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Tiberius Aerospace

Defense technology provider via DaaS licensing

Assistant Controller

Full-TimeUpdated on 10/23/2026
$150k - $200k+ Bonus + Equity
Expert
Bachelor's
Newport Beach, CA, USA
HybridHybrid role in Newport Beach / Orange County, California.
AccountingFinancial Accounting

About the job

Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field is required.
  • An active Certified Public Accountant license is required.
  • At least 8 years of progressive accounting experience is required, including public-accounting experience at a Big Four firm in audit, assurance, transaction services, or a related accounting-advisory practice.
  • Experience in a high-growth startup or scaling technology, aerospace, defense, manufacturing, hardware, or other operationally complex environment is required.
  • Experience owning core accounting operations, including month-end close, financial reporting, general ledger, reconciliations, internal controls, audit readiness, and process improvement is required.
  • Experience operating in an environment where processes, systems, and organizational structure are being built is required.
  • Strong command of U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, financial-statement preparation, accounting-policy development, and balance-sheet management is required.
  • Experience with inventory, fixed assets, accruals, cost accounting, or manufacturing accounting is required.
  • Ability to build, lead, mentor, or materially upgrade an accounting team is required.
  • Advanced Excel skills and comfort working within enterprise resource planning and financial-reporting systems are required.
  • Ability to operate effectively in an evolving environment, establish structure, and balance urgency with sound financial judgment is required.
  • Written and verbal communication skills to work effectively across finance and non-finance teams are required.
  • High integrity, sound judgment, discretion, and a strong ownership mentality are required.
  • Potential to assume the Controller role within several quarters based on execution, leadership capability, technical-accounting depth, and ability to scale the accounting function is required.
  • U.S. Person status is required due to access requirements for export-controlled information and facilities.
Responsibilities
  • Lead key components of the monthly, quarterly, and annual financial-close process, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timeliness.
  • Maintain general-ledger integrity, including account reconciliations, journal entries, accruals, prepaids, fixed assets, intercompany activity, and other balance-sheet accounts.
  • Review journal entries, reconciliations, supporting schedules, and close deliverables prepared by internal team members and external accounting partners.
  • Prepare and review monthly financial statements, management reporting packages, flux analyses, and supporting schedules.
  • Drive timely resolution of accounting discrepancies, unusual transactions, balance-sheet issues, and close-related risks.
  • Establish and maintain close calendars, standard operating procedures, account-ownership structures, and documentation standards.
  • Support cash-management, banking, treasury, and payment-control activities as needed.
  • Support accurate and timely financial reporting in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
  • Develop, document, and strengthen accounting policies, internal controls, and finance procedures appropriate for a scaling aerospace and defense organization.
  • Maintain internal controls across accounting processes, including procure-to-pay, order-to-cash, payroll, inventory, fixed assets, expense reporting, and financial close.
  • Support external audit, tax, lender, diligence, and other compliance requests by preparing schedules, documentation, and technical accounting support.
  • Assist with implementation of new accounting standards, policy updates, and technical accounting analyses.
  • Identify control gaps, operational risks, and process inefficiencies; design practical solutions and drive adoption across the business.
  • Support compliance with applicable government-contracting, defense-industry, export-control, and record-retention requirements as they affect finance operations.
  • Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and Program Management to ensure accurate accounting for inventory, work in process, standard costs, purchase commitments, and capital assets.
  • Support development and maintenance of cost-accounting processes for complex hardware, engineering development, prototype builds, and production programs.
  • Review inventory reserves, obsolescence, capitalization policies, fixed-asset records, and depreciation schedules.
  • Improve visibility into material costs, labor, overhead, manufacturing variances, and program-level financial performance.
  • Support accounting and reporting for government contracts, customer programs, milestone-based activity, and revenue-recognition considerations as applicable.
  • Help build processes and controls needed to scale from development programs into repeatable production operations.
  • Optimize the company's enterprise resource planning, expense-management, procurement, financial-reporting, and close-management systems.
  • Drive automation and process improvement across recurring accounting workflows, reporting, reconciliations, and approvals.
  • Partner with FP&A to align actuals, forecasts, budgets, and operating metrics and ensure reliable reporting.
  • Support, mentor, and develop accounting team members as the function grows.
  • Serve as a finance partner to functional leaders, explaining financial results, policies, controls, and risks clearly and practically.
  • Participate in cross-functional projects, systems implementations, financing activities, acquisition diligence, and other strategic initiatives as needed.
Desired Qualifications
  • Prior experience as an Assistant Controller, Accounting Manager, Senior Accounting Manager, or Controller within a high-growth or scaling company.
  • Experience supporting audit readiness, external financial-statement audits, due diligence, financing activity, or board reporting.
  • Experience with aerospace, defense, government contracting, project accounting, or manufacturing operations.
  • Familiarity with cost-accounting methods, inventory valuation, standard costing, and manufacturing variance analysis.
  • Experience implementing or optimizing an enterprise resource planning system, including NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, Oracle, or similar platforms.
  • Experience building accounting policies, procedures, control matrices, and finance-process documentation.
  • Familiarity with Federal Acquisition Regulation, Cost Accounting Standards, Defense Contract Audit Agency requirements, or defense-finance requirements.
  • Prior people-management and team-development experience.

About the company

Tiberius Aerospace provides defense technology through a Defense-as-a-Service model, licensing its IP and integrating an AI platform so allied governments can manufacture weapons in‑country. It separates R&D from manufacturing to enable rapid, ongoing updates to its systems, with in‑country production and IP licensing as core features. It differentiates itself by enabling sovereign capability, forming alliance-focused partnerships (including UK MoD work and DIU validation) rather than relying on a few large contractors. Its goal is to supply licensed defense technologies to allied nations, accelerate development cycles, and reduce dependence on a small number of traditional contractors.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Early VC

Total Funding

$4.5M

Headquarters

Newport Beach, California

Founded

2022

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • October 1, 2026: $500 million Sceptre contract validates Defense-as-a-Service commercially.
  • August 13, 2026 DEVCOM CRADA gives Tiberius Army access and credibility.
  • August 20, 2026 Invictus entered formal T&E, expanding the platform beyond Sceptre.

What critics are saying

  • Sceptre and Invictus depend on unproven ramjet performance through 2027 testing.
  • October 1, 2026 revenue comes from one flagship contract; customer concentration is extreme.
  • ITAR, UK-U.S. licensing, and export approvals can freeze manufacturing; one denial kills scale.

What makes Tiberius Aerospace unique

  • October 1, 2026 contract proves Tiberius sells technology licenses, not just munitions.
  • GRAIL separates design and manufacturing, enabling allied production under one software-controlled model.
  • Sceptre fires from NATO-standard 155mm howitzers, avoiding new launchers and procurement overhauls.

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Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • Paid Sick Leave
  • Paid Holidays
  • Bereavement Leave
  • Parental Leave
  • Company Equity

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

7%

1 year growth

4%

2 year growth

15%
Associated Press
Oct 1st, 2026
Tiberius Aerospace secures $500M contract for precision-guided munition in Defence-as-a-Service debut

Tiberius Aerospace has secured a $500 million contract to manufacture and distribute Sceptre, its precision-guided munition, marking the first scaled deployment of its Defense-as-a-Service model. The collaboration involves U.K. technology partners and is supported by an International Traffic in Arms Regulations Technical Assistance Agreement. Sceptre, a ramjet-powered 155mm munition, moved from concept to contract in 24 months. The model allows allied nations to share development risk and manufacture sovereign capability through Tiberius Aerospace's AI-powered platform GRAIL, which connects engineering, suppliers, and manufacturing. The approach aims to strengthen allied defense industrial bases by spreading investment across multiple nations. Traditional defense acquisition typically requires individual governments to carry substantial research and development costs independently, often duplicating efforts across allied countries.

IMA Network
Aug 20th, 2026
Tiberius Aerospace announces Invictus has moved into formal engineering testing and evaluation, bringing scalable long-range Precision Strike across multiple domains.

Tiberius Aerospace announces Invictus has moved into formal engineering testing and evaluation, bringing scalable long-range Precision Strike across multiple domains. NEWPORT BEACH, California, 20 August 2026 - Tiberius Aerospace, the modern defense technology company building next-generation weapon systems and AI-powered defense solutions for the United States, United Kingdom and allied nations, today announced that Invictus is moving from laboratory investigation into formal engineering and Test & Evaluation (T&E) development, marking a major step towards fielding its next-generation long-range precision strike system. The transition moves Invictus beyond exploratory laboratory development and into a structured engineering program focused on validating propulsion, flight performance, guidance, platform integration and manufacturability through formal testing. Direct-connect testing of the Invictus ramjet engine is already underway at Purdue's Zucrow Laboratories, where the engine has demonstrated excellent operability using Jet-A across all conditions tested to date. Invictus is a tube-launched, multi-mission system designed for integration across multiple platforms and domains. Its architecture is intended to support launch from vertical launch systems and autonomous vehicles operating across land and sea, giving warfighters greater flexibility in how long-range precision effects are delivered. The program is advancing against an increasingly urgent strategic challenge: the need for the United States and its allies to rebuild long-range precision strike capacity faster than traditional defense production can replenish it. The U.S. Army used virtually all of its stockpile of ATACMS and Precision Strike Missiles during the five-month conflict with Iran, intensifying concerns about readiness for future contingencies. Across Europe, Western missile inventories have also come under growing pressure, driving NATO governments and manufacturers to accelerate production and rebuild stockpiles. Invictus is being designed to address both capability and capacity, combining long-range precision with an architecture built for adaptability and scale. The Invictus-200 will pair a ramjet with an integral booster to deliver speeds up to Mach 3 and precision strike at ranges of up to 200 kilometers, with targeting precision of 5.5-meter CEP depending on guidance configuration. Its 10-15 kilogram payload capacity and modular, open architecture will allow the system to be configured for different missions and evolve as operational requirements change. "The move into formal engineering, testing and evaluation is a major step toward turning Invictus from a promising technology into a deployable capability," said Chad Steelberg, Founder and CEO of Tiberius Aerospace. "We are designing Invictus around cost-effective lethality from the outset, maximizing the combat effect delivered for every dollar spent by simplifying the weapon, engineering it for high-volume production and building in an open architecture that can evolve without replacing the entire system. That matters because the challenge for the United States and NATO is not simply building another exquisite long-range weapon; it is fielding enough lethal capability, at a cost we can sustain. Invictus is being built as a multi-mission, tube-launched system capable of delivering multi-domain precision effects. Range matters and lethality matters but if you cannot afford to field it at scale, it does not solve the problem." At the heart of Invictus' development is GRAIL, Tiberius Aerospace's AI-powered platform for developing, evaluating and scaling next-generation weapon systems. Tiberius Aerospace used GRAIL Effects to model Invictus against specific targets and realistic operating conditions, assessing mission effectiveness alongside cost, readiness, sustainment and supply-chain constraints. This analysis will optimize Invictus for cost-effective lethality, delivering a 10x cost-lethality score by maximizing the operational effect delivered for the resources required to produce and field the system. GRAIL Effects also applies TELS, the Target Effective Lethality Score, to assess how effectively a weapon neutralizes a specific target, helping identify overmatch, underperformance and mission fit so the right effect can be matched to the right target. The same GRAIL approach informs Invictus' manufacturing model. Through GRAIL Agility, Tiberius Aerospace can connect program requirements with domestic and allied suppliers capable of producing components and systems, supporting a broader and more resilient industrial base. Invictus is being engineered with a simplified architecture and fewer parts to support cost-effective, high-volume production rather than reliance on a narrow, highly concentrated supply chain. Its modular architecture is also designed to allow guidance, payload and mission capabilities to be upgraded over time without requiring the entire weapon system to be redesigned, extending Invictus' relevance as threats and technologies change. Invictus will bring together long-range precision, multi-domain flexibility, cost-effective lethality and scalable production in a weapon designed not only for today's operational requirements, but for continuous adaptation throughout its service life. About Tiberius Aerospace Tiberius Aerospace is a modern defense technology company building next-generation weapon systems and AI-powered defense solutions for the United States, United Kingdom and allied nations. Its technologies include Sceptre, its next-generation precision-guided ramjet-powered 155mm artillery munition; Invictus, its scalable long-range precision missile platform; and GRAIL, its AI-powered platform for the continuous iteration of weapon systems.

ADS Group
Aug 13th, 2026
Tiberius Aerospace to develop Sceptre for US Army DEVCOM AC.

Tiberius Aerospace to develop Sceptre for US Army DEVCOM AC. The US Army has established a collaborative framework for the evolution of Sceptre's capabilities for the US and its allies. August 13, 2026 Tiberius Aerospace today announced that it has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center (DEVCOM AC). The agreement will support the continued development and maturation of Sceptre, the company's next-generation precision-guided, ramjet-powered 155mm artillery munition. The CRADA establishes a collaborative research framework between Tiberius Aerospace and DEVCOM AC, enabling the parties to collaborate on mutually agreed research and technical activities relating to the Sceptre programme. CRADAs are a long-established mechanism through which the US Army works with industry to accelerate the development and maturation of technologies of mutual interest. Ramjet-powered Sceptre aims to extend artillery range. Unlike conventional rocket-assisted projectiles, Sceptre uses a liquid-fuelled ramjet that provides sustained propulsion throughout flight, delivering a step change in the performance of tube artillery. Fired from a NATO-standard 155mm howitzer, Sceptre is designed to accelerate beyond Mach 3, reach altitudes exceeding 65,000 feet and deliver precision effects at ranges of up to 150 kilometres, with target accuracy within five metres, even in GPS-denied environments. Designed for use with existing 155mm artillery systems. Crucially, Sceptre requires no new launcher or bespoke firing platform, enabling armed forces to dramatically extend the capability of their existing artillery inventories without introducing a new weapon system. Its propulsion system uses a multi-fuel liquid propellant compatible with readily available military fuels, including diesel, JP-4 and JP-8, reducing logistics, storage and sustainment requirements while leveraging existing battlefield fuel supply chains. Designed from the outset as a software-defined weapon, Sceptre combines advanced propulsion with a modular open architecture that enables continuous capability upgrades throughout its service life. Through integration with GRAIL, Tiberius Aerospace's AI-powered platform for the continuous iteration of weapon systems, new targeting capabilities, guidance algorithms, mission software and autonomy can be rapidly integrated throughout the munition's lifecycle. By connecting operational requirements with engineering, testing and federated manufacturing, GRAIL enables Sceptre to evolve continuously in response to emerging threats, accelerating the delivery of improved capability to the battlefield. US Army agreement follows successful Sceptre testing. In April 2026, Tiberius Aerospace achieved a world-first demonstration by successfully launching a liquid-fuelled ramjet from a NATO-standard 155mm howitzer. Together with previous demonstrations of round integrity under launch conditions of approximately 16,000 g, successful fin deployment and stable aerodynamic flight, the company's disciplined flight-test programme continues to systematically validate each of the core technologies underpinning Sceptre. The CRADA further expands Tiberius Aerospace's collaboration with the US Department of Defense and marks an important milestone in the maturation of the Sceptre programme, by combining advanced propulsion, precision guidance, software-defined architecture and AI-enabled continuous iteration.

Tendernews.com
Aug 7th, 2026
US Army Backs Development of Tiberius' 150-km Ramjet Artillery Projectile

US Army backs development of Tiberius' 150-km ramjet artillery projectile. [Dated: 07 Aug 2026] The US Army has signed an agreement with Tiberius Aerospace to advance development of its liquid-ramjet-powered Sceptre artillery projectile, capable of engaging targets up to 150 kilometers (93 miles Some of its valuable clients. Quick links. Communication. Business with tendernews. Policy statements. Quick contact. * info(at)tendernews.com

Tiberius Aerospace
Aug 4th, 2026
Tiberius Aerospace signs Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with U.S. Army to advance Sceptre precision-guided artillery program.

Tiberius Aerospace signs Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with U.S. Army to advance Sceptre precision-guided artillery program. August 3, 2026 Tiberius Aerospace, the modern defense technology company building next-generation weapon systems and AI-powered defense solutions for the United States, the United Kingdom and allied nations, today announced that it has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center (DEVCOM AC) to support the continued development and maturation of Sceptre, the company's next-generation precision-guided, ramjet-powered 155mm artillery munition. The CRADA establishes a collaborative research framework between Tiberius Aerospace and DEVCOM AC, enabling the parties to collaborate on mutually agreed research and technical activities relating to the Sceptre program. CRADAs are a long-established mechanism through which the U.S. Army works with industry to accelerate the development and maturation of technologies of mutual interest. Unlike conventional rocket-assisted projectiles, Sceptre uses a liquid-fueled ramjet that provides sustained propulsion throughout flight, delivering a step change in the performance of tube artillery. Fired from a NATO-standard 155mm howitzer, Sceptre is designed to accelerate beyond Mach 3, reach altitudes exceeding 65,000 feet and deliver precision effects at ranges of up to 150 kilometers, with target accuracy within five meters, even in GPS-denied environments. Crucially, Sceptre requires no new launcher or bespoke firing platform, enabling armed forces to dramatically extend the capability of their existing artillery inventories without introducing a new weapon system. Its propulsion system uses a multi-fuel liquid propellant compatible with readily available military fuels, including diesel, JP-4 and JP-8, reducing logistics, storage and sustainment requirements while leveraging existing battlefield fuel supply chains. Designed from the outset as a software-defined weapon, Sceptre combines advanced propulsion with a modular open architecture that enables continuous capability upgrades throughout its service life. Through integration with GRAIL, Tiberius Aerospace's AI-powered platform for the continuous iteration of weapon systems, new targeting capabilities, guidance algorithms, mission software and autonomy can be rapidly integrated throughout the munition's lifecycle. By connecting operational requirements with engineering, testing and federated manufacturing, GRAIL enables Sceptre to evolve continuously in response to emerging threats, accelerating the delivery of improved capability to the battlefield. In April 2026, Tiberius Aerospace achieved a world-first demonstration by successfully launching a liquid-fueled ramjet from a NATO-standard 155mm howitzer. Together with previous demonstrations of round integrity under launch conditions of approximately 16,000 g, successful fin deployment and stable aerodynamic flight the company's disciplined flight-test program continues to systematically validate each of the core technologies underpinning Sceptre. The CRADA further expands Tiberius Aerospace's collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense and marks another important milestone in the maturation of the Sceptre program. By combining advanced propulsion, precision guidance, software-defined architecture and AI-enabled continuous iteration.