{"id":1577467,"url":"https://alion.io/job/swarm-controller","title":"Controller","company":{"id":3847913,"name":"Swarm","domain":"swarm.aero","url":"https://alion.io/company/swarm-7","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Ashby","truth_index":null},"role":"Finance","role_family":"Finance","seniority":"senior","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":190000,"max":260000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":260000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":8,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-08-06T00:16:20Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-08-06","last_verified_at":"2026-10-03T23:31:51Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":59,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":59},"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.\nThe 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.\nThe Opportunity\nSwarm Aero builds autonomous aircraft and the software that commands them. We're on funded programs, we're standing up manufacturing across Oxnard and Northwest Arkansas, and we're hiring our first Controller to build the accounting function underneath all of it.\nThis is not a caretaker role. You will build the 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 hardware company, which means real cost accounting, real inventory, and real government contract compliance from day one.\nYou will report to our VP of Operations and work directly with Finance, Supply Chain, and Program teams. You will build the team behind you, and early on you will be hands on in the work. That is the job, and it is also the reason it is worth doing. The infrastructure you put in place will determine how fast we can move as manufacturing scales and programs get larger.\nYour First Year\nOwn the monthly close end to end and drive it faster and cleaner every quarter\nOwn GAAP financials, the general ledger, and account reconciliations\nStand up government contract accounting: CLIN tracking, cost segregation, and compliance with FAR and DFARS expectations\nOwn NetSuite. It is implemented, and configuring it for manufacturing cost accounting and government contract requirements is yours to lead, with outside implementation support\nOwn AP, expense administration, and payroll operations\nAs We Scale\nBuild and run cost accounting for hardware manufacturing, including inventory, WIP, standard costs, and variance analysis across Oxnard and Arkansas\nBuild toward DCAA audit readiness, including timekeeping, indirect rate structures, and an approved accounting system\nDesign internal controls that scale with headcount and contract volume\nPrepare for and manage the company's first financial audits\nSupport FP&A and leadership with accurate, timely actuals\nHire and lead the accounting team behind you\nWhat We Are Looking For\n8+ years of progressive accounting experience with at least 2 years as a Controller, Assistant Controller, or accounting leader\n\nCPA strongly preferred\n\nHardware, manufacturing, or aerospace and defense industry experience, with real inventory and cost accounting exposure\n\nExperience at a smaller or earlier-stage operation where you had to understand the reasoning behind practices, not just execute an established process\n\nERP ownership experience. NetSuite implementation or administration is a strong plus\n\nGovernment contract accounting exposure is strongly preferred: CLINs, cost-type and fixed-price contracts, FAR/DFARS, DCAA\n\nA builder's mindset. You have written the playbook before, or you are ready to write your first one\n\nNice to Have\nExperience taking a company through its first audit\n\nExperience standing up an approved accounting system for government contracting\n\nStartup experience through a Series B or C scale-up\n\nITAR requirement\nTo conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.\nSwarm Aero is an equal opportunity employer. We value diverse backgrounds and experiences and make employment decisions without regard to race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or disability.\nWhat We Offer\nMeaningful equity in a high-growth defense technology company\n\nCompetitive base salary commensurate with experience\n\nMedical, dental, vision, and 401k\n\nPTO and paid sick leave\n\nMonthly wellness stipend\n\nDaily catered lunch (office)\n\nPaid parental leave\n\nDirect impact on a critical national security mission\n\nA world-class team of engineers and operators solving genuinely hard problems","description_format":"text","description_chars":4545,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":8,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":null,"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["401k plan","Equity","Parental leave"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":[],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-01T10:51:08Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":35,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.639,"p_room":0.55,"age_days":58,"expected_fill_days":42,"reasons":["conf:12","velocity","win:tail"],"computed_at":"2026-10-03T05:45:00Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":260000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/swarm-controller","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/swarm-controller.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-04T00:22:29Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","usage":{"tier":"crawler","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":344,"day_limit":5000,"remaining_today":4656,"minute_limit":60,"resets_at":"2026-10-05T00:00:00Z"}}}