Strategic Finance Associate

Critical Materials Group•Austin, TX

12h•Onsite

About The Position

Critical Materials Group (CMG), a federally licensed energetics manufacturer rebuilding America’s defense industrial base, is building its finance function from the ground up. The Strategic Finance Associate owns the forward-looking financial view and helps determine what CMG should do next. Working directly with the CEO, this role builds and maintains the operating model, budget, and rolling forecast; supports proposal pricing; and turns operating data into analysis for decisions about capital, capacity, and programs. It is an early-career role open to new graduates and candidates with 1–3 years of experience, with direct exposure to executive- and board-level work. Accounting, the close, and government compliance are handled by the Senior Controller, with FP&A building on that foundation. The role develops CMG’s operating model, annual budget, rolling forecast, cash runway, and leadership dashboards. It analyzes monthly actuals against budget and forecast using closed books from the Senior Controller; tracks production, program margins, headcount, and cash; and builds pricing models and bid estimates for government proposals. It also evaluates program returns and margins across contract types, analyzes capital expenditures, plant capacity, make-vs.-buy decisions, and program economics, and provides timely analysis for operating and investment decisions. The Associate prepares board and investor reporting materials and supports capital raises, lender and investor diligence, non-dilutive funding, and M&A. The role uses data from CMG’s newly implemented ERP to automate recurring reporting and analysis. The Senior Controller provides accurate actuals, indirect rates, and compliance guidance; FP&A does not own the general ledger, close, billing, or DCAA compliance. The position is based in an Austin, Texas office and includes occasional travel to CMG sites, including Ballinger, Texas. Site visits may include manufacturing and laboratory areas where personal protective equipment and site safety protocols are required. Employment requires successful completion of a background check and drug screening. U.S. Person status may be required due to access to export-controlled ITAR/EAR information. Base salary is to be determined; the role is eligible for equity, a sign-on bonus where applicable, and CMG’s full benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Engineering, or a related field.
2–5 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 communication skills and ability to present findings to executives and the board.
Comfort building processes and models from scratch with limited structure.
Successful completion of a background check and drug screening.
U.S. Person status may be required due to access to export-controlled ITAR/EAR 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 capital expenditures, plant capacity, make-vs.-buy decisions, and program economics as CMG ramps production.
Deliver timely, well-reasoned ad hoc analysis for the CEO on operating and investment decisions.
Use ERP data 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.