Director of Finance

Our client is a fast-growing, engineering-driven company supporting the aerospace and defense industry. They design and deliver highly specialized test and measurement solutions that ensure the safety and performance of critical flight systems, partnering with leading programs across commercial and military platforms.

This is a confidential search: company details will be shared directly with qualified candidates as the process moves forward. It's a team doing complex, meaningful work, and growing quickly enough that this role will have real room to shape how things run.

To conform with U.S. export control regulations, this position requires eligibility to work with export-controlled products and related data without restriction.

The Opportunity

We're looking for an experienced finance leader to take full ownership of the close, bring rigor to the cost structure, and build an audit-ready operation from the ground up. This is a high-visibility role, working closely with site and executive leadership, where you'll be the person they turn to for a clear, trustworthy picture of where the business stands.

Prior exposure to M&A activity, due diligence, purchase accounting, or integration, is a strong plus, though it doesn't need to have been the core of a past role.

We're building a team of people who are genuinely curious, take ownership without needing to be asked twice, and communicate well across functions. If that sounds like how you like to work, we'd love to talk.

What You'll Do

• Own Full-Cycle Close: Full ownership of the month, quarter, and year-end close, including consolidations and management reporting on a clear, dependable timeline
• Lead Cost Accounting: Standard costing, variance analysis, inventory valuation, and margin analysis in a manufacturing/aerospace environment, a core, hands-on part of the role
• Own the Audit Relationship: Serve as the primary point of contact for external auditors, with internal controls and documentation that hold up smoothly, without last-minute scrambling
• Turn Data into Insight: Translate financial results into insight leadership can act on, where the business is strong, where it's exposed, and where to focus next
• Improve What's Missing: Spot gaps in process, systems, or reporting, and help close them
• Partner Across the Business: Work closely with operations and executive leadership on budgeting, forecasting, and decision-making
• Lead and Develop: Manage and grow an accounting team, building a culture of trust and technical strength

What Makes You a Fit

• Curious: You like understanding the "why" behind the numbers, not just reporting them
• Proactive: You take ownership of your work and follow through with minimal oversight
• Collaborative: You communicate financial concepts clearly to non-finance partners and build trust quickly
• Steady under complexity: You bring calm, organized thinking to a fast-moving environment

Why Join Us

• Be part of a growing company in a high-impact aerospace/defense industry
• Work directly with leadership and help shape how the business operates
• Bring your full skill set to the table: cost accounting, audit, and M&A knowledge all have a place here
• Join a team that values ownership, trust, and getting things done well

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance required; CPA strongly preferred, MBA a plus
• 8–10+ years of progressive accounting/finance experience, including time in public accounting or an external audit function
• Demonstrated cost accounting experience, standard costing, variance analysis, inventory valuation, ideally in a manufacturing, aerospace, or defense environment
• Exposure to M&A activity preferred but not required
• Proven ownership of full-cycle month, quarter, and year-end close
• Experience managing the external audit relationship and maintaining audit-ready internal controls
• ERP experience (Plex, Epicor, Primavera, or similar), including system implementation or optimization
• Supervisory or team leadership experience required
• Strong foundation in U.S. GAAP and financial reporting

Equal Opportunity & Accommodations

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. If you have a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to assist you with any part of the application or hiring process, please let us know by contacting our HR department, and we will work with you to meet your needs.