Finance Lead

AeroVironment•Moorpark, CA

2d•$111,000 - $169,250

About The Position

The Finance Lead brings strategic and operational focus to the Finance team’s program planning and financial operations, emphasizing sound financial plans and improved compliance and controls. The role partners with Product Management, Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Sales, and Finance leadership to evaluate product profitability, manage budgets, analyze costs, and support informed business decisions throughout the product lifecycle. It provides financial guidance aligned with organizational goals and company policy, with an emphasis on hardware products, manufacturing economics, inventory, and cross-functional operations. The position oversees financial planning, forecasting, reporting, cost control, budgets, proposal support, and program schedules. It helps ensure compliance with internal procedures and government procurement regulations, supports audits, and assesses program profitability and business impacts. The role also works with Cost Accounting, subcontractors, and Supply Chain to understand product costs, cost variances, supplier changes, and supply constraints, and to translate these factors into implications for forecasts, margins, business plans, and program performance. The role works on issues requiring analysis of diverse factors and current business trends, and advises subordinates on schedules and technical problems. U.S. citizenship is required, and the candidate must hold or be capable of obtaining a U.S. security clearance. Occasional travel within the Continental U.S. may be required. The role requires access to ITAR- and/or EAR-controlled information, with applicable U.S.-person or export-license qualifications.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or Business Administration, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
At least 10 years of experience in relevant disciplines and at least 2 years in a leadership role.
Experience and knowledge in costing and pricing complex manufactured products and development contracts.
Experience with Government Cost Accounting principles and FAR.
Experience and knowledge of ASC-606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers.
Current expertise with the MS Office Suite, especially MS Excel, including V-lookups, conditional formatting, and pivot tables; Hyperion; and an ERP system such as Oracle EBS.
Demonstrated awareness of and interest in business operations, including the ability to help create business strategies and objectives.
Strong analytical, presentation, business writing, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to communicate orally and in writing with customers, program management teams, and senior management.
Ability to manage multiple critical projects simultaneously and work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
Ability to develop and maintain internal and external professional relationships based on trust.
U.S. citizenship is required.
Must presently hold or be capable of obtaining a U.S. security clearance.
Must meet applicable ITAR/EAR requirements as a U.S. person or be a person who can be approved for an export license.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting a hardware, aerospace, defense, industrial, electronics, or manufacturing product line.
An advanced degree.
Knowledge of MS Project or Fast Track is desirable.
Ability to think beyond immediate circumstances, explore possible paths, and adapt decision-making to the situation.
Ability to inspire, motivate, and empower people to deliver organizational goals while delivering value to employees.
Ability to bring organizational values to life and create a shared vision.
Ability to champion change, promote quick adaptation, and help others deal with the effects of change.
Occasional travel within the Continental U.S. may be required.

Responsibilities

Provide monthly forecasting and variance reporting, and prepare monthly financial information for Senior Management reviews of the hardware product line.
Ensure compliance with internal procedures and government procurement regulations, and monitor implementation of financial policies, including Revenue Recognition, Timekeeping, Cost, Inventory, and Estimating System compliance.
Provide day-to-day financial direction to product line management.
Support internal and external audits.
Review and challenge program Estimates at Complete (EAC) and ensure appropriate profit margins are recognized.
Identify, analyze, and monitor issues affecting profitability, growth, and productivity.
Oversee program cost control activities, including participation in cost and schedule control for contracts requiring a validated cost/schedule control system.
Oversee preparation of program budgets and schedules and financial analyses, including funding profiles, sales outlook, and variance analysis.
Support indirect department budgeting for assigned departments, including utilization reviews and detailed variance analysis.
Support proposal activity for new captures, including negotiations, and work with the home office proposal/costing team to develop compliant price and cost volumes.
Assist in developing detailed integrated master program schedules for on-contract work, internal research and development, and new captures.
Advise subordinates to help meet schedules and resolve technical problems.
Work with Cost Accounting to develop and maintain knowledge of Bills of Material (BOMs), product configuration, material content, quantities, and associated costs to support financial analysis and product cost assessments.
Partner with subcontractors and Supply Chain to assess cost variances for key components and services, identify underlying drivers, and evaluate implications for product cost and profitability.
Translate product cost variances, supplier changes, and supply chain constraints into financial and business impacts, including implications for business plans, forecasts, margins, and overall program performance.
Make business impact assessments and recommendations when complete or reliable information is unavailable, using financial judgment, available data, and operational and commercial considerations.
Perform other duties as assigned.