Director / VP of FP&A

Company Overview:

Allen Control Systems (ACS) is a cutting-edge defense startup founded by two former Navy electrical engineers with a proven track record in robotics and software. We are developing an autonomous gun turret using advanced computer vision and control systems to precisely detect, track, and neutralize enemy drones.

With an engineering-first culture, ACS values technical excellence and innovation. Backed by our founders' successful exits from two previous ventures acquired for a combined $180M in 2022, we are committed to ensuring that the groundbreaking technologies we develop will have a real-world impact.

About The Role:

We are looking for a Director / VP of FP&A to join our team. ACS is a defense startup in production - shipping autonomous counter-drone systems to SOCOM, the U.S. Army, and customers across multiple countries - and we are on a clear trajectory to $1B in annual revenue. This is a strategic leadership role and a build role. You will own the company's financial planning and reporting infrastructure, partner directly with the CFO on capital strategy and fundraising, and serve as a thought partner to the executive team and Board on the decisions that determine how ACS scales. You will hire, develop, and lead the FP&A team as the business grows in revenue, headcount, and complexity. The right candidate has led FP&A at a high-growth, capital-intensive company - ideally with defense, aerospace, or hardware exposure - and is ready to do it at greater scale in a business where the numbers matter and the mission is real.

Note on level: This role is flexible and can be filled at either the Director or VP level depending on the experience of the candidate. We will calibrate title, scope, and compensation accordingly.

What You'll Do:

Strategic Planning & Forecasting
• Own the company's annual operating plan and quarterly reforecast process end-to-end, and build the long-range financial plan (3-5 years) that reflects program ramps, capital deployment, and capacity expansion.
• Maintain a rolling financial forecast that reflects actual contract award timing, production schedule changes, headcount plans, and capital deployment.
• Lead scenario and sensitivity analysis on the questions that drive executive and Board decisions - program delays, production acceleration, mid-year program awards, and changes in capital structure.

Board, Investor & Capital Markets
• Own the monthly and quarterly board reporting package - financial statements, KPIs, variance analysis, and forward outlook - at the level of clarity and narrative a sophisticated board and institutional investor expect.
• Serve as a direct partner to the CFO and Board on financial strategy, including future fundraises, investor diligence, data rooms, and IPO readiness when the time comes.
• Partner with Treasury and the Controller on cash forecasting, debt structure, and liquidity management; lead the financial workstream on any M&A diligence or integration modeling.

Executive & Cross-Functional Partnership
• Build company-wide budget accountability; equip functional leaders with the framework, models, and variance commentary they need to operate, and partner with the COO, VP Manufacturing, and VP Government Contracts to ensure the forward model is grounded in operational reality.
• Develop the financial reporting and decision-support cadence that keeps the executive team and Board informed without creating reporting overhead.

Function Leadership
• Build and lead the FP&A function from the ground up - hire, develop, and retain a high-performing team of analysts and managers as the business scales.
• Set the standards, systems, and operating cadence the FP&A function will run on for years to come, including selection and rollout of a modern FP&A planning platform.
• Represent finance at the executive table and shape the strategic and operational decisions that determine how ACS scales to $1B in revenue.

What You'll Need:
• 10+ years (Director) / 15+ years (VP) of progressive FP&A experience, including owning a function end-to-end and leading a team.
• Has built FP&A infrastructure from scratch at a high-growth, capital-intensive company - not inherited a mature process, but designed and built one.
• Track record of hiring, developing, and leading a high-performing FP&A team, including managers as well as analysts.
• Elite financial modeling fundamentals: three-statement modeling, long-range planning, scenario and sensitivity analysis, and the ability to build models executives and non-finance leaders can actually use.
• Direct experience owning board and investor reporting at a venture-backed or PE-backed company - you understand what a sophisticated board wants to see and how to present financials with clarity and narrative.
• Experience operating in a business with a complex revenue model: government contracts with milestone billing, multiple contract types, and a production schedule that drives the P&L.
• Credibility as a peer to the executive team - able to partner with the CFO, COO, and Board, influence decisions outside finance, and own the room when presenting.
• Strong written communication and executive presentation skills.
• Background at a fast-moving, engineering-driven company in defense, aerospace, hardware, or adjacent industries; experience scaling a finance function through growth stages is highly valued.
• On-site in Austin, TX.

You'll Stand Out:
• VP-level candidates: experience leading FP&A through a Series C+ / growth-equity round or IPO readiness work - building the model, leading diligence, and presenting to institutional investors.
• M&A experience: financial diligence, integration modeling, and post-deal planning.
• Experience implementing or operating a modern FP&A planning tool - Mosaic, Pigment, Adaptive Planning, Anaplan, or similar - at scale.
• Familiarity with government contract revenue recognition under ASC 606 and how contract type affects the P&L forecast.
• Experience leading FP&A in a business with significant hardware inventory and a production-driven revenue model; exposure to defense or aerospace program economics (bookings, backlog, funded vs. unfunded) and how they translate into forward revenue.
• Public company FP&A or controllership experience, or experience taking a company public.

What We Offer:
• Competitive salary
• ACS Equity Package
• Health, Dental, Vision Insurance
• Paid Time Off

Allen Control Systems is an Equal Opportunity Employer, providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. Allen Control Systems prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.