VP of Finance

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Built on Experience. Built for Skill. Built for You.

Keel was formed by bringing together three industry leaders combining generations of hands-on expertise in steel fabrication, shipbuilding, aerospace, and defense manufacturing.

That means when you join Keel, you’re joining a team backed by decades of proven craftsmanship and real-world results.

We build ships, defense systems, aerospace components, and heavy steel structures that serve critical missions — and we do it with pride.

Your Mission:

The Vice President of Finance serves as the organization’s senior financial leader, responsible for overseeing accounting operations, program finance and internal controls. This executive provides strategic direction for the company’s financial infrastructure, ensuring accuracy, transparency, and integrity in all financial activities. The VP of Finance partners closely with executive leadership to support long term planning, optimize financial performance, and drive operational excellence across the enterprise. This role leads the accounting, reporting, and financial shared services functions, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and cross functional collaboration.

The VP of Finance is responsible for mentoring and managing a finance team and meeting monthly due dates for reporting financial results and compliance requirements. 

Explore the Depth of the Role:

Financial Leadership & Strategy

• Serve as a key financial advisor to the CFO and executive leadership, supporting strategic planning and long term decision making.
• Lead all accounting, tax, program finance, financial reporting, and internal control functions.
• Provide financial insights through analysis, forecasting, trend evaluation, and performance monitoring.
• Drive continuous improvement and modernization of financial systems and processes.
• Communicate financial information clearly to internal and external stakeholders.
• Recruit, develop, and lead high performing accounting and finance teams.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Partner across operations, supply chain, program management, and engineering to enhance cost visibility and support business decisions.

Accounting Operations & Reporting

• Oversee all accounting operations, including AR/AP, payroll, tax, intercompany accounting, program finance, and technical accounting.
• Manage general ledger activities, month end close, and consolidated financial reporting.
• Prepare and ensure timely, accurate, and GAAP compliant financial statements and disclosures.
• Manage cost accounting, inventory valuation, and variance analysis within a manufacturing environment.
• Develop and maintain methods for tracking revenue, expenses, and overall financial performance.
• Oversee the organization’s investment plan and insurance programs.
• Conduct regular audits of transactions, expenditures, assets, and liabilities.

Financial Planning, Analysis & Compliance

• Gather and analyze financial data for budgeting, forecasting, profitability analysis, and decision support.
• Ensure compliance with tax laws, financial regulations, and industry specific requirements.
• Support organizational growth and profitability through sound planning, modeling, and financial controls.
• Provide timely and accurate financial reports to internal stakeholders, regulators, and external agencies.

Audit Readiness & Government Contract Compliance

• Lead annual external audits in accordance with U.S. GAAP and corporate accounting policies.
• Ensure compliance with FAR, DFARS, CAS, and DCAA requirements.
• Develop, manage, and monitor the indirect rate structure and related allocations (overhead, G&A, fringe, service centers).
• Maintain documentation, policies, and internal controls to support audit readiness and rate compliance.
• Oversee an approved Earned Value Management framework.
• Support external, internal, and customer audits with transparent, complete documentation.
• Manage compliance with DFARS View phone number on us.fitly.work Contractor Business Systems, including Accounting, Estimating, and MMAS.

Internal Controls & Risk Management

• Establish and maintain robust internal control systems to safeguard assets and ensure financial accuracy.
• Lead internal control assessments, risk mitigation initiatives, and remediation plans.
• Implement and monitor SOX style controls or equivalent frameworks.

Requirements:

Mission Readiness:

• B.S. degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field. CPA or equivalent experience is required.
• 10+ years of progressive financial leadership experience, including controller-level responsibilities. Preferably experience with company’s over $100M of annual revenue.
• Manufacturing experience is sought-after
• Extensive knowledge of government contract accounting, FAR/DFARS, CAS, and DCAA audit environments is valued 
• Extensive experience with ASC 606 Revenue from Contract with Customers is preferred.
• Earned value experience desired 
• Demonstrable experience with financial systems integrations.
• Private equity experience a plus. 
• Strong Excel and data analytics capabilities.
• Team building, leadership and execution.

Travel Requirements:

• Role will be based out of our corporate headquarters in Ladson, SC and travel to locations within designated company locations is ~15%.

Physical Requirements:

• May be required to stand, walk, sit, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, stoop or kneel regularly.
• Lift up to 25 lbs. occasionally.

Become a part of our Builders and you too can...

• Uphold Safety and Quality Standards
• Embody Team Spirit
• Relentless Customer Focus
• Convey Integrity, Trust, and Professionalism
• Execute with Excellence and Velocity

What Keel will build for you:

• Comprehensive Benefit Package
• Competitive Pay
• 401(k) Match
• HSA/FSA
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Time Off
• Internal Referral Bonus Opportunities
• Shift Differentials
• Overtime Potential
• Paid on the Job Training
• Certification Sponsorship Opportunities
• Committed to Individual Career Growth
• We Do Fun Things, Plus More! 

Need Assistance?

If you require a reasonable accommodation at any stage of the employment process, please email View email address on us.fitly.work with details about your request and your contact information. Accommodation requests are reviewed individually on a case-by-case basis. Please note that this email address is monitored only for inquiries related to reasonable accommodation requests.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Individuals with Disabilities / Protected Veterans

What we build, builds us.