Controller — Aerospace & Defense / Government Contracting

Quest Defense Systems & Solutions, Inc.•Cincinnati, OH

1d•$160,000 - $185,000•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 ensuring financial integrity and compliance within a government contracting context.

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.
Aerospace & Defense/DoD/federal engineering services experience.
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.

Nice To Haves

CPA strongly preferred.
Other GovCon ERPs valued.
Scaled accounting infrastructure for a growing Defense contractor; mix of government and commercial revenue.
Subsidiary/intercompany accounting; CAS-covered environments and Disclosure Statements; M&A/ERP transformation.
EVMS exposure; advanced Excel and financial modeling; familiarity with BI tools (e.g., Power BI) and Resource Planning tools.
Hands-on leader who translates complex GovCon requirements for program teams; builds scalable systems and controls; maintains integrity and confidentiality across classified/CUI environments; understands how accounting decisions affect compliance, rates, pricing, billing, profitability, and execution.

Responsibilities

Lead as the primary point of contact for DCAA/DCMA, maintaining FAR/DFARS/CAS-compliant policies, internal controls, and accounting systems. Respond to audits and drive corrective actions.
Own fringe/overhead/G&A pools and allocation bases; set Provisional Billing Rates; monitor variances; develop forward pricing rates and proposals; reconcile billed vs. final rates.
Prepare and submit annual ICP/ICS; produce ICE schedules with GL tie-out and documentation; manage final rate negotiations, billing adjustments, and closeouts.
Configure and optimize Unanet ERP for Government Contracting (projects/contracts, cost pools, rates, labor categories, timekeeping, billing, revenue recognition); integrate across accounting, contracts, PM, and forecasting; govern workflows and role-based access.
Manage GL, AP/AR, billing (government/commercial), payroll accounting, cash, fixed assets, and project accounting. Drive timely close; produce GAAP financials and management reports; ensure appropriate revenue recognition and reconciliations; coordinate external audits and tax.
Ensure accurate project setup per contracts/CLINs/Tos/POs; monitor funding, LoF/LoC, burn rates, backlog, revenue/margin, ETC/EAC; optimize invoicing, support modifications and closeouts.
Partner with VP Finance and Delivery to build budgets and forecasts; develop indirect expense budgets and rate forecasts; connect backlog/pipeline to staffing; track utilization and indirect staffing; run scenario models on mix, volume, and investments.
Support proposal pricing with indirect rates and accounting inputs; prepare certified cost/pricing data when applicable; align pricing with accounting practices; support fact-finding, negotiations, and audits.