Corporate Controller

Detroit Defense•Troy, MI

12h

About The Position

Detroit Defense is seeking an experienced and strategic Corporate Controller to lead the company's accounting operations, financial reporting, compliance, and internal control environment in support of a growing defense contracting and manufacturing organization. The Corporate Controller will oversee day-to-day accounting activities across both corporate and plant operations, ensure compliance with GAAP, FAR, CAS, and government contracting requirements, and support executive leadership with accurate financial analysis and operational insight. This role is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the company's financial records, leading monthly and annual close processes, managing audits, overseeing plant-level financial controls, and supporting scalable financial operations aligned with company growth objectives. The ideal candidate will possess strong technical accounting expertise, government contracting and manufacturing experience, and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, high-growth defense environment.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field
10+ years of progressive accounting and finance experience
3–5 years of leadership experience managing accounting teams
Experience in a government contracting, defense, and/or manufacturing environment
Proficiency in Costpoint ERP is required
Strong knowledge of GAAP, FAR, CAS, cost accounting, and DCAA compliance requirements
Experience with project accounting, indirect rate management, plant-level cost accounting, and inventory management
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook
Strong analytical, planning, organizational, and interpretive skills
Excellent communication and executive presentation abilities
High sense of personal ethics, integrity, and interpersonal effectiveness
Must be able to obtain a U.S. Government Secret Clearance; U.S. Citizenship required

Nice To Haves

CPA certification strongly preferred
Experience supporting a growing or private equity-backed organization
Experience leading DCAA, internal, and external audits
Familiarity with CMMC and defense industry operational environments

Responsibilities

Lead all accounting operations including general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll accounting, fixed assets, cost accounting, and plant-level financial reporting.
Oversee monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close processes to ensure timely and accurate reporting.
Prepare and review financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
Develop and maintain financial reporting packages for executive leadership and Board of Directors.
Ensure accuracy of revenue recognition, project accounting, indirect rate calculations, and contract cost allocations.
Complete and analyze financial and statistical reports reflecting plant financial position and KPIs; perform cost and operating variance analyses to identify root causes and partner with operations to drive improvement.
Monitor cash flow, working capital, and financial performance metrics.
Record receivables, reconcile monthly bank statements, and manage weekly vendor payment processes to ensure payment terms are met.
Provide overall direction and guidance for plant financial and accounting functions, ensuring consistency in financial reporting and controls across the manufacturing facility.
Support annual plant-wide physical inventory counts and daily cycle counts; perform analysis of variances identified during inventory counts to maintain inventory costs at budgeted levels.
Analyze plant capital budgets to ensure consistency with capital policy and achievement of financial results.
Maintain fixed assets and government property including recording and proper journalizing of monthly depreciation, and government-required recordkeeping per FAR.
Continuously seek to maximize resources and provide guidance on data analytics and plant metrics for continuous improvement and best practices in cost recognition and control.
Support overall plant profitability and operational success through strong analytical and variance review of facility-wide productivity, inventory reduction, and budget adherence.
Ensure compliance with FAR, CAS, DCAA, DFARS, and other government contracting regulations.
Oversee incurred cost submissions, provisional billing rates, indirect rate structures, and government audits.
Support compliance with DCAA and DCMA requirements.
Maintain adequate internal controls and accounting policies to support government contract compliance.
Coordinate responses to external audits and government financial reviews.
Lead and develop the accounting and finance team, including performance management, mentoring, and process improvement initiatives.
Establish scalable accounting processes and financial controls to support company growth and acquisitions.
Partner cross-functionally with Program Management, Contracts, HR, Operations, and Plant Management to support financial planning and operational execution.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives related to automation, reporting efficiency, and process standardization.
Support Costpoint ERP optimization and financial systems initiatives.
Manage annual financial statement audits, facilitate plant-level audit processes with internal and external auditors, and support tax activities.
Complete half-year statistical data uploads to ensure the integrity of financial accounting entity positions.
Maintain and strengthen internal control frameworks and accounting policies.
Ensure compliance with company policies, regulatory requirements, and ethical financial practices.
Identify financial risks and recommend mitigation strategies.
Assist executive leadership with budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, and strategic planning.
Support mergers, acquisitions, integrations, and due diligence activities as needed.
Provide financial insight and recommendations to support business growth and operational decision-making.