Accounting and Operations Associate at VetPowered in San Diego, CA

VetPowered, LLC, named Veteran Owned Small Business of the Year in the United States is a rapidly growing San Diego based corporation specializing in manufacturing, welding, fabrication, machinery repair and customized training under private and US Government contracts. VetPowered employs a highly trained workforce that uses the latest in cutting-edge CNC equipment. VetPowered is dedicated to bringing advanced manufacturing back to America.

Position Summary VetPowered is seeking an experienced Accountant and Operations Associate to support the Company's accounting, purchasing, manufacturing operations, government-contract, and quality-system activities.

This position is responsible for maintaining accurate, complete, and timely accounting records while providing hands-on support for day-to-day business operations. The position works closely with Accounting, Operations, Purchasing, Manufacturing, Quality, Human Resources, and Management to ensure financial transactions, purchase orders, supplier records, job costs, operational records, and supporting documentation are accurate, complete, and properly maintained.

The position is well suited for an accounting professional who enjoys working in a manufacturing environment and wants exposure to the intersection of accounting, manufacturing operations, aerospace quality requirements, and government contracting. The successful candidate will be highly organized, detail-oriented, dependable, and capable of independently managing competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Primary Objective Maintain the accuracy and integrity of the Company's accounting records while providing reliable financial, purchasing, operational, government-contract, and AS9100D recordkeeping support. The position is expected to independently evaluate routine business issues, identify discrepancies and risks, determine appropriate courses of action within established authority, and escalate matters requiring management attention.

Essential Responsibilities Accounting & Finance

• Process and maintain accurate accounting transactions, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, expenses, purchasing transactions, and general ledger activity.
• Review vendor invoices against purchase orders, receiving records, quotations, and other supporting documentation.
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies between purchase orders, invoices, receipts, receiving records, and accounting records.
• Assist with monthly, quarterly, and year-end financial close activities.
• Perform account reconciliations and research unusual or unresolved transactions.
• Maintain accurate work-in-process (WIP), inventory, and job-costing records.
• Support customer invoicing and accounts receivable follow-up.
• Review employee expense reports and company credit-card transactions for accuracy, appropriate business purpose, and required supporting documentation.
• Maintain accurate vendor and customer master records.
• Prepare financial reports, schedules, reconciliations, and management reports as assigned.
• Maintain organized, complete, and audit-ready accounting documentation.
• Identify accounting errors, data-entry discrepancies, and process weaknesses and coordinate corrective action.
• Maintain the confidentiality and security of financial, employee, customer, and Company information.

Purchasing & Supplier Coordination

• Prepare, issue, and maintain purchase orders in accordance with Company procedures and applicable customer or contractual requirements.
• Coordinate with suppliers regarding quotations, purchase orders, delivery commitments, invoices, certifications, and other required documentation.
• Monitor open purchase orders and supplier commitments and communicate potential delays or issues to affected personnel.
• Follow up with suppliers regarding overdue materials, outside processing, special processes, and other purchased services.
• Investigate and resolve supplier pricing, quantity, delivery, and documentation discrepancies.
• Maintain accurate purchasing and supplier records.
• Coordinate with Manufacturing and Operations regarding material and outside-processing requirements.
• Track supplier-related costs, commitments, and outstanding requirements associated with customer jobs.
• Evaluate purchasing and supplier issues, recommend practical solutions, and escalate significant issues when appropriate.

Manufacturing & Operations Support

• Provide financial and administrative support to Manufacturing and Operations personnel.
• Track material purchases, outside processing, subcontracted services, and other job-related costs.
• Maintain accurate job, work-order, production, receiving, and related administrative records.
• Review operational documentation for completeness and consistency with accounting and purchasing records.
• Support receiving, shipping, and inventory documentation as needed.
• Monitor operational deadlines and outstanding administrative requirements.
• Maintain accurate information within the Company's ERP, accounting, and business-management systems.
• Investigate discrepancies between accounting, purchasing, inventory, production, receiving, and job records and coordinate resolution.
• Prepare operational reports and data summaries for management.
• Identify opportunities to improve administrative and information-flow processes.

Government Contract & Aerospace Customer Support

• Maintain records associated with U.S. Government and prime-contractor purchase orders.
• Review purchase orders and supporting documentation for applicable contractual requirements, customer requirements, and flow-downs.
• Track government-contract documentation, customer requirements, and related administrative obligations.
• Maintain accurate and traceable records supporting government and aerospace customer transactions.
• Maintain documentation associated with DPAS-rated orders when applicable.
• Support internal recordkeeping related to government contracting and customer-specific requirements.
• Identify and escalate potential contractual, purchasing, documentation, or compliance issues to management.

AS9100D & Quality Recordkeeping

• Maintain and organize records supporting the Company's AS9100D Quality Management System.
• Ensure assigned quality records are complete, accurate, legible, properly controlled, and readily retrievable.
• Maintain records in accordance with applicable document-control and record-retention requirements.
• Maintain objective evidence related to purchasing, supplier controls, production, inspection, and other applicable processes.
• Maintain purchasing and supplier documentation necessary to demonstrate conformity with applicable quality requirements.
• Support internal, customer, and third-party audits by locating, organizing, and providing required records.
• Support Quality and Operations personnel with records associated with corrective actions, supplier performance, purchasing, and other quality-system activities.
• Protect the integrity, traceability, and confidentiality of controlled and customer-sensitive records.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide administrative support for Human Resources activities, including employee records and related documentation.
• Support administration of the Company's vehicle fleet, including registrations, insurance documentation, renewals, and vehicle issuance/return records.
• Support administration of the Company's commercial insurance and workers' compensation programs, including recordkeeping, renewal preparation, and insurance-audit documentation.
• Serve as a backup to the Service Dispatcher as needed, including customer communication, service scheduling, recordkeeping, and invoicing support.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned in support of departmental and Company objectives.

Qualifications Required

• Minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience in accounting, finance, purchasing, operations, or a related business function.
• Demonstrated experience processing and maintaining accounting transactions.
• Working knowledge of fundamental accounting principles and practices.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including the ability to organize, analyze, reconcile, and present financial and operational data.
• Experience using accounting software, preferably QuickBooks Online, and/or ERP, MRP, or other business-management systems.
• Strong attention to detail and demonstrated commitment to accuracy.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Ability to independently manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to investigate discrepancies, identify root causes, evaluate options, and follow issues through resolution.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and appropriately escalate matters requiring management involvement.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive financial, employee, customer, government, and Company information.
• High school diploma or equivalent.

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Operations, or a related field.
• Experience in aerospace, defense, machining, manufacturing, or another highly regulated industry.
• Manufacturing accounting experience, including WIP, inventory, job costing, or production-related accounting.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems used in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience supporting U.S. Government contracts or government customers.
• Familiarity with AS9100D or ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems.
• Experience with supplier management and outside processing.
• Familiarity with purchase-order flow-downs and DPAS requirements.
• Experience supporting customer, internal, or third-party audits.
• Experience working with controlled, proprietary, export-controlled, or customer-sensitive information.

Core Competencies Accounting Accuracy Maintains a high level of accuracy and completeness in all financial transactions and supporting documentation. Attention to Detail Identifies discrepancies, missing information, and inconsistencies before they create downstream problems. Organization & Follow-Through Effectively manages multiple responsibilities and follows tasks through to completion. Problem Solving Investigates discrepancies and develops practical solutions rather than simply identifying problems. Accountability Takes ownership of assigned responsibilities and communicates promptly when issues may affect deadlines or deliverables. Communication Communicates clearly and professionally with employees, suppliers, customers, and management. Cross-Functional Collaboration Works effectively with Accounting, Operations, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Quality, and Management. Confidentiality & Integrity Handles financial, employee, customer, government, and company information with discretion and professionalism. Work Environment This position works primarily in a professional office environment within an aerospace manufacturing facility and regularly interacts with personnel throughout the organization.

The employee may periodically enter manufacturing, warehouse, receiving, or inspection areas and must comply with all applicable safety requirements.

The position requires the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment where priorities may change based on customer requirements, production schedules, supplier performance, and business needs.

The employee may encounter environmental hazards associated with manufacturing operations, including chemical, electrical, flammable, or mechanical hazards, and must follow all applicable safety procedures.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit and work at a computer for extended periods.
• Ability to communicate effectively in person, by telephone, and electronically.
• Ability to walk through office, manufacturing, warehouse, and receiving areas.
• Ability to occasionally lift and move office or document materials.
• Ability to comply with applicable facility safety requirements.

What Success Looks Like Within this role, success means:

• Accounting records are accurate, complete, and maintained on schedule.
• AP, AR, purchasing, and expense transactions are properly documented and processed.
• Accounting and purchasing discrepancies are identified and resolved promptly.
• WIP, inventory, and job-costing records are accurate and current.
• Open purchase orders and supplier commitments are actively tracked.
• Supplier issues are identified early and communicated appropriately.
• Manufacturing and Operations receive timely administrative and financial support.
• Government and aerospace customer documentation is complete, accurate, and traceable.
• AS9100D records within the position's area of responsibility are organized, current, controlled, and audit-ready.
• Issues are identified proactively rather than after they become larger problems.
• Business systems contain accurate and reliable information.
• The employee independently manages routine responsibilities and exercises sound judgment while appropriately escalating matters requiring management attention.
• Opportunities to improve processes, accuracy, efficiency, and information flow are identified and communicated to management.

Mission and Values Contribute to achievement of the Mission and Vision of our organization by being:

• Attention to Detail- The ability to accomplish a task while demonstrating a thorough concern for all the areas involved, no matter how small.
• All In- Brings their whole self to work and giving it their all no matter how difficult the job or situation.
• Accountable- Taking personal responsibility for their work, owns mistakes, communicate honestly rather than hiding the truth, does not blame others or make excuses.
• Adaptable- Easily adjusts to changing circumstances.
• Always Improving- A constant, ongoing effort to improve something. This 'something' can be a product, a service, one's skill set, or a team's way of working.

Position Details: This is a full-time salaried position classified as exempt from overtime, subject to applicable law and the Company's determination that the position and employee satisfy all applicable exemption requirements.

The expected work schedule is generally 40 hours per week; however, as an exempt position, the employee is expected to fulfill the responsibilities and requirements of the position regardless of variations in the number of hours worked from week to week.

Base Compensation: $75,000–$90,000 per year.

This compensation range represents base compensation only. The position is not eligible for incentive compensation during the first year of employment. Potential eligibility for incentive compensation may be considered after one full year of employment.

Benefits and Perks: While the Company intends to maintain these employee benefits, it reserves the absolute right to modify, amend, or terminate these benefits at any time and for any reason:

• Holidays: Eight (8) paid holidays.
• Health, Dental & Vision: Employees become eligible for health, dental, and vision insurance benefits on the first day of the month following their first day of employment.
• The Company contributes 50% of the employee's health insurance premium based on the lowest-cost plan offered. The remaining 50% is paid by the employee through payroll deductions. The Company pays 100% of employee dental and vision premiums.
• Dependent Coverage: Employees may elect coverage for eligible dependents. Employees are responsible for 100% of additional dependent premiums through payroll deductions.
• 401(k): Eligibility begins on the first of the month following the employee's first day of employment, with a minimum of one hour worked and an employer match of up to $1,000 per year.
• Vacation: Ten (10) personal paid days per year, subject to applicable Company policy.
• Sick Time: Sick leave is provided in accordance with applicable California law and Company policy.
• Dress code: Our office staff works in a business casual or relaxed business casual environment.

Equal Employment Opportunity VetPowered is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals and maintaining a professional workplace free from unlawful discrimination and harassment. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, performance, business needs, and other lawful considerations in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

E-Verify Compliance Statement:

VetPowered, LLC participates in the E-Verify program. We ensure employment eligibility of all employees by using the E-Verify electronic verification system.

Policy for Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation Prevention:

VetPowered, LLC is committed to providing a professional work environment free from discrimination and harassment, including discrimination and harassment based on a protected characteristic, and an environment free from retaliation for participating in any protected activity covered by this policy.

VetPowered, LLC employees are expected to assume responsibility for maintaining a work environment that is free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Employees are encouraged to promptly report conduct that they believe violates this policy so that we have an opportunity to address and resolve any concerns. Managers and supervisors are required to promptly report conduct that they believe violates this policy. We are committed to responding to alleged violations of this policy in a timely and fair manner and to taking appropriate action aimed at ending the prohibited conduct.

EEO Statement:

VetPowered, LLC is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees, applicants, unpaid interns, and volunteers without regard to actual or perceived: race (including hair texture or protected hairstyles, e.g. braids, locks, and twists), color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin (including language use restrictions), ancestry, citizenship, disability (mental and physical) including HIV and AIDS, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 years and over), sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status, family and medical leave status, domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, and any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.

All openings are subject to change without notice, due to the volume of applications / resumes received, we are unable to respond to status inquiries. Please be assured that your information is being properly handled and forwarded to the appropriate hiring staff. If your skills and qualifications meet the needs of the job, you will be contacted.