Strategic Finance Associate

Critical Materials Group•Austin, TX

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Critical Materials Group (CMG) is a federally licensed energetics manufacturer rebuilding America's defense industrial base, and is building its finance function from the ground up. The Strategic Finance Associate owns the forward view and answers the question: what should CMG do next? Working directly with the CEO, this analyst builds and maintains the operating model, budget, and rolling forecast, supports proposal pricing, and turns operating data into the analysis behind decisions on capital, capacity, and programs. This is an early career role, open to new graduates and candidates with 1 to 3 years of experience, with direct exposure to executive and board level work. Accounting, the close, and government compliance sit with CMG's Senior Controller; FP&A builds on that foundation.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Engineering, or a related field.
2 to 5 years of experience in investment banking, private equity, venture capital, corporate finance, or FP&A; strong internship experience will be considered for new graduates.
Advanced financial modeling skills in Excel or Google Sheets, including three statement models and valuation.
Clear, concise communicator who can present findings to executives and the board.
Comfortable building processes and models from scratch with limited structure.
This role may require U.S. person status due to access to export controlled information.

Nice To Haves

Exposure to industrial, defense, or manufacturing companies.
Familiarity with government contract types and proposal pricing.
Experience with ERP data, SQL, or BI tools such as Power BI or Tableau.
Progress toward a CFA, CPA, or similar credential.

Responsibilities

Build and maintain CMG's operating model, annual budget, and rolling forecast, including cash runway.
Compare actuals to budget and forecast each month and explain variances, using closed books from the Senior Controller.
Track KPIs for production, program margins, headcount, and cash, and keep leadership dashboards current.
Build pricing models and bid estimates for government proposals, using indirect rates set with the Senior Controller.
Model program returns and margins across contract types, including firm fixed price, cost plus, and other transaction agreements.
Analyze capex, plant capacity, make vs. buy decisions, and program economics as CMG ramps production.
Deliver fast, well reasoned ad hoc analysis for the CEO on operating and investment decisions.
Use data from CMG's newly implemented ERP to automate recurring reports and analysis.
Prepare board and investor reporting packages, KPIs, and presentation materials.
Support capital raises, lender and investor diligence, non dilutive funding, and M&A with models, analysis, and data room preparation.
Rely on the Senior Controller for accurate actuals, indirect rates, and compliance guidance; FP&A does not own the general ledger, close, billing, or DCAA compliance.