Controller

Swarm Aero; Oxnard (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Meaningful equity

Competitive base salary

Medical, dental, vision, and 401k

PTO and paid sick leave

Monthly wellness stipend

Daily catered lunch (office)

Paid parental leave

Direct impact on a national security使命

World-class engineering team

Job summary

Swarm Aero is seeking its first Controller to build the accounting function from the ground up, owning the close process, GAAP financials, and government contract compliance. You will manage cost accounting for hardware manufacturing and oversee ERP systems as we scale.

You will report to leadership and work with Operations, Supply Chain and Program teams, building the framework that enables rapid growth and long-term financial integrity.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive accounting experience with at least 2 years as a Controller, Assistant Controller, or accounting leader.
• CPA strongly preferred.
• Hardware, manufacturing, or aerospace and defence industry experience with real inventory and cost accounting exposure.
• ERP ownership experience; NetSuite implementation or administration is a strong plus.
• Government contract accounting exposure: CLINs, cost-type and fixed-price contracts, FAR/DFARS, DCAA.
• Builder's mindset; proven ability to write or implement playbooks.

Responsibilities

• Own the monthly close end to end and drive it faster and cleaner every quarter.
• Own GAAP financials, the general ledger, and account reconciliations.
• Build and run cost accounting for hardware manufacturing, including inventory, WIP, standard costs, and variance analysis across Oxnard and Arkansas operations.
• Own our ERP and accounting systems, including implementation and administration.
• Stand up government contract accounting: CLIN tracking, cost segregation, and compliance with FAR and DFARS expectations.
• Build toward DCAA audit readiness, including timekeeping, indirect rate structures, and an approved accounting system.
• Own AP, expense administration and payroll operations.
• Design internal controls that scale with headcount and contract volume.
• Prepare for and manage the company's first financial audits.
• Support FP&A and leadership with accurate, timely actuals.

Skills

GAAP accounting

Cost accounting

ERP ownership

NetSuite

Government contract accounting

Audit readiness

Payroll operations

Internal controls

Financial reporting

Team leadership

Education

CPA

Tools

NetSuite

Job description

Swarm Aero is redefining air power, building the largest swarming UAV and the most versatile swarming aircraft network in the world. The company is moving quickly to launch the first aircraft designed specifically for swarming, as well as the Command & Control software to mobilize swarms of thousands of heterogeneous autonomous assets and empower human operators to achieve superhuman results.

The team has created and exited multiple startups, negotiated defense deals worth billions of dollars, and designed and built 30+ novel aircraft, with aerospace experience from Scaled Composites, Airbus, Archer Aviation, Blue Origin, and Boom Supersonic.

The Opportunity

We are hiring our first Controller. This is not a caretaker role. You will build the accounting function from the ground up: the close process, the controls, the systems, and the playbook that everything after you gets built on.

You will own the numbers for a company that designs, builds, and flies aircraft. That means real cost accounting, real inventory, and real government contract compliance. As we scale manufacturing and win larger programs, the infrastructure you put in place will determine how fast we can move.

You will report to company leadership and work directly with Operations, Supply Chain, and Program teams. You will have support, but you will not have a big team on day one. You will do the work and build the team behind you.

What You Will Do

• Own the monthly close end to end and drive it faster and cleaner every quarter
• Own GAAP financials, the general ledger, and account reconciliations
• Build and run cost accounting for hardware manufacturing, including inventory, WIP, standard costs, and variance analysis across our Oxnard and Arkansas operations
• Own our ERP and accounting systems, including implementation and administration
• Stand up government contract accounting: CLIN tracking, cost segregation, and compliance with FAR and DFARS expectations
• Build toward DCAA audit readiness, including timekeeping, indirect rate structures, and an approved accounting system
• Own AP, expense administration and payroll operations
• Design internal controls that scale with headcount and contract volume
• Prepare for and manage the company's first financial audits
• Support FP&A and leadership with accurate, timely actuals

What We Are Looking For

• 8+ years of progressive accounting experience with at least 2 years as a Controller, Assistant Controller, or accounting leader
• CPA strongly preferred
• Hardware, manufacturing, or aerospace and defense industry experience, with real inventory and cost accounting exposure
• Experience at a smaller or earlier-stage operation where you had to understand the reasoning behind practices, not just execute an established process
• ERP ownership experience. NetSuite implementation or administration is a strong plus
• Government contract accounting exposure is strongly preferred: CLINs, cost-type and fixed-price contracts, FAR/DFARS, DCAA
• A builder's mindset. You have written the playbook before, or you are ready to write your first one

Nice to Have

• Experience taking a company through its first audit
• Experience standing up an approved accounting system for government contracting
• Startup experience through a Series B or C scale-up

What We Offer

• Meaningful equity in a high-growth defense technology company
• Competitive base salary commensurate with experience
• Medical, dental, vision, and 401k
• PTO and paid sick leave
• Monthly wellness stipend
• Daily catered lunch (office)
• Paid parental leave
• Direct impact on a critical national security mission
• A world-class team of engineers and operators solving genuinely hard problems