Assistant Controller

Kirkhill Inc.; Downtown Brea (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 195,000; Full time

Job summary

Kirkhill, Inc., located in Downtown Brea, California, seeks an Assistant Controller to partner with the VP of Finance and lead the accounting function.

You will own the close process, cost accounting in a standard-cost manufacturing environment, and ensure high-quality financial information for operations and TransDigm corporate. This hands-on leadership role includes building the finance team, reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and pricing support.

Qualifications

• Detail oriented with strong organizational and analytical abilities.
• Proven leadership with track record of developing people.
• Lead cost accounting, close processes and SOX controls.
• Experience with government contracting requirements (FAR/DFAR/CAS) preferred.
• Manufacturing experience with standard costing is required.

Responsibilities

• Own the full-cycle month-end close including journals and reconciliations.
• Prepare internal management reporting, variance analysis, and corporate submissions.
• Design and maintain a SOX-compliant internal control environment.
• Act as finance business partner to plant and operations leadership.
• Lead cost accounting, standard costs, pricing support, and ad hoc analyses.
• Identify automation opportunities and apply AI to streamline processes.

Skills

Detail oriented

Leadership

Analytical skills

Excel

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance or related field

California CPA

MBA

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Summary

The Assistant Controller is the right hand to the Vice President of Finance and the day-to-day operating leader of the accounting function. You will own the integrity of the close, the accuracy of cost accounting in a standard-cost manufacturing environment, and the quality of the financial information that flows to operations leadership and to TransDigm corporate.

This is a hands-on leadership seat, not an oversight seat. You will run the work, develop the finance team, and partner directly with business unit and operations leaders. This role will also be responsible for cost accounting, financial and operational reporting, internal controls, financial/cost analysis, budgeting, forecasting and pricing and proposal support. You will interpret detailed cost and accounting information, discuss and review data with the leadership team and provide recommendations regarding the efficient utilization of resources while participating in the decision-making process.

This role is expected to help lead the effort in implementing process automations and the use of AI to find manual work eliminations, simplification of processes and to build better ways to turn data into decisions.

Primary Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Month-end / quarter-end / year-end close – own the full cycle close process, including journal entries, reconciliations, accruals and the consolidated reporting package delivered on a timeline.
• Financial Reporting – prepare and review internal management reporting, variance analysis, and corporate submissions; provide explanations for trends and variances.
• Design, document, and own the internal control environment in a SOX-compliant public-company setting; maintain segregation of duties, support audits, and remediate deficiencies before they become findings.
• Serve as the point of contact for internal and external audit requests; manage the process, resolve findings, and close gaps.
• Own standard cost set-up, annual cost rolls, and the maintenance of accurate costing across SKUs and BOMs.
• Ensure accurate valuation, cycle count/physical inventory integrity, reserves, and reconciliation to the GL.
• Analyze and explain purchase price variance (PPV), manufacturing/ labor/overhead variances, and margin by product line; turn variances into actions.
• Partner with operations to understand cost drivers and surface productivity opportunities to control and reduce spending.
• Act as a finance business partner to business unit managers and the operations team, in the plant and in the data, to drive productivity actions and decision-making.
• Improve the speed, accuracy, and usefulness of reporting and information across the business; replace manual effort with better processes.
• Actively look for opportunities to automate manual work and apply new tools, including AI, to speed the close, sharpen analysis, and improve information.
• Supervise, coach, and hold accountable the finance team; set standards and raise the bar.
• Create bandwidth and backup that lets the finance function scale without adding headcount.
• Evaluate capital requests beyond payback and ROI, stress‑test the productivity and savings case, and audit projects after implementation to confirm the promised productivity was achieved.
• Train and coach non‑financial managers, explain financial concepts in plain terms, and proactively surface the right month‑end observations to the right people at the right time.
• Obtain and maintain a thorough understanding of the financial reporting and general ledger structure
• Prepare ad hoc analysis as required.

Qualifications

• Detail oriented, with exceptional organizational and analytical skills.
• Demonstrate leadership skills and abilities
• Demonstrate ability to formulate solutions and resolve issues in timely manner.
• Ability to work effectively in a complex and matrixed environment
• Excellent customer services skills building effective cross-functional partnerships.
• Strong proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Experience with government contracting requirements including applicable regulations of FAR, DFAR, TINA and CAS, preferred.

Education/Previous Experience Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance or related field.
• California CPA and/or MBA is a plus.
• Minimum of 5 years of cost accounting, accounting systems and financial analysis in a manufacturing environment operating a standard costing system. (Preferably in Aerospace, Defense or automotive)
• Supervisory experience required, a track record of developing people is a plus
• Advanced Excel for financial analysis, modeling and reporting
• Demonstrated full-cycle close ownership and strong technical GAAP foundation
• Demonstrated ability to operate in a SOX environment – setting up, documenting, and managing appropriate internal controls, not merely supporting an audit from the sidelines.

Kirkhill, Inc. is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. All successful candidates must submit to post offer pre-employment physical examination, drug/alcohol screen and background check as a condition of employment.