Assistant Controller & Finance Lead - Drive Automation

kirkhill; Brea (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

The Assistant Controller at Kirkhill, Inc. partners with the VP of Finance to lead the accounting function in a standard-cost manufacturing environment.

You will own the close process, ensure accurate cost accounting, and deliver high-quality financial information to operations leadership and TransDigm corporate. This hands-on leadership role supervises the finance team, drives process improvements, and champions automation and AI to speed the close, improve analysis, and turn data into

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.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Skills

Detail oriented

Leadership

Problem solving

Matrixed environment

Cross-functional collaboration

MS Office

Communication skills

Government contracting knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance or related field

California CPA

MBA

Job description

The Assistant Controller at Kirkhill, Inc. partners with the VP of Finance to lead the accounting function in a standard-cost manufacturing environment.

You will own the close process, ensure accurate cost accounting, and deliver high-quality financial information to operations leadership and TransDigm corporate. This hands-on leadership role supervises the finance team, drives process improvements, and champions automation and AI to speed the close, improve analysis, and turn data into