Director of Financial Planning & Analysis
About The Position
Aether Aerospace is seeking a Director of Financial Planning and Analysis to support its growing defense technology platform, formed by JHNA, CTSi, and EXPANSIA. The organization delivers technology, technology-enabled services, and advanced manufacturing solutions to the U.S. Department of Defense and related national security customers. The role supports a multi-entity aerospace and defense enterprise focused on scalable growth, operational excellence, and long-term value creation. This is a full-time, permanent employee position based in Washington, DC; Pax River, MD; Huntsville, AL; or Tidewater/Newport News, VA, with remote work open. Start date is immediate. The Director owns budgeting, forecasting, long-range planning, performance analysis, executive and board reporting, and the standardization of FP&A processes across business units. The role partners closely with business-unit leaders, the Controller, Project Control, Contracts, Pricing, and Operations to connect operating decisions with financial outcomes and improve planning capabilities.
Requirements
- Ability to obtain a Secret Clearance.
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field.
- 10+ years of progressive experience in FP&A, corporate finance, or program finance, including at least 3 years leading budgeting, forecasting, or financial planning processes.
- Substantial FP&A or program finance experience in government contracting, preferably in defense or aerospace, with responsibility for consolidated or multi-business-unit financial performance.
- Experience with firm-fixed-price, cost-reimbursable, and time-and-materials contracts; understanding of indirect cost pools, allocation bases, provisional rates, and their effects on revenue and margin.
- Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills, including integrated forecasts, sensitivity analysis, and clear reconciliation of actual results to forecasts.
- Ability to challenge assumptions, identify forecast risk, and translate complex financial information into practical recommendations for senior leaders.
- Experience partnering with Accounting and program teams on revenue and margin forecasts, estimates at completion, working capital, and cash planning.
- Ability to consolidate and validate data from multiple systems and improve planning processes in an evolving organization.
- Strong communication, organization, and leadership skills, with the ability to influence operational leaders, meet deadlines, and personally build and maintain detailed analyses.
Nice To Haves
- Experience in a private-equity-backed organization, including board reporting, adjusted EBITDA analysis, and debt covenant forecasting.
- Experience with Deltek Costpoint, JAMIS, Unanet, Power BI, or comparable ERP and reporting tools.
- Experience supporting manufacturing operations, product development, acquisition integration, or investment return analysis.
- MBA, CPA, CMA, or a related advanced degree or certification.
Responsibilities
- Own the annual budget, monthly forecasts, and long-range plan across business units, establishing timelines, consistent assumptions, and accountability for inputs.
- Enhance and maintain driver-based revenue, gross margin, adjusted EBITDA, and cash flow forecasts, including base, upside, and downside scenarios and working-capital assumptions.
- Lead monthly performance reviews and variance analysis; explain revenue, volume, rate, mix, labor utilization, and indirect cost drivers and recommend corrective actions.
- Challenge and validate forecast assumptions with business-unit leaders and Project Control, including staffing, backlog conversion, pipeline timing, and program margins; incorporate program estimates at completion into the platform outlook.
- Prepare executive and board reporting, including forecast bridges, KPIs, and concise commentary explaining business performance and decisions required.
- Standardize forecast templates, planning tools, dashboards, and management reporting across business units; use ERP data and Controller-approved actuals to improve forecast accuracy and reporting efficiency.
- Lead FP&A processes and develop team capabilities.
- Partner with the Controller, Project Control, Contracts, Pricing, and Operations to connect operating decisions with financial outcomes.
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
