Accounting Manager III

Aston Carter•Poway, CA

5d•$155,000 - $180,000•Hybrid

About The Position

This onsite Accounting Manager III role in San Diego leads ASC 606 revenue recognition and contract accounting for a large portfolio of approximately 300 government and commercial contracts. You will own the interpretation of complex contract structures, determine appropriate revenue treatment across fixed-price, cost-plus, and hybrid agreements, and ensure full compliance with US GAAP and ASC 606 in a highly regulated, audit-ready environment. The position combines deep hands-on technical accounting with leadership of a contract accounting team, extensive cross-functional partnership, and significant influence over financial reporting and forecasting.

Requirements

Extensive hands-on ASC 606 revenue recognition experience, including owning revenue recognition processes rather than only reviewing them.
Proven ability to clearly explain and apply point-in-time versus over-time revenue recognition and cost-to-cost/percentage-of-completion methods.
Deep contract accounting experience with direct responsibility for reading and interpreting government and commercial contracts.
Strong knowledge of and experience with fixed-price, cost-plus, and hybrid (fixed-price plus cost-plus) contract structures.
Understanding of allowable versus unallowable costs and core FAR concepts in a government contracting environment.
Demonstrated technical judgment in gray-area accounting situations, including hybrid revenue recognition decisions and contract-specific accounting treatments.
Experience drafting technical accounting white papers and internal technical memos to support complex judgments.
Leadership experience managing a team of approximately five direct reports in an accounting or finance function.
Experience working with external auditors and internal audit teams in a GAAP and ASC 606 compliant environment.
Strong Excel skills, including data manipulation and analysis to support revenue recognition and forecasting.
Experience in a commercial and government contractor environment, ideally within government or manufacturing contract accounting.
Ability to organize, plan, schedule, and coordinate workloads to meet established deadlines and milestones.
Strong communication, leadership, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to serve as a spokesperson on projects and programs.
Ability to work on a self-initiated basis and within a team environment, including in a fast-paced and highly cross-functional setting.
Typically, a bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related discipline and approximately eleven or more years of progressively complex experience in finance/accounting; the role targets roughly thirteen years of experience with deep revenue recognition expertise.
US citizenship, as required for this position.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related discipline, or equivalent experience in lieu of formal education.
CPA certification strongly preferred.
MBA in accounting or finance, CPA or CMA certification, and/or major accounting firm experience are highly desirable.
Experience negotiating accounting issues with government agencies is highly desirable.
Government and manufacturing contract accounting experience, including exposure to A&D (aerospace and defense) environments.
Exposure to DCAA audits is a plus, though not the primary focus of the role.
Experience in a SOX-controlled environment and familiarity with internal controls over financial reporting.
Experience in a stable aerospace and defense or similar highly regulated environment is advantageous.
International revenue recognition exposure is a bonus.
Demonstrated ability to balance team leadership responsibilities with deep individual technical ownership.
Proven track record supporting forecasting, EAC analysis, and financial performance tracking in partnership with FP&A and Program Finance.

Responsibilities

Own and lead the end-to-end ASC 606 revenue recognition process across a large portfolio of long-term government and commercial contracts.
Review and interpret complex contract language to determine accounting treatment, assess risk, and evaluate cash flow impacts for fixed-price, cost-plus, and hybrid agreements.
Determine appropriate revenue recognition methods, including point-in-time versus over-time and cost-to-cost/percentage-of-completion approaches.
Evaluate performance obligations, revenue timing, and contract-specific accounting treatment, particularly in gray or ambiguous areas.
Apply US GAAP and ASC 606 to diverse contract structures and ensure compliance with applicable government contracting requirements, including FAR, DFARS, and CAS where relevant.
Lead, develop, and mentor a contract accounting team of approximately five direct reports, balancing team leadership with individual technical ownership.
Support and oversee month-end close activities related to revenue, including reconciliations and preparation of financial reporting schedules.
Contribute to EAC (Estimate at Completion) forecasting, financial performance tracking, and other forecasting activities in partnership with Program Finance and FP&A.
Partner closely with FP&A, Program Finance, and Contracts teams to align contract terms, revenue treatment, and financial performance expectations.
Maintain robust, audit-ready documentation, controls, and support in a SOX-controlled environment.
Collaborate with external auditors and internal audit teams, providing clear explanations of revenue recognition judgments and contract accounting conclusions.
Support audits, including those by external firms and government-related audits, and ensure timely and accurate responses to audit requests.
Prepare or contribute to technical accounting white papers and internal technical memos to document complex revenue and contract accounting positions.
Demonstrate strong organizational, planning, scheduling, and workload coordination skills to meet established deadlines and milestones.
Serve as a subject matter expert and spokesperson on projects and programs related to revenue recognition and contract accounting.
Resolve complex management and finance/accounting issues, providing clear guidance and recommendations to leadership.
Work both independently and collaboratively, taking initiative to drive projects and improvements in processes and controls.
Travel and work extended hours as needed to meet critical deadlines and support key business and audit cycles.