Controller

Arete Associates•Los Angeles, CA

8d•$200,000 - $240,000•Hybrid

About The Position

At Areté, we are on the forefront of developing innovative solutions, with great minds from all backgrounds, to help solve the nation’s most complex security challenges. We strive for an inclusive, collaborative team environment that approaches differences as opportunities for innovation and excellence. As an employee-owned company, we foster an atmosphere that propels diverse career opportunities and professional growth. Discover your future with us. We are seeking an experienced and compliance-driven Controller to lead our accounting organization. In this role, you will oversee accounting, financial reporting, payroll/timekeeping and billing, ensuring full compliance with ASC 606, FAR, DFARS, and DCAA requirements. As a key financial leader in our mid-size, partially ESOP-owned business, you will manage an established accounting team, ensure strict DCAA timekeeping compliance, and navigate the unique accounting, tax structures, and reporting rules associated with shared ESOP and corporate equity ownership. This is an exempt, full-time position that may be based out of our Tucson, AZ; Falls Church, VA; Niwot, CO; or Northridge, CA offices.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration. CPA, CMA, or MBA preferred.
8+ years of progressive accounting leadership experience, with at least 4 years explicitly managing accounting functions in a mid-size corporate environment within the GovCon/A&D sector.
Knowledge of ESOP accounting and preferred.
Proven expertise in applying ASC 606 within a project-based or percentage-of-completion contract environment.
Thorough, practical understanding of FAR compliance requirements and DCAA timekeeping rules.
Advanced proficiency with integrated GovCon ERP and timekeeping platforms (preferably Deltek Costpoint).
Strong Microsoft Excel skills required.
U.S. citizenship is required to meet position eligibility.
Successful passage of a criminal background screen is required to meet position eligibility.
Selected applicants will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
Successful passage of a Department of Transportation (DOT) drug test is required to meet position eligibility.

Nice To Haves

CPA, CMA, or MBA preferred.
Knowledge of ESOP accounting and preferred.

Responsibilities

Oversee the consolidated month-end and year-end close processes, delivering timely, GAAP-compliant financial packages, partial-ESOP footnote disclosures, and variance analyses to executive leadership.
Supervise, mentor, and develop a mid-sized accounting team, including Accounting Managers, Accountants, Billing Specialists, Payroll Administrators and AP Specialists.
Maintain and enhance corporate internal financial control frameworks to mitigate risk and safeguard corporate assets.
Direct DCAA/DCMA audit readiness (including labor floor checks), manage annual incurred cost submissions, and ensure rigorous corporate compliance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).
Apply ASC 606 standards to complex, multi-year government contracts, evaluating performance obligations, variable consideration, and over-time revenue recognition (input/output methods).
Oversee filing of state and Federal income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes and business licenses.
Oversee the accounting for our partial Employee Stock Ownership Plan. Partner with our Stock Administration team to ensure accurate accounting for stock transactions.
Oversee the payroll administration process and ensure the timekeeping system meets strict DCAA compliance guidelines (e.g., daily time entry, employee approvals, supervisor approvals, and audit trails for labor allocations).
Manage the accurate distribution of direct and indirect labor hours to project cost codes and indirect rate pools for accurate billing and incurred cost tracking.
Drive process improvements, automate accounting workflows, and optimize financial and timekeeping systems to support growing transaction volumes and complex contract structures.
Ensure robust project and cost accounting frameworks are maintained to enable tracking of labor utilization and margins across multiple funding structures (FFP, CPFF, T&M).
Manage the preparation of short-term and annual cash flow forecasts.
Support the Finance organization in the development and monitoring of indirect rates by providing accurate cost data, actuals analysis, accounting insights, and compliance oversight.