Lead Program Finance (R5875)

The role

This role supports financial planning, forecasting, and business partnership across key programs. The Lead Financial Analyst builds and maintains financial models, analyzes performance against plan, and helps cross-functional teams make informed decisions.

What you will do

• Build, maintain, and scale financial models for forecasting, budgeting, and long-term planning
• Analyze data trends and deliver actionable recommendations to leadership
• Partner with Program Management and Aircraft Ops on program health, spend trends, and headcount planning
• Develop reporting cadences and dashboards to track KPIs using Power BI and Excel
• Take part in month-end and quarter-end close, including variance analysis and executive reporting
• Assist with operational planning cycles, business reviews, and investment decisions
• Support data transformation initiatives and basic modeling with analytics or data engineering teams
• Drive process improvement and identify automation opportunities in financial reporting
• Partner with inventory and supply chain teams to monitor material movement, usage, and cost trends
• Work with program managers to track actuals vs. plan and support EAC updates

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, Economics, or a related field
• 5+ years of progressive experience in financial analysis, corporate finance, or FP&A
• Advanced proficiency in Excel, financial modeling, and data analysis
• Strong understanding of US GAAP, with practical experience in a government contracting or manufacturing environment
• Familiarity with cost accounting concepts and government contract structures (T&M, CPFF, FFP)
• Strong working knowledge of Power BI and data visualization tools
• Solid understanding of financial statements and business metrics
• Ability to work independently and collaborate cross-functionally in a fast-moving environment
• Excellent communication skills, including presenting complex financial data to non-financial stakeholders

Nice to have

• MBA or Master's degree in a related discipline
• Experience supporting operations or customer-facing teams in manufacturing, aerospace, or tech
• Exposure to Microsoft Fabric, Power Query, DAX, or other data transformation and modeling tools
• Familiarity with ERP systems (Costpoint/Oracle) and planning tools (Vena/Anaplan)
• Track record as a high performer with a bias for action, intellectual curiosity, and attention to detail
• Passion for using data to tell a story and drive strategic decisions

Benefits

• Bonus
• Benefits
• Equity (full-time regular employees)
• Temporary benefits package applicable after 60 days of employment (temporary employees)

Before you apply

• All offers are contingent on a cleared background check and possible reference check
• Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits
• Salary depends on skill set, experience, licenses and certifications, and work location

About the company

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company that builds intelligent systems to protect service members and civilians. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation technologies.