Assistant Controller

Arbor Energy•El Segundo, CA

9d•$165,000 - $190,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Controller will be the first team member reporting to the Controller and will own day-to-day accounting from end to end, including the close, general ledger, state and federal grant compliance, and the work of an outsourced accounting partner. As Arbor Energy moves from research and development toward commercial manufacturing and project deployment, the role will help build accounting capabilities for a new ERP, manufacturing cost accounting, and multi-year equipment commitments. The position is described as a path to Controller and is an in-person opportunity at the company's El Segundo, California headquarters.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Accounting.
Experience in a capital-intensive industry, such as power generation, energy, aerospace, hardware, or advanced manufacturing.
At least 7 years of progressive accounting experience, including at least 2 years in public accounting audit.
At least 2 years of hands-on accounting for federal awards, grants, cooperative agreements, or government contracts, including cost allowability, drawdowns, federal financial reporting, and audit support.
Experience owning a month-end close end to end.
Strong US GAAP knowledge, including fixed assets, capitalization, and accruals for long-term contracts.
Experience managing or directing the work of others, including outsourced or offshore accounting teams.
Advanced Excel skills, such as XLOOKUP, pivot tables, and Power Query or similar.
Clear written and verbal communication with executives and engineering, operations, and commercial teams.
Resourcefulness and comfort moving between detailed execution and building new processes in a fast-moving environment.

Nice To Haves

Active CPA license.
Big Four accounting firm audit experience.
Experience with DOE financial assistance awards, including DOE for-profit compliance audits.
Experience with FAR Part 31 cost principles, DCAA audits, indirect rate proposals, or incurred cost submissions.
Hands-on ERP implementation experience, including data migration and testing.
Manufacturing cost accounting experience, including inventory, standard costing, and variance analysis.
ASC 842 lease accounting and ASC 606 revenue recognition experience.
Startup experience, ideally at a venture-backed company.
Experience at a company moving from R&D to commercial manufacturing, or with project finance and infrastructure development accounting.
Multi-entity accounting and consolidation experience.
A track record of automating close and reporting work, including with AI tools.

Responsibilities

Own the monthly, quarterly, and year-end close, including the close calendar, journal entries, accruals, prepaids, and account reconciliations.
Prepare US GAAP financial statements for Controller review, and produce budget-versus-actual and flux reports with clear explanations of drivers.
Maintain the general ledger and chart of accounts, including department, project, and award tracking.
Manage financial compliance for state and federal awards, including DOE financial assistance awards and SBIR grants.
Track allowable and unallowable costs by award under 2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 910, and FAR Part 31; prepare drawdowns, reimbursement requests, SF-425 reports, and cost-share tracking.
Build and operate timekeeping and labor-charging processes, support indirect cost rates and rate proposals, coordinate grant audits and reviews, and run award closeouts.
Manage the outsourced accounting partner, including an offshore team supporting payroll, accounts payable, and the close; set standards, review deliverables, and monitor quality and timeliness.
Bring work in-house or automate it when doing so is faster or more accurate.
Own accounts payable, including high-volume invoice processing and the weekly pay run; track long-term vendor commitments, milestone-based accruals, payment schedules, spend, and open commitments against approved budgets.
Build invoicing and accounts receivable processes as commercial revenue begins, and support revenue recognition under ASC 606.
Maintain the fixed asset register, asset tagging, depreciation, and construction in progress; apply capitalization policy and track actual capital expenditures against approved budgets.
Own equipment lease accounting under ASC 842 and help build inventory and manufacturing cost accounting, including raw materials, work in process, finished goods, standard costs, and variance reporting.
File sales and use tax and business property tax returns, manage 1099 reporting, and provide information to outside tax preparers.
Prepare the books for the company's first financial statement audit, including supporting accounts, schedules, and documentation.
Operate and document internal controls, including payment approvals and banking controls, with a view to future SOX readiness.
Support investor and lender diligence requests with accurate, timely schedules.
Lead aspects of the ERP implementation replacing QuickBooks Online, including requirements, data migration, testing, and approval workflows.
Administer Ramp and accounting systems, reconcile payroll and benefits through TriNet, and document processes.
Use automation and AI tools to shorten the close and reduce manual work.
Deliver accurate actuals for forecasting, planning, and board materials; prepare bank reconciliations and regular cash balance reports for the Controller.
Partner with engineering, procurement, and program leads on purchasing, award budgets, and cost coding.