Senior Director Group, Project Controls - MSET

Akima, LLC • Herndon, VA

19d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Director of Group Project Controls will lead all Project Controls functions for Akima’s Mission Systems, Engineering, and Technology (MSET) Group. This high-impact role manages 3 direct reports and a 20+ Project Control member team of Analysts, serving as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) across the full spectrum of project controls disciplines. Reporting directly to the Vice President of Project Controls, this leader will collaborate closely with the Group President, Operations Presidents, General Managers, Vice-Presidents, Program Managers and the Group Senior Finance Director. The position demands a dynamic, hands-on professional who thrives in a fast-paced, high-volume environment and can balance strategic oversight with tactical execution. The ideal candidate will be adept at mentoring and developing talent, managing complex workloads, and driving accountability for quality, compliance, and timely delivery. This is a working leadership role requiring direct engagement in project controls activities to ensure internal and external service level agreements (SLAs) are consistently met.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or related discipline.
• 15+ years of Project Controls experience within Federal Government contracting, including 8+ years in a leadership role.
• Deep expertise in: Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and government compliance. Costpoint setup, reporting, and invoicing. Revenue recognition. Unbilled analysis. EAC development and review. Process improvement. Variance analysis. Project management for new tools or awards. Leading geographically dispersed teams.
• Technical proficiency in: Costpoint and associated reporting tools such as Cognos and Query Studio. Microsoft Excel.
• Strong managerial, interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to present confidently to senior leadership and train groups of up to 100 participants.
• Hybrid position; requires travel to Herndon, VA HQ for team and other miscellaneous meetings, with remote flexibility.
• This Hybrid position requires that you live within commuting distance from Herndon, VA.

Nice To Haves

• MBA or CPA.
• Master’s degree in a relevant field may substitute for 2 years of experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and mentor Project Control Managers and Analysts.
• Recruit and mentor top-tier project controls talent as needed.
• Drive excellence in program reviews, month-end close processes, and Estimate at Completion (EAC) reviews.
• Support seamless transitions and phase-ins for new projects.
• Contribute to corporate-level certifications and initiatives.
• Participate in proposal reviews and pricing strategies.
• Foster communication and knowledge-sharing through forums, training sessions and other methods.
• Provide hands-on support in planning, scheduling, baseline development, cost/variance analysis, project setup, and reporting.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager