Senior Financial Controller (UA)

Our client is a Ukrainian miltech startup developing advanced technological devices for Ukraine's defense sector, and is now looking for a Senior Financial Controller to strengthen the Finance team and independently lead critical accounting and financial-reporting activities for the Ukrainian operations.

Location: Ukraine (only)
Type: On-site|Hybrid, full-time
Start date: ASAP
About the Company and Role:

A fast-growing international defense startup specializing in the development and production of air defense systems, rapidly scaling to meet Ukraine's national defense needs.
They believe there is a strong need for new technological solutions in the defense of free people in conflicts around the world. Their team includes experienced leaders from non-defense Silicon Valley startups who have seen this need first-hand and are committed to delivering.

This is a senior individual-contributor role with primary responsibility for the monthly close, balance-sheet integrity, statutory-to-US-GAAP reporting bridge, and delivery of accurate and timely financial information to local and global stakeholders. The Senior Financial Controller will serve as the technical accounting point of contact for the Ukrainian entity and work closely with the Head of Finance, global Controllership, Accounting, Tax, FP&A, Treasury, Cost Accounting, and operational teams.
The successful candidate will bring strong technical accounting expertise, disciplined close management, and the ability to operate with substantial independence in a fast-growing, multi-entity manufacturing environment. This position does not require direct people management, but it does require the judgment and influence to coordinate contributors, challenge accounting conclusions, and drive issues through resolution.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close for the Ukrainian entity, coordinating inputs across Finance and business teams to ensure complete, accurate, and timely reporting.
• Review journal entries, accruals, account reconciliations, supporting schedules, and financial-reporting packages, ensuring the integrity of the general ledger and balance sheet.
• Maintain the statutory-to-US-GAAP bridge and prepare accurate US-GAAP reporting packages and supporting schedules for consolidation by global Finance and Controllership teams.
• Analyze financial results, balance-sheet movements, and significant variances, investigating unusual items and providing clear explanations to Finance leadership and global stakeholders.
• Provide technical accounting guidance on complex or judgmental matters, including inventory and manufacturing costs, fixed assets, leases, foreign currency, intercompany transactions, revenue, and provisions.
• Partner with Cost Accounting and Operations to ensure inventory, work in progress, finished goods, production costs, reserves, and related balances are accurately reflected in the financial statements.
• Review intercompany transactions, balances, settlements, and eliminations, coordinating the resolution of differences with counterparties and global Accounting teams.
• Coordinate statutory accounting, local financial statements, and related reporting requirements in partnership with local Finance teams, tax specialists, and external advisors.
• Serve as a key Finance contact for internal and external audits, coordinating requests, preparing supporting documentation, resolving findings, and maintaining audit readiness.
• Support the design and operation of effective internal controls over financial reporting, identify control gaps and accounting risks, and drive practical corrective actions.
• Partner with FP&A and other Finance stakeholders to ensure management reporting, forecasts, and business analysis are supported by reliable accounting results.
• Support Finance-system and reporting improvements in Odoo, including close workflows, reconciliations, account mapping, reporting structures, and data-quality controls.
• Monitor changes in Ukrainian Accounting Standards, US GAAP, and relevant reporting requirements, assessing their impact and supporting implementation as needed.
• Continuously improve close and reporting processes, documentation, controls, and automation to increase accuracy, efficiency, and scalability.
  

Requirements:

• Bachelor's or master's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or a related field.
• 8+ years of progressive accounting, controllership, audit, or financial-reporting experience, including substantial experience in a senior individual-contributor capacity.
• Demonstrated experience independently leading month-end close and delivering complete financial-reporting packages in a complex organization.
• Strong technical knowledge of US GAAP and practical experience converting statutory or local accounting results into US-GAAP reporting.
• Strong knowledge of Ukrainian Accounting Standards and Ukrainian statutory accounting requirements.
• Experience preparing and reviewing balance-sheet reconciliations, journal entries, accruals, intercompany accounting, and financial-statement analyses.
• Experience working in a multinational, multi-entity, or multi-currency environment.
• Strong understanding of internal controls over financial reporting and audit requirements.
• Experience working with ERP systems; hands-on Odoo experience is strongly preferred.
• Advanced Excel or Google Sheets skills, including the ability to build and review complex reconciliations and reporting schedules.
• Excellent analytical judgment and the ability to identify accounting risks, investigate discrepancies, and reach well-supported conclusions.
• Strong project-management and organizational skills, with the ability to coordinate a close process across multiple contributors and deadlines.
• Clear and confident communication skills, including the ability to explain technical accounting conclusions to both finance and non-finance stakeholders.
• High integrity, attention to detail, and comfort working with confidential and high-impact financial information.
• Professional English proficiency sufficient for technical documentation, audits, and collaboration with global Finance stakeholders.
• Ukrainian language fluency.

 Would be a Plus:

• ACCA, CPA, Ukrainian auditor certification, or another relevant professional accounting qualification.
• Big Four or other major public-accounting experience.
• Experience in manufacturing, aerospace, defense, hardware, robotics, or another inventory-intensive environment.
• Experience with inventory accounting, standard costing, work in progress, and manufacturing variances.
• Experience supporting a US-headquartered company or preparing reporting packages for US consolidation.
• Experience implementing close-management, account-reconciliation, or financial-reporting improvements in Odoo.
• Experience developing accounting policies, technical-accounting memoranda, and scalable internal-control documentation.

The company offers:

• Full-time position & official employment
• Competitive salary (based on interview results)
• Paid vacation and sick leave according to Ukrainian legislation
• Medical & Life
• Insurance Reservation from mobilization
• Friendly and people-oriented team culture
• Have opportunities to work on an innovative and impactful product