Controller — Aerospace & Defense / Government Contracting

Quest Defense Systems & Solutions•Cincinnati, OH

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

Quest Defense Systems and Solutions is seeking a hands-on Controller with extensive experience in accounting operations, government contract accounting, financial reporting, indirect rates, and DCAA/DCMA compliance. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of establishing and maintaining a DCAA-compliant environment, supporting both classified and unclassified contracts, developing indirect rate structures, budgets, and forecasts, preparing incurred cost submissions, and leading government audits. This role is crucial for a growing Defense contractor aiming to scale its accounting infrastructure and manage complex government contracting requirements.

Requirements

8–10+ years of progressive accounting/finance experience in Government Contracting.
Controller-level experience within a U.S. Government contractor.
Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance.
Hands-on Unanet design and implementation experience required.
Experience in Aerospace & Defense/DoD/federal engineering services.
Advanced knowledge of FAR Part 31, DFARS, CAS applicability, DCAA audits, U.S. GAAP, and government cost accounting.
Experience with contract types: T&M, FFP, IDIQ/Task Orders, and similar instruments. Cost Plus/Reimbursable is preferred.
U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain/maintain required clearance; experience with classified programs.
CPA strongly preferred.

Nice To Haves

Scaled accounting infrastructure for a growing Defense contractor.
Mix of government and commercial revenue.
Subsidiary/intercompany accounting.
CAS-covered environments and Disclosure Statements.
Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)/ERP transformation experience.
Earned Value Management System (EVMS) exposure.
Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills.
Familiarity with Business Intelligence (BI) tools (e.g., Power BI) and Resource Planning tools.
Ability to translate complex GovCon requirements for program teams.
Experience building scalable systems and controls.
Ability to maintain integrity and confidentiality across classified/CUI environments.
Understanding of how accounting decisions affect compliance, rates, pricing, billing, profitability, and execution.

Responsibilities

Lead as the primary point of contact for DCAA/DCMA, ensuring compliance with FAR/DFARS/CAS policies, internal controls, and accounting systems. Respond to audits and implement corrective actions.
Manage fringe, overhead, and G&A pools and their allocation bases. Set Provisional Billing Rates, monitor variances, develop forward pricing rates and proposals, and reconcile billed versus final rates.
Prepare and submit annual Incurred Cost Proposals (ICP/ICS). Produce ICE schedules with General Ledger (GL) tie-outs and documentation. Manage final rate negotiations, billing adjustments, and closeouts.
Own and optimize the Unanet ERP system for Government Contracting (GovCon), including projects/contracts, cost pools, rates, labor categories, timekeeping, billing, and revenue recognition. Integrate across accounting, contracts, project management, and forecasting functions. Govern workflows and role-based access.
Manage GL, Accounts Payable/Receivable (AP/AR), billing (government/commercial), payroll accounting, cash, fixed assets, and project accounting. Drive timely month-end closes, produce Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) financial statements and management reports, ensure appropriate revenue recognition and reconciliations, and coordinate external audits and tax filings.
Ensure accurate project setup per contracts, CLINs, Terms of Delivery (Tos), and Purchase Orders (POs). Monitor funding, Letter of Financial Commitment (LoF)/Letter of Credit (LoC), burn rates, backlog, revenue/margin, and Estimate to Complete/Estimate at Completion (ETC/EAC). Optimize invoicing and support contract modifications and closeouts.
Partner with the VP of Finance and Delivery to build budgets and forecasts. Develop indirect expense budgets and rate forecasts. Connect backlog/pipeline to staffing needs and track utilization and indirect staffing. Run scenario models for mix, volume, and investments.
Support proposal pricing with indirect rates and accounting inputs. Prepare certified cost and pricing data when applicable. Align pricing with accounting practices and support fact-finding, negotiations, and audits.