Controller

Society of Defense Financial Management; Reston, Northern (VA, KY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Society of Defense Financial Management in Reston, VA seeks a Controller / Director of Accounting with hands-on leadership to modernize accounting operations, accelerate close cycles, and build scalable financial infrastructure for rapid growth and potential exit. The role requires US citizenship and the ability to obtain a security clearance.

You will own US GAAP, ASC 606, internal controls, and liaison with auditors, while guiding PE-backed financial reporting to executives and lenders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance required.
• CPA license required.
• 8+ years of progressive corporate accounting experience, with 3+ years in a senior management role.
• PE-backed company experience preferred.
• Defense contracting experience helpful but not required.
• Hands-on, builder mentality to establish clean processes.

Responsibilities

• Modernize, accelerate, and oversee all corporate accounting operations and close processes.
• Lead US GAAP, ASC 606, and complex transactions.
• Establish and maintain internal controls and SOPs for an agile PE-backed portfolio.
• Coordinate year-end audits with external auditors and ensure documentation.
• Deliver comprehensive financial packages to executives, PE sponsors, and lenders.
• Support liquidity management, working capital optimization, cash flow forecasting, and debt covenants.
• Mentor and scale the accounting organization and drive system improvements.
• Collaborate with IT to evaluate or migrate finance systems for scale.

Skills

PE experience

GAAP knowledge

Leadership

Close management

ASC 606

Financial planning

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance

CPA license

MBA / Master’s preferred

Job description

SourceFactor's client is a small and growing PE-backed technology solutions company based in Reston, VA. The company is a highly profitable organization serving clients in a wide variety of industries, including large enterprise and national security.

We're helping them find a Controller / Director of Accounting who has hands-on experience leading the accounting function for a PE-backed entity. This role is on-site in Reston, VA.

The focus is on a hands-on \"builder\" who can institutionalize accounting operations, optimize cash flow, accelerate close timelines, and prepare the financial infrastructure for rapid scale, M&A integration, and eventual exit.

This role requires US citizenship, and the ability to obtain a security clearance.

Core Responsibilities

Financial Operations & High-Growth Scale

• Modernize, accelerate, and oversee all corporate accounting operations, managing the month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close processes to ensure institutional-grade financial reporting
• Serve as the internal authority on US GAAP, complex corporate transactions, equity-based compensation, and revenue recognition under ASC 606
• Establish, implement, and maintain robust internal control structures, accounting policies, and standard operating procedures tailored for an agile, private equity-backed portfolio company
• Act as the primary liaison for top-tier external auditors, coordinating year-end financial audits and ensuring flawless, institutional-grade documentation

Private Equity Reporting & Strategic Finance

• Deliver high-quality, comprehensive financial packages to executive leadership, private equity sponsors, and lenders
• Provide critical operational support for strategic initiatives, including pre-close financial due diligence, working capital calculations, and post-acquisition accounting integrations
• Assist the CFO in managing liquidity, working capital optimization, cash flow forecasting, and debt covenant compliance monitoring

Leadership & Systems Innovation

• Mentor, coach, and scale the accounting organization, building depth, cross-training, and a culture of continuous development
• Partner with IT and business leaders to evaluate, optimize, or migrate accounting systems to support commercial software, manufacturing, or hardware deployment tracking at scale

Qualifications & Experience

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance required; Master's degree or MBA is a plus.
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license required
• 8+ years of progressive corporate accounting experience, with at least 3+ years in a senior management or controller-level capacity.
• Proven experience navigating the fast-paced reporting cycles, leverage structures, and transactional rhythms of a private equity-backed company is highly preferred
• Industry Focus: Open to backgrounds in technology, software or traditional commercial sectors. Defense contracting experience is helpful, but not explicitly required
• A hands-on, proactive \"builder\" mentality who enjoys constructing clean processes out of ambiguous, fast-moving corporate environments.

Preferred, Not Required

• Active clearance
• Prior experience in or supporting the national security community

All candidates must be US Citizens, capable of obtaining a security clearance.