Controller (Head of Finance)

AVIAN LLC • Lexington Park, MD

3d • $130,000 - $165,000 • Onsite

About The Position

AVIAN is seeking a Controller (Head of Finance) to serve as our top full-time finance leader. In this role, you will own all accounting operations, Costpoint integrity, compliant billing, and the reliability of our financial reporting. You will report directly to the CEO and work closely with our fractional CFO. This is a hands-on role in a government contracting environment. You will lead the month-end close, guide systems and process improvements, oversee compliance, and help ensure that AVIAN’s financial foundation supports our strategic objectives. If you are excited to lead a growing GovCon finance organization—owning close, systems, and compliance—in a role with significant visibility to senior leadership and upward mobility, this role is for you. Join a Company Where You Can Make a Real Impact – and Own a Piece of the Future. Are you energized by the idea of helping a company grow smarter, serve our customers better, and connect more deeply? Do you thrive in an environment where your ideas matter, your voice is heard, and your work drives real results? If so, we’d love to meet you. We’re a mid-sized, employee-owned company on a mission to create meaningful value for both our employees and our customers. That means we’re not just looking for someone to fill a seat — we’re looking for someone who wants to build, innovate, and evolve with us. Our company primarily serves the Navy and other Department of Defense clients, offering a dynamic environment where your expertise will make a difference.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• 10+ years of progressive accounting/finance experience, including at least 5 years in a government contracting environment.
• 3+ years in a Controller, Assistant Controller, or equivalent senior accounting leadership role in a GovCon services company (ideally $40M–$150M).
• Hands-on experience with Deltek Costpoint as a power user, including involvement in configuration, month-end close, and resolving accounting/system issues.
• Strong working knowledge of GAAP, FAR, and DCAA requirements, including audit support and internal control expectations for government contractors.
• Demonstrated experience improving financial processes, strengthening controls, and leading a small accounting team.

Nice To Haves

• CPA and/or MBA.
• Experience supporting bank/lender reporting, financial covenants, and board-level financial presentations.
• Experience with proposal pricing, cost volumes, and rate strategy in GovCon.
• Familiarity with other GovCon tools (e.g., WAWF/PIEE, DCMA/DCAA interactions, BI/reporting tools).

Responsibilities

• Lead accounting operations and month-end close
• Own full-cycle accounting (GL, AP, AR, payroll integration, fixed assets) and deliver timely, accurate monthly financial statements.
• Drive the company toward a consistent 10-business-day month-end close and maintain strong discipline around closing activities.
• Prepare balance sheet reconciliations and ensure a standardized close checklist is followed.
• Maintain and update accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls in alignment with GAAP, FAR, DCAA, and CAS expectations.
• Optimize Deltek Costpoint
• Take ownership of Deltek Costpoint from an accounting/finance perspective, including chart of accounts, org/project structure, indirect pools, and related configuration.
• Identify and implement improvements in Costpoint setup and usage to support accurate billing, reporting, and decision-making.
• Coordinate with any Costpoint administrators and external advisors (as needed) to implement, test, and document system changes.
• Ensure compliant billing, revenue, and GovCon controls
• Oversee preparation and review of all government invoices (FFP, T&M, cost-reimbursable), ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with contract terms and federal regulations.
• Strengthen controls around revenue recognition, cost accumulation, indirect rate application, and project closeout in a Costpoint environment.
• Maintain DCAA- and FAR-compliant accounting practices and support audits, incurred cost submissions, and other regulatory reviews.
• Provide audit/tax support
• Serve as primary point of contact for DCAA, DCMA, and external auditors;
• Coordinate and support: Incurred Cost Submissions, Forward Pricing Rate Proposals, Provisional/billing rate reviews
• Ensure timely and accurate responses to tax and audit requests.
• Coordinate with external tax advisors.
• Provide core FP&A support
• Partner with the CEO and fractional CFO on annual budgets, forecasts, and cash visibility; ensure monthly results are reconciled, explainable, and ready for management review.
• Prepare concise variance analyses and management reports that help operations leaders understand performance by contract, customer, and line of business.
• Support business development and proposals by providing cost and rate inputs, financial modeling, and oversight of cost volumes for key pursuits.
• Lead and develop the finance team
• Directly lead the accounting team (AR/billing, AP, purchasing/travel) in a dynamic, growing organization.
• Clarify roles, balance workload, cross-train staff, and improve processes to support a high-performing, resilient team.
• Build a culture of trust, transparency, and collaboration between finance, operations, contracts, and executive leadership.

Benefits

• Employee Ownership
• Real Growth
• Purpose-Driven Work
• Culture of Collaboration
• Comprehensive Benefits Package: medical, dental, and vision coverage, along with telemedicine services and a TRICARE supplement for veterans.
• Flexible Leave Benefits: flexible and paid time off, 11 paid holidays, paid sick leave, maternity and bonding leave, and military training leave.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior