Senior Accountant — Hard-Tech / Defense-Tech Company
“Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?”
That was Steve Jobs’ pitch to John Sculley. Different company, different era, but the idea applies here.
Our client is a well-funded, high-growth hard-tech / defense-tech company in the South Bay area building technology tied to real-world national security needs. They are looking for a Senior Accountant who wants more than a routine close role and is excited by the chance to help build the accounting infrastructure behind a company with a serious mission.
The Opportunity
This is not a standard Senior Accountant seat. The company is scaling a complex hardware business, and the accounting team is building the process, systems, and cost visibility needed to support significant growth.
You will support close, reconciliations, journal entries, audit readiness, systems improvement, and accounting process development. You will also get exposure to more complex areas like cost allocations, engineering and prototype costs, production-related expenses, and unit-level cost visibility.
What You’ll Work On
- Month-end close, journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, and account analysis.
- Balance sheet reconciliations and supporting schedules.
- Close process improvement, documentation, and workflow enhancements.
- Systems/process work tied to Oracle Fusion and BlackLine.
- Audit readiness, controls, and accounting infrastructure buildout.
- Cross-functional work with finance, operations, engineering, and production teams.
- Expense allocations across engineering, prototype, and production-related costs.
- Cost classification, unit-level cost visibility, and R&D versus production accounting questions.
Ideal Background
- 3+ years of progressive accounting experience.
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
- CPA or CPA track preferred.
- Public accounting experience preferred, especially with manufacturing, aerospace, defense, hardware, industrial, or government contractor clients.
- Public company, hard-tech, defense-tech, aerospace, robotics, hardware, manufacturing, or industrial experience also highly relevant.
- Strong close, reconciliation, journal entry, accrual, and account analysis experience.
- Exposure to inventory, COGS, cost accounting, WIP, expense allocations, or production accounting is a plus.
Who Will Thrive
This role is best for someone who is:
- Mission-driven and excited by hard-tech / defense-tech.
- Strong in the accounting fundamentals but curious about the business behind the numbers.
- Comfortable with ambiguity and building process.
- Interested in operational accounting complexity, not just routine close work.
- Career-oriented and motivated by growth, visibility, and long-term upside.
- Comfortable in a demanding, high-growth environment.