting: monthly close packages, cash runway, and burn rate. Financial modeling support for pricing, hiring, and contract bid decisions. Internal Controls Design and maintain internal controls appropriate to a scaling, audited, government-facing company: segregation of duties, approval thresholds, and documentation standards. Systems selection and administration for accounting, payroll, and expense management as the company outgrows its current tools. Requirements CPA or equivalent Controller or senior accounting management experience, ideally as the person who built the function in a small or scaling company rather than a specialist inside a mature one. Working knowledge of government contract cost accounting: FAR Part 31 cost principles, indirect rate structures, timekeeping requirements, and DCAA expectations, even if you have not yet operated under a full DCAA audit. Demonstrated ownership of controls and financial systems selection, not just bookkeeping. Systems thinking: you build the chart of accounts and controls for the company the business is becoming, not just the transaction volume it has today. Desired: Experience in aerospace, defense, or another regulated government contracting environment. Familiarity with ITAR/EAR-related financial controls.