Finance, Principal Director- ETG

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation’s space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you’ll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators. Join us and take your place in space.

The Aerospace Corporation is seeking a dynamic leader to serve as Finance, Principal Director for the Engineering and Technology Group (ETG)

In this leadership role, you have a strong finance background and a record of achievements based on your business, strategic and analytical mindset. You know how to get things done by establishing trust and credibility because you first seek to understand our mission. You have a proven record of surrounding yourself with top-notch talent that you inspire and empower. You are a strategic thinker who is always looking ahead for what’s next and are a courageous leader with strong strategic problem-solving skills and business acumen.

You provide leadership in all areas of financial strategy, budgeting, forecasting, and planning activities for The Aerospace Corporation. Specific responsibilities include annual and multi-year budgeting, development of financial forecasts and planning scenarios, development and implementation of financial and operational metrics, dashboards, and capital expenditure planning. You will also be responsible for improvements in financial and business processes as dictated by evolving corporate strategies. You will serve as a trusted financial advisor to all levels of the ETG organization, providing financial data, trends analysis, and predictive analytics that the corporation needs to deliver its value proposition to customers and to meet its goals.

You will also have a track record of translating strategic direction into specific actions, allocating resources to achieve those actions, and aligning organizations to successfully complete those actions on rapid timelines. You will work closely with the Center of Excellence Leaders within the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) to ensure a consistent vision and implementation of financial policies, practices, and processes throughout the company. Your exemplary people leadership skills will create and motivate a high-performance team to efficiently and effectively achieve the strategic vision for financial and business operation.

You will operate in a matrix organization where you report to the Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for policy, process and guidance ensuring that our strategy, operations, and initiatives are supporting corporate objectives. You will also report to the Group Senior Vice President for the respective organization for day-to-day direction, prioritization, and strategic support. The ability to successfully navigate this matrix leadership model will be key to your success.

The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our El Segundo CA or Chantilly, VA campus facility. 

What You'll Be Doing

• Creating income statements and P/L reports for each division and directorate
• Plan, forecast and manage financial performance and metrics
• Build annual budgets, lead budget subcommittees and monitor/manage budget performance
• Lead strategic projects at the group and corporate level
• Inform ETG SVPs on financial trends, reporting unit performance and recommend corrective actions to achieve financial plans
• Compare and analyze financial results with plans and forecasts, identify trends, assess and communicate reliable metrics that management can use to make informed business decisions.
• Make or recommend value-informed purchasing, investing, and hiring decisions on behalf of SVP
• Integral member of the Group and OCFO leadership teams
• Provide leadership in development of financial and business policies and procedures
• Establish and direct financial operations to optimize compliance
• Responsible for managing a team

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business, or related field
• Ten or more years of experience in financial strategy, budgeting, and forecasting
• Five or more years of experience in a senior leadership role accountable for enterprise-level Finance programs and initiatives that include budget management
• Significant direct experience in managing people and teams

How You Can Stand Out

It would be impressive if you have one or more of these:

• MBA, CPA and/or advanced degree in Finance, Business, Accounting, or related field
• Two or more years of experience in a US government Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) contracting environment
• Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to build strong and trusted working relationships with stakeholders and with geographically dispersed teams
• Knowledge of governmental and government contractor budgeting systems and practices
• Knowledge of cost accounting standards (CAS) Leadership Competencies
• Experience with data analytics tools and AI implementation in a Finance environment
• Active security clearance which is issued by the US government.

We offer a competitive compensation package where you’ll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to our business.  The grade-based pay range for this job is listed below.  Individual salaries within that range are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge and skills.

(Min - Max)

Leadership Competencies

Our leadership philosophy is simple: every employee, regardless of level and role, can demonstrate leadership. At Aerospace, our commitment is our people. To cultivate our talent and ensure that we have a strong pipeline of future leaders, we want individuals who:

• Operate Strategically
• Lead Change   
• Engage with Impact   
• Foster Innovation   
• Deliver Results  

Ways We Reward Our Employees

During your interview process, our team will provide details of our industry-leading benefits.

Benefits vary and are applicable based on Job Type.  A few highlights include:

• Comprehensive health care and wellness plans

• Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation

• Standard and alternate work schedules, including telework options

• 401(k) Plan — Employees receive a total company-paid benefit of 8%, 10%, or 12% of eligible compensation based on years of service and matching contributions; employees are immediately eligible and vested in the plan upon hire

• Flexible spending accounts

• Variable pay program for exceptional contributions

• Relocation assistance

• Professional growth and development programs to help advance your career

• Education assistance programs

• An inclusive work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect

We are all unique, from various backgrounds and all walks of life, yet one thing bonds all of us to each other—the belief that we can make a difference. This core belief empowers us to do our best work at The Aerospace Corporation.

Equal Opportunity Commitment

The Aerospace Corporation is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, color, religion, genetic information, marital status, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, physical disability, medical condition, mental disability, or disability status and any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. If you’re an individual with a disability or a disabled veteran who needs assistance using our online job search and application tools or need reasonable accommodation to complete the job application process, please contact us by phone at 310.336.5432 or by email at [email protected] . You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.