Director of Finance

Critical Materials Group

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

CMG is a federally licensed energetics manufacturer on a mission to fill the arsenal and rebuild America's defense industrial base. Founded in 2025 and headquartered in Texas, CMG is developing next-generation automated manufacturing processes to produce military-grade explosives — including RDX, HMX, associated formulations, and load/assembly/pack services — at scale. With a robust pipeline, CMG is growing rapidly and needs financial infrastructure to match its mission. This is CMG's first Director of Finance: a true ground-floor, build-from-scratch opportunity. Today the company operates with predominantly outsourced accounting and finance support; this role takes total ownership of the accounting function, rationalizes and consolidates what exists, and builds the financial infrastructure that will carry CMG from early-stage startup to a scaled defense manufacturer — reporting directly to the CEO with a direct line to Senior Leadership and the Board. This is not a maintenance role; it has significant white space, and the right person will thrive in it, defining the function as much as executing it.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance required.
Active CPA license.
4+ years of progressive accounting or finance experience, with at least 2 years in a Controller or core finance role.
Direct experience with government contracting, specifically defense-related contracts (DoW, Army, Navy, DoE, or similar agencies).
Working knowledge of FAR/DFARS, DCAA audit requirements, and Cost Accounting Standards (CAS).
Proven ability to build or significantly restructure/scale an accounting function — startup or high-growth company experience is a strong plus.
Hands-on operator: comfortable doing the work personally while building the team and systems around it.
Strong US GAAP technical foundation and sharp attention to detail.
High tolerance for ambiguity and a bias toward ownership.

Nice To Haves

An active clearance or cleared-environment experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

Own the full GL and drive a clean, timely monthly close in coordination with other partners and the executive team; produce accurate, timely financial statements (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow).
Oversee accounts receivable and payable, ensuring timely billing on government contracts and disciplined vendor payment processes.
Manage cost accounting and financial compliance for DoD/USG contracts, including FAR/DFARS requirements, DCAA audit readiness, and Cost Accounting Standards (CAS).
Manage existing outsourced accounting relationships; assess other partners or bring responsibilities in-house as the company scales.
Establish and enforce internal controls; ensure compliance with US GAAP and federal contracting/regulatory requirements.
Prepare and manage the annual financial review; support board and investor-level reporting.
Maintain real-time visibility into cash position; deliver rolling forecasts and variance analysis to leadership.
Evaluate and implement accounting software and ERP systems appropriate for a government contractor; build the tech stack to support rapid scale.
Recruit and develop an internal accounting team as the company grows; define the org structure and make the hiring calls.
Work alongside the executive team and other strategic partners to drive long-term financial planning and analysis.