Director, Assistant Controller

Boston Finance – Finance /Full Time /Hybrid Merlin (NASDAQ: MRLN) is a publicly traded aerospace and defense company building a non-human pilot to deliver full-stack autonomy for any aircraft from takeoff to touchdown. The Merlin Pilot autonomy system powers a growing range of aircraft and mission profiles and has been proven through hundreds of autonomous flights from Merlin's global flight test facilities, including Kerikeri, New Zealand;
Smithfield, Rhode Island; and soon, Bedford, Massachusetts. Headquartered in Boston, Merlin is expanding its organization to accelerate the development and deployment of its autonomy platform, helping customers solve some of aviation's most pressing challenges, from pilot shortages to improving flight safety. Backed by some of the world's leading investors prior to its public listing, Merlin continues to advance the certification and commercialization of autonomous flight across commercial and defense aviation.

About You:

The Assistant Controller plays a critical role in the financial operations of Merlin, supporting the Corporate Controller in managing all aspects of accounting, financial reporting, internal controls, and compliance for a publicly traded government defense contractor. This position requires deep expertise in government contract accounting, SEC reporting obligations, and the unique regulatory environment governing defense industry finance. The Assistant Controller will lead a team of accounting professionals and serve as a key liaison between finance, program management, contracts administration, and external auditors.

Responsibilities:

Financial Reporting & SEC Compliance Assist in the preparation of quarterly (10-Q) and annual (10-K) reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in compliance with U.S. GAAP and PCAOB standards.

Support Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Section 404 compliance, including documentation, testing, and remediation of internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR).Coordinate with external auditors (Big 4 or national firm) during quarterly reviews and annual audits.

Prepare and review financial statements, footnotes, and MD&A disclosures for accuracy and completeness.

Government Contract Accounting Oversee cost accounting practices in compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), and Cost Accounting Standards (CAS).Manage the preparation and submission of government-required financial reports, including DCAA audits, incurred cost submissions (ICS), and forward pricing rate proposals (FPRPs).Monitor and maintain compliance with contract-specific accounting requirements, including time-and-materials (T&M), cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF), firm-fixed-price (FFP), and other contract types.

Support the Earned Value Management (EVM) reporting process for applicable government programs.

General Accounting & Close Process Oversee the monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close process, ensuring accuracy and timeliness of all journal entries, account reconciliations, and financial statements.

Manage indirect cost pools, allocation methodologies, and overhead rate calculations in compliance with CAS and FAR.Supervise revenue recognition under ASC 606, including over-time recognition methodology for long-term government contracts.

Maintain and strengthen the company’s chart of accounts and general ledger integrity.

Internal Controls & Process Improvement Design, implement, and monitor effective internal control procedures in accordance with COSO framework and SOX requirements.

Identify opportunities to streamline accounting processes and improve the efficiency and accuracy of financial operations.

Develop and maintain accounting policies and…