Senior Program Finance Manager

Arete Associates•Los Angeles, CA

23h•$175,000 - $210,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Programs Finance Manager is responsible for leading all financial planning, analysis, and operational finance activities supporting direct programs, labor, materials, production and operations. This role provides strategic financial insights, ensures accurate program performance measurement, and partners closely with Operations, Program Management, Supply Chain, and Executive Leadership to drive execution excellence and financial accountability. The ideal candidate brings deep analytical strength, strong understanding of program finance, and demonstrated capability in earned value management, forecasting, and operational decision support. This is an exempt, full-time position that may be based out of our Tucson, AZ; Falls Church, VA; Niwot, CO; or Northridge, CA offices.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, Engineering, or related field.
8+ years of progressive experience in program finance, manufacturing finance, FP&A, cost accounting, or related operational finance functions.
Strong experience with EACs, EVMS, program performance measurement, or production/operations finance.
Proficiency in financial modeling, forecasting, and analytics tools.
Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence cross‑functional leaders.

Nice To Haves

Experience in aerospace, defense, engineering, or other program‑centric, cost‑structured environments.
Experience with ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Costpoint) and EVMS/analytics tools.
Familiarity with proposal compliance, government contracting, or FAR/DFARS environments.
MBA, CPA, CMA or relevant professional certification.

Responsibilities

Builds, leads and mentors a high-performing programs finance team; establishes clear goals, manages performance, and develops succession and growth plans.
Lead Direct Planning and Analysis, including revenue, direct labor, materials, and program‑level cost forecasting
Oversee Estimates at Completion (EACs), ensuring accuracy, consistency, and timely updates across all programs and cost elements.
Manage Earned Value Management System (EVMS) processes, reporting, and compliance, partnering with Program Management to ensure accurate and actionable performance metrics.
Lead Resource Planning, including labor capacity modeling, workforce alignment, and scenario analysis to support operational needs.
Conduct Inventory Analysis, including excess/obsolete review, inventory turns, valuation accuracy, and production‑planning alignment. Reconcile inventory to general ledger.
Provide comprehensive Proposal Support, including pricing analysis, cost modeling, basis‑of‑estimate development, and compliance with customer and regulatory requirements.
Drive Cash Flow Analysis, including program‑level cash modeling, billing/milestone analysis, and risk/opportunity assessments.
Develop and maintain Direct Dashboards, providing operational and financial visibility to leadership through real‑time metrics and performance trends.
Partner cross‑functionally with Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, and Program Management on performance reviews, production planning, and cost‑reduction initiatives.
Support audits, compliance reviews, and financial controls across direct cost areas.
Lead continuous‑improvement initiatives to strengthen financial processes, data accuracy, and decision‑support capabilities.